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Air Battle Mgr
06-13-2010, 22:23
A while back i read a abook about Richthofen where he referred to his first 2-seater plane he was an observer in as an 'apple barge'.

Does anyone know what plane that was?

timmy

Guntruck
06-14-2010, 01:00
I've also read that this was twin-engined, but I have not seen anything to definitively identify the type of aircraft.

flash
06-14-2010, 12:12
von Richtofens journal:
"If you hear a bang down below and see the delightful greyish-whitish cloud of the explosion in the neighbourhood of the object aimed at, you are always very pleased. Therefore I waved to friend Zeumer that he should bend a little to the side. While waving to him I forgot that the infamous object on which I was travelling, my apple-barge, had two propellers which turned to the right and left of my observer-seat. I meant to show him where approximately the bomb had hit and bang! my finger was caught! I was somewhat surprised when I discovered that my little finger had been damaged. Zeumer did not notice anything.
Having been hit on the hand I did not care to throw any more bombs. I quickly got rid of the lot and we hurried home. My love for the large battle-plane, which after all had not been very great, suffered seriously in consequence of my experience."

http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/airplane%20at%20war/upload4/Baron%20Manfred%20von%20Richthofen%20journal.htm

Ain't Google wonderful :)

Doesn't say what it is though !!

David Kuijt
06-14-2010, 15:25
Ain't Google wonderful :)

Doesn't say what it is though !!

That's a great link. Although it doesn't say what it is, it does imply that it is a floatplane or flying boat earlier when it mentions landing on the water. Surely the number of German two-engined tractor floatplane/flying boats that early in the war is limited?

Air Battle Mgr
06-14-2010, 15:48
It wouldn't be the Roland from the mini series would it?

Naharaht
06-14-2010, 16:04
Von Richtofen's plane may have been a Gotha G.1.

usmc1855
06-14-2010, 18:55
This incident happened Mid September, 1915, while flying out of Ostende in Flanders with the Brieftauben-Abteilung Ostende (BAO). This was while Richthoffen was just an Aerial Observer, not yet trained to be a Pilot.

The plane he was in was an AEG G.II

Unit: BAO (Brieftauben Abteilung Ostende)
Serial: G6/15
Crew: pilot - Oblt Georg Zeumer, observer - Lt.Manfred von Richthofen. France, September 1915. Note: profile shows Field Gray painting, but it also may be Yellow; serial number G6/15 is according A.E.Ferko 'Richthofen', but on the photos it more likely looks G5/15.

Air Battle Mgr
06-15-2010, 00:40
Thank you Major Hicks (trying out the new rank -- sounds good)

I especially want to thank you for the effort you put into finding the pictures -- much appreciated.

timmy

Guntruck
06-15-2010, 01:05
Yep, thanks Brian, devotion to duty above and beyond, and all that.

usmc1855
06-15-2010, 05:04
Thank you Major Hicks (trying out the new rank -- sounds good)

I especially want to thank you for the effort you put into finding the pictures -- much appreciated.

timmy

"Pictures speak a thousand word..." ;)