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Thread: Canada's First Military Aircraft - the Burgess-Dunne (D.8)

  1. #1

    Default Canada's First Military Aircraft - the Burgess-Dunne (D.8)

    This aircraft isn't anywhere in this forum, but was actually purchased by two countries for their war effort in WWI. The Canadian Air Corps, and the US Navy.

    Flying Wings Site - Dunne

    This site has farmed a few others for information, putting some excerpts on it's page. It has a color scheme for the US Navy planes, and a drawing of a US Signal's Corps machine with a gun mounted in the forward observers position. The mount is a single-pivot mount, not a scarf-mount, so it would not have the 270 firing arc I would like it to have.

    Wikipedia article - Dunne_D.8

    And Fiddler's Green has already done up a paper model!
    Fiddlers Green: Burgess-Dunne-FlyingWing

    Line Drawings of the aircraft:
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Click image for larger version. 

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    The Burgess-Dunne never saw combat, as far as any records I have found, and although Canada shipped one to England, it never flew there. It was damaged in shipping, and was deemed unsuitable for combat by the English services, and therefore never repaired. It was left, rotting in the damp English environment, and finally written off.

    The US Navy actually flew at least two of these on the East Coast of the US. I haven't researched much, as it wasn't my focus. Anyway, with the assistance of Max Headroom, I have done up an aircraft card for the game, and am puttering away at a card design to build and fly in Wings of War.

    JPEG of Airplane Card:
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Photoshop files:
    Burgess_DunneCard3.psd

    I have done some comparisons to other aircraft for the stats, and come up with the following:
    Maneuverability: I went with similar aircraft of it's time (1914-15) and used the "J" deck. It was supposed to be quite stable in flight, and possibly too stable for a "fighter". Now that I have a "J" deck, I will try out using this in combat, and see if I need to adjust it. Yeah. Just looked at the deck, and the Immelmann will have to go, at least.
    Weapons: B damage, as it was not a very powerful aircraft, so go with one machine gun. Whatever was usable by a pusher should be usable by the Burgess-Dunne. But the firing arc should be about 270 degrees around the front, with 360 degrees above it's altitude, like the FE2b and the Vickers FB5.
    Damage: It doesn't appear to be a very robust design, so I didn't give it much damage.

    Word File on design and comparison for stats:
    Burgess_Dunne Specification Compare.doc

    Hope some of the Canadian Flyers try this out.

    Mike

  2. #2

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    Interesting bird, but since it is a design from 1912, I would think it more fragile. But since the American navy seemed interested, I would probably like to find a use for this bird in my early war campaign.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunne_D.8

    I may just have to add a chapter to the solo game about naval air campaigning.

  3. #3

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    Hmmm...
    Just checked the stats on a few planes. Wow. A Jenny has a damage rating of 5? So, maybe the D.8 could be a bit high. Perhaps some play testing is in order.

    Any suggestions about the stats are welcome. I'm not exactly an expert.

    Mike

  4. #4

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    Thanks for the insight to that bit of obscure Canadian aircraft design Mike. You may have noticed that I'm more than a little into my seaplanes at the moment, so I found it very interesting.
    Just one request Chaps. Do not show this to Clipper. It will only set him off again, and we have only just managed to settle the Elves down after that last episode.

    Rob.

  5. #5

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    Tooooooooooooo late! I'm on it like blue on sky . . . Clipper on course and climbing . . .

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by clipper1801 View Post
    Tooooooooooooo late! I'm on it like blue on sky . . . Clipper on course and climbing . . .
    O.K. Clipper, I'll order some more of the dried frog pills.
    Rob.

  7. #7

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    Very cool design indeed, on deck for this weekend . . . really like the blue camo in the Munson book . . . where did those elves go?

  8. #8

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    An interesting discussion. Thanks.

  9. #9

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    This did carry to full fruition, see the hobby thread build on the Burgess Dunne




  10. #10

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    Well you excelled yourself again as usual David.
    I'm only suprised that the Elves let you get away with only the three.
    Rob.



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