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Early Aviation
Discuss World War I and the early years of aviation thru 1934.
Hosted by Jim Starkweather
Large trestles on airfield?
mrockhill
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Pennsylvania, United States
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Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010 - 05:46 PM UTC
I was wondering the use and purpose of the oversized sawhorses used to level the WWI aircraft out. You frequently see these in original photos. When and why did they do this?
JackFlash
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Colorado, United States
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Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010 - 05:54 PM UTC
For aircraft machine guns to be trued for the pilot's gunnery practice, the machine had to be in a simulated level flight angle to the range target. The large trestles or "saw horses" were made to put a specific machine in that level flight position. Sometimes (like for the Albatros D. fighters with wing mounted radiators) the coolant had to be drained after flight and refilled before flight. To get the right amount of fluid the aircraft had to be placed in a level flight position. The famous shot of Udet's Alb. D.III 1941/16 depicts this.
JackFlash
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Colorado, United States
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Posted: Friday, March 05, 2010 - 03:17 AM UTC

Quoted Text

For aircraft machine guns to be trued for the pilot's gunnery practice, the machine had to be in a simulated level flight angle to the range target. The large trestles or "saw horses" were made to put a specific machine in that level flight position. Sometimes (like for the Albatros D. fighters with wing mounted radiators) the coolant had to be drained after flight and refilled before flight. To get the right amount of fluid the aircraft had to be placed in a level flight position. The famous shot of Udet's Alb. D.III 1941/16 depicts this.


Here it is.


Here is an OAW built bird tail's up
CaptainA
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Indiana, United States
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Posted: Friday, March 05, 2010 - 08:26 AM UTC
Back in the day when I was a dashing young cavalry captain, we called it boresighting. But I guess we all love an oportunity to launch a few bullets.
mrockhill
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Pennsylvania, United States
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Posted: Friday, March 05, 2010 - 10:33 PM UTC
Thanks for the replies.
I figured boresighting was a likely reason, but didnt think it was the only one being how many pics feature an aircraft on one of these tressels. But i had no clue as to what maintenance task would require a level machine. Should have figured it would be a liquid reason.
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