A few years ago I bought four old slides from the WW1 period. These slides were used to show pictures to a group of people by projecting them on a screen or a white wall, by the use of a projector / lantern.
I had not realized that it was so difficult to scan these slides, but now I am able to present a reasonable quality scan of the four.
The scene here shows the biggest English flying boat during the Great War, the Porte F.B.2 Baby Tractor/pusher biplane flying boat (the official title used by the RNAS). The wing span of the upper wing was 124 ft [37,80 meter]. The engine configuration consisted of two tractors while the middle engine was a pusher. Shown her is the first built Porte F.B.2 Baby serial 9800.
Due to the danger of Zeppelins the plan was made to bring fighter planes 'sitting' on large planes to the approaching Zeppelins. What you see here is a once only experiment made with the big Porte flying boat (serial 9800) and a Bristol Scout D (serial 3028). Date 17 May 1916. When the flying boat had arrived at a height of 1,000 feet the Bristol Tractor started its rotary engine and flew away. The experiment was never repeated.
Tags: Baby Bristol F.B.2 Lantern slide Negative Porte Pusher Scout Tractor trimotor
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A specially modified Airco D.H.4 which is identified as a D.H.4a. In March 1919 quick transportation was needed for ministers and their secretary who travelled between London and the Peace Conference in Paris (Versailles). The ministers were flown by a special Communication Squadron of the R.A.F. and was a strictly military operation. After the signing of the Peace Treaty all these cabin fitted D.H.4a machines were surplus and sold on the market, where they came in the civil register.
Tags: Airco D.H.4a Peace Treaty Versailles cabin de Havilland
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E8407 the first machine in an order of 400 built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Co [Airco]. The order had serial numbers E8407 - E8806.
A classic biplane type which came in late at the war. The needed numbers of the USA Liberty engine overstretched the engine manufacturing possibilities, so the first Airco D.H.9a machines entered in August 1918.
After the war the Airco D.H.9a (de Havilland design) soldiered on into the 1930's soldiering the vast English Commonwealth.
Tags: Airco D.H.9a E8407 de Havilland
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Fitting the D.H.9A with another engine changed the appearance of the D.H.9a considerable. This version was fitted with a 450 hp Napier Lion 12-cylinder water-cooled engine, which needed the radiator mounted underneath.
This 'civil' D.H.9a - civil registration G-EAOG - was used to fly post from England to the occupying force in Germany during October 1919 till June 1920. It was for the time being loaned by the R.A.F. to the Aircraft Transport and Travel Ltd. After June 1920 this machine returned in military service with the R.A.F. as E752.
Tags: Airco D.H.9a G-EAOG Lion de Havilland
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A standard military Airco D.H.9. Compare the considerable differences with the Airco D.H.9a fitted with a Napier Lion engine.
Tags: Airco D.H.9 de Havilland
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