World War I Airplanes

Old Warplanes

During my annual visit to the Military Through the Ages exhibition this year at the Jamestown Settlement Museum I came across two displays I'd never seen before. First was a French biplane shown below.

This plane was armed with a machine gun whose firing mechanism was synchronized with the propeller so bullets wouldn't destroy the blades.

The fabric and wire construction of these planes seems incredibly fragile compared to modern fighters. Cloth and wire weren't much protection from machine gun bullets! Nearby was a German plane from the same war.

A smaller machine gun fired forward from the German plane.

Cockpit controls seem extremely primitive!

The German plane was a Fokker E3 whose features are described below.

Among the many reenactors attending this year's exhibition was a group portraying The Devil's Nightmare Regiment from roughly the year 1529. They always present a colorful display of weapons, costumes, and living customs from this time period. I found their recruitment poster particularly amusing.

It's always a pleasure to visit this wonderful exhibition each year, especially on a mild sunny day!