LHONER needs to get out more

[Captain kiwi]

Thursday 10th December

Here I was sitting on an Austrian hillside with my beloved Broomhilda recuperating from my last action with the British airman Kyte, when all of a sudden there was an annoying sound of an aircraft in the death throes of engine failure. when it came into view I could see it was a Lhoner (not true so called because no one can fly slow enough to accompany it) of our "partners in crime" K.u.K. Luftfahrtruppen . As I was watching the Lhoner another of our Austrian allies flew past in a Macchi it was evident that both pilots were raw and new to combat flying, the Lhoner pilot was straining the engine trying to get upto a decent speed and the pilot of the Macchi at forgotten his role as wing man and shot past he Lhoner. I soon realised why as appearing in front of them were two Tenante of the Italian Corpo Aeronautico Militare. Who diverted from there planned bombing mission of coastal towns to attack the two Austrian craft.
What ensued was not so much a game of cat and mouse but more the cat has got the mouse but the mouse did not realise it.
As usual let the pictures tell the story.

Von HIPPLE



The Macchi piloted by Uthelr Von Trapp to eager to engage the enemy forgets the purpose of a wingman



Von Trapp in his eagerness is soon set upon by Federicci



The Lhoner piloted by Volther Strauss left on his own is soon engaged by the more experienced Italian Tenante pilot the American/Italian Bud Kytoni (apparently a relative of Major Kyte RFC)



Realising he is out of his depth Von trap makes a break away



Meanwhile the Lhoner is unable to manoeuvre out of the path of Kytoni's Guns and is being continuously hit. The Macchi of Von Trapp is being forced further away from the Lhoner and the safety of home turf



Unlucky Strauss whilst returning fire shoots through his own propeller and is downed immediately



With the Lhoner dispatched the Tenante of Kytoni breaks off and soon enters the fray with Federici to bring down the Macchi of Von Trap



Within minutes the Macchi is on fire and crashes



Photo show damage scores Would it have been different if the wingman had done is job


Captain Kiwi

[gully_raker]

Short & not so sweet for the Huns in that one!

[milcoll73]

so its safe to say you dispensed with your normal mount and went with a "LHONER"? did the agent make you go with the extra insurance voucher?

[flash]

You threw a lot of zeros at that one Andy !!

[Captain kiwi]

Yes indeed It was like flying the eqivellant of a Reliant Robin somewhere it must have said Trotters Independant Trader on the fusalage cause I felt a right TIT

[Naharaht]

Thank you dor the good AAR, Andy. May I ask what statistics you used for the Lohner L, please, and what sort of firing arc you used for the flexible gun it carried?

[Baxter]

Nice AAR thanks.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Thank you dor the good AAR, Andy. May I ask what statistics you used for the Lohner L, please, and what sort of firing arc you used for the flexible gun it carried?

Pick your take Dave.

We were flying the XB B one.





Rob.

[Naharaht]

Thank you for the pictures of the aeroplane cards, Rob. As the gunner 'sits' in the right hand seat, I feel that the arcs on all three cards are generous and that the firing arc should be asymmetric with a larger angle to port than to starboard, having its apex on the gun mount.

[RJG173]

Nice looking ship in some of the photographs. What model is it, please?

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Hi Robert,
Apart from the main hull which was modified by two thicknesses of plasticard and the masts crows nests, it was scratch built by me.
Rob.