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Thread: UK Aircraft Use Charts

  1. #1

    Default UK Aircraft Use Charts

    A short time back I picked up Ian Philpott's The Birth of the Royal Air Force. One of the nice appendices lists which planes were in use for each squadron (274 of them) -- not only when the plane first appeared but when it went out of use. It also lists where each squadron was stationed, so I could filter out aircraft used strictly for training in England.

    This let me put together a chart of which aircraft were in active use throughout the war. Now, some things are approximate... if a squadron is listed with a mix of Camels and DH4s, I don't know if that is one Camel and 11 DH4s or 11DH4s and one Camel, so I assumed an even spread. 50% with two plane types, 33% with three, etc. Think of it as "squadron equivalents". This leads to a little noise in the curves, but it should be close enough for a good approximation. I filtered for just fighter aircraft and added up the totals, and the result was this interesting chart:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Some side notes: The FE2b was used as a fighter but transitioned more to a night-bomber as time went on. This does include home-defense squadrons, which is why you see the BE12 so high. It also includes some squadrons serving in the quieter theaters such as the Middle East, which extends the lifetime of planes like the Nieuport 17. Some planes like the Morane-Saulnier Type I were too small for the chart.

    Bristol Scout is high in the early war because almost every squadron had one or more -- it wasn't until later in the war that squadrons settled down on one or two different types. For instance, one squadron (#19) had nine different plane types in use in the first half of 1916 (which I counted as a ninth of a squadron for each of those types).

    Edit: I realized the Snipe wouldn't add to the mid-war clutter, so I put it back into the chart.
    Last edited by ReducedAirFact; 06-10-2020 at 11:43. Reason: Added Snipe, changed title

  2. #2

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    Fascinating stuff!

    I love the charts you produce - really illuminating!
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

  3. #3

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    Nice work Daryl, puts things in perspective.

    "He is wise who watches"

  4. #4

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    Nice job - really shows what needs to be available for the RFC.

    (and what doesn't ....)

  5. #5

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    An interesting chart, Daryl. Well done!

  6. #6

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    Thanks for this very interesting chart Daryl. I love seeing how planes came and went as the war progressed.

  7. #7

    Default Reconnaissance and Bombers

    And now the equivalent chart for reconnaissance and bomber aircraft. (Note that the Bristol F.2b and RAF FE.2b are on both charts.) I had to leave off some of the very minor contributors because they just resulted in clutter at the bottom of the chart.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Someday I'll have to do these as "stacked" charts so the overall growth is more evident -- the current form is more useful to see how various types rise into prominence then fade away.

    Like the fighter chart, the tail end of some of these types are extended by use in quieter theaters, home defense use, etc. A good example is the DH6, which was intended only as a trainer but found wide use on coastal submarine patrol in 1918.

    What surprised me was the steepness of the DH9 curve -- especially since it was a mediocre plane -- in many ways inferior to the DH4. I suspect if the war had continued that would have dropped off quickly as it was supplanted by the DH9A.

    It's also interesting to see that the use of the BE2e had already started downward a couple months before Bloody April -- replaced largely by the RE8.

    Note that the data behind these charts does include some RNAS planes when they were flying planes like the Triplane and Strutter, but it doesn't include seaplanes and flying boats, which were mostly overlooked in Philpott's lists until the last months of the war.
    Last edited by ReducedAirFact; 06-10-2020 at 11:43.

  8. #8

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    Well, Bloody April was the result of the British having somewhat inferior scouts, less trained pilots (which was accelerated by the need to keep squadrons at strength), and being on the offensive.
    I don't think the performance difference between the Be-2e and the Re-8 was enough to matter in those circumstances.
    As for the rise in the Dh-9, I think the wiki article says it all:
    Based on the performance estimates for the DH.9 (which were initially expected to surpass those of the DH.4), and the similarity to the DH.4, which meant that it would be easy to convert production over to the new aircraft, it was decided to place a massive number of orders (totalling 4,630 aircraft) for the type prior to the aircraft even flying for the first time.[2] Existing contracts originally placed for the DH.4 were also converted to the DH.9. The Air Board had been specifically assured that there would be an initial production delay of no more than a month. According to aviation author J.M Bruce, the selection of the DH.9 "seems to have been taken in a spirit of optimism or blind faith, for its chosen engine was, in July 1917, experiencing serious manufacturing difficulties" ... Unfortunately, the BHP engine proved unable to reliably deliver its expected power; the engine having been de-rated to 230 hp (186 kW) {predicted to produce 300 hp (224 kW)} in order to improve its reliability. This deficit had a drastic effect on the aircraft's performance, especially at high altitude, with it being inferior to that of the DH.4 it was supposed to replace...The poor performance of the aircraft meant that the DH.9 would have to fight its way through enemy fighters, which could easily catch the DH.9 where the DH.4 could avoid many of these attacks. As early as November 1917, some officials, such as General Hugh Trenchard, raised repeated objections to the aircraft based upon its disappointing performance; however, in his response, President of the Air Council Sir William Weir started that "it was the choice of having the DH.9 with the B.H.P. engine, or of having nothing at all
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  9. #9

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    Hi Karl, quite true -- they had placed a big bet on the DH9 and it didn't pay off (at least, until the DH9A). I just didn't realize how big that bet was!

    Now, let's contrast that with the French, who had the excellent Breguet 14 and Salmson 2 to rely on, and other nice two-seaters just ramping up. (After -- admittedly -- limping along through 1917 with inferior two-seaters).

    I guess it proves the old adage that an airplane is just an engine with some other extraneous stuff wrapped around it.

  10. #10

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    Mmmmmmmmmmmm, more charty goodness!

    Forgot to REP you for the last previous one, Daryl - won't make that mistake this time.
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

  11. #11

    Thumbs up

    Thanks Daryl. Great stuff!

    Some deserved Rep on its way.

  12. #12

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    Bloody Excellent. Love to rep you multiple times for this. Just have to await another opportunity. Thanks

  13. #13

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    So this suggests to me that our major British missings are... (bold are tandems, bold italic Special Packs)

    Sopwith Pup
    BE2c (and BE12 single-seater variant)
    AMC DH9

    Caquot balloon (reissue)
    Parseval-Sigsfeld balloon


    Anybody I missed?
    Last edited by Diamondback; 06-21-2020 at 21:36.
    Historical Consultant/Researcher, Wings and Sails lines - Unless stated otherwise, all comments are personal opinion only and NOT official Ares policy.
    Wings Checklists: WWI (down Navarre Nieuport, Ares Drachens) | WWII (complete)

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Diamondback View Post
    So this suggests to me that our major British missings are... (bold are tandems, bold italic Special Packs)

    Sopwith Pup
    BE12
    AMC DH9

    Caquot balloon (reissue)
    Parseval-Sigsfeld balloon


    Anybody I missed?
    I think you meant BE2c rather than BE12

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stumptonian View Post
    I think you meant BE2c rather than BE12
    I was looking at the first chart, and thought we already had a member of the BE2 family that could "fake it." Thanks.
    Historical Consultant/Researcher, Wings and Sails lines - Unless stated otherwise, all comments are personal opinion only and NOT official Ares policy.
    Wings Checklists: WWI (down Navarre Nieuport, Ares Drachens) | WWII (complete)

  16. #16

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    Thanks, Daryl. It is interesting to see how some planes had their time in the sun, and then disappeared. Others lasted for a long long time.
    I was surprised by the shape of the RE8 graph. I think in our games we will need to give them a bit more game time and respect. Currently we only rarely use them.

  17. #17

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    Great information Daryl, I’m just getting into aviation history and this certainly sounds like a good reference book.

  18. #18

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    jolly good show old chap!!!



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