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Victory 47

Event ID: 199

Categories: 

Under the guns of the Red Baron, Norman Franks, Hal Giblin and Nigel McCrery

23 April 1917

50.3963001671987, 2.868850315651498
Mericourt

Source ID: 13

Under the guns of the Red Baron, Norman Franks, Hal Giblin and Nigel McCrery p.  122 

ISBN: 9781898697275

“Combat Report: 1205 hrs, Mericourt, this side of the lines. BE two-seater. No details, as plane broke in the air and was scattered in falling. I observed an artillery flyer, approached him unnoticed, and shot at him from the closest range, until his left wing came off. The machine broke to pieces and fell near Mericourt. Weather: fine.”

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  1. Source: Inside the victories of Manfred von richthofen – Volume 1, James F. Miller, Aeronaut Books, 2016

    Discrepancy exists regarding whether A3168 was a BE.2e or f, because RFC records alternately define it as each. Regarding design development, the BE.2e was a continuation of the BE.2 series and differed from previous variants via shorter spanned lower wings, reduced number of interplane wing struts, an added strut that connected the upper and lower ailerons, and a redesigned empennage. A photograph of A3168 clearly shows these features. To meet demands for BE.2e machines the RFC began modifying BE.2c and d variants to e standards. Resultant supply and maintenance issues led to an October 1916 directive that stated all modified BE.2c airplanes would be re-designated as BE.2f, and all BE.2d airplanes would be re-designated as BE.2gs.

    RFC records show A3168 was manufactured by Wolseley under contract 87/A/625, issued 21 August 1916 for 120 BE.2e airplanes. A3168 is also listed as a BE.2e under contract A/3062, dated 21 August 1916 that included 20 machines from A3149—A3168. A search amongst casualty reports for individual machines in A/3062 reveals airplanes identified as BE.2e, f,and even g. Yet all manufacture records indicate the machines were built as e variants. Which dovetails with the question asked in the notes of victory 39: Since the BE.2f and g were BE.2c and d machines modified to e standards, why would airplanes built as a BE.2e in the first place need to be modified to its own standard?

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