The Red Baron's pre-flight

[IndyTim]

Nice old video of Baron von Richthofen as the crew pulls his triplane out of the hangar, and he gets suited up and takes off.

 

Baron von Richthofen's preflight

[1964-M20E]

Neat

I guess this was not a scramble type deployment.  I like at the end they are inspecting the damage to the aeroplane.

 

notice the crankcase rotates with the cylinders and the crankshaft remains stationary and do not forget the castor oil to keep the engine and pilot running smoothly.

[ArtVandelay]

What's with the bib overalls?

[Hank]

When R first appeared on camera, I thought "Wow. Not used to seeing people use a chin strap with their combination cover." Then when he put on his flight suit, he took off the cover and the chin strap was visible still wrapped across the top of his [bare] head. What's up with that??

Did anyone notice the significant P-factor on takeoff? Rather a significant curve during the run, to the right since his engine rotates backwards. I liked the mechanic oiling each cylinder prior to start, too.

[steingar]

What courageous men!  No parachute, and flying an open cockpit aircraft in all seasons at tremendous altitudes.  Oh, and rotary engines with huge gyroscopic force.  I can't imagine those things were in any way easy to fly.  And flying over a war zone in a vehicle covered in the world's most flammable fabric.

[bonal]

When I first saw this I thought of Snoopy from the peanuts cartoons (whom we named our C after) then I watched the movie,  I have always been fascinated by those rotary engines. watched a couple more vids while I was there, also the one of the famous beagle and his battle with the baron.  Next month there is to be a new Peanuts movie released and all the sound shots were done at STS using Shultz sons Stearman for Snoopy's dog house/ Sopwith Camel. Should be a fun movie.

[MyNameIsNobody]

Leather fur-lined bibs were pretty common in WWII as well.  Can you imagine how cold that would have been in an open cockpit?!  I liked the cameraderie with the downed English Pilot in front of his downed machine.  He was smiling and laughing along with the Germans to include Manfred.  The fuel cells were right behind them too...A pretty "hazardous occupation" to say the least.  About as glamorous as getting out of a trench on the whisle and charging Maxim Heavy Machine Guns while getting nailed with mustard gas.  Good times...

[MyNameIsNobody]

I used to love the "combat" scenes of Snoopy taking on the Rotte Baron.  The sound effects were pretty good of the airplanes.  That and the "rise of the Great Pumpkin from the pumpkin patch" (Snoopy scaring the poop out of Linus)

[takair]

When R first appeared on camera, I thought "Wow. Not used to seeing people use a chin strap with their combination cover." Then when he put on his flight suit, he took off the cover and the chin strap was visible still wrapped across the top of his [bare] head. What's up with that??

Did anyone notice the significant P-factor on takeoff? Rather a significant curve during the run, to the right since his engine rotates backwards. I liked the mechanic oiling each cylinder prior to start, too.

Late in his career he was hit in the head during combat and had his head wrapped in many photos I have seen.  I suspect this is post injury footage, likely not long before his death.  

Tim,  Great footage, relatively speaking.  Did not know this existed.  Thanks for posting the link!

[carusoam]

Is that a WOT start?  Takes two guys to pull the whole mass through and a few guys to hold the tail...

Best regards,

-a-

[takair]

Is that a WOT start?  Takes two guys to pull the whole mass through and a few guys to hold the tail...

Best regards,

-a-

there is not much of a throttle on the rotary engine.  As I recall, there is some level of fuel control, but the primary way of adjusting power is by blipping the ignition.  You can see some videos on YouTube. Perhaps our new member, Mr Hammond can chime in from his Old Rhinebeck experience.  These are really cool planes.  Love that short takeoff roll.

[Hank]

Go to the Apple store and download the free book "Learning to Fly" by Claude Grahame-White and Harry Harper. While extolling the virtues of the advanced airplanes and the many improvements made since the early days of flight, he describes blipping the ignition to reduce speed, shutting off the ignition and gliding to landing, and taking checkride with the official observing from the ground. His book is copyrighted in 1916. It's an interesting, quick read.