Hey David,

Finally a question that (I think) I know the answer to!

The Krebsgerät was a rocket that was fired rearward from underneath an attacking fighterplane (once it had past the target).

Cheers!!

Congratulation PolarBear! You got it.

A single rearward firing 21cm mortar tube was fitted beneath the Fw-190 centre section. The pilot would fire the rocket after passing through the bomber formation.

The board is yours sir!

Thanks David,

This one should be easy enough.

Which aircraft was the first to be shot down by a Spitfire?

Two Hurricanes of No. 56 squadron.
Credit to this site

Dave

I'm afraid that's correct!

Over to you!

Cheers!

PolarBear
(who is thinking about building at least one spitfire 2006)

Probably another easy one:
Who made the first ejection seat, what plane was it for, and how many gees could you expect if you used it?

Dave

The first ejector seats were developed during the war by Heinkel. Early models were powered by compressed air and the first aircraft to be fitted with such a system was the Heinkel He 280 prototype jet fighter in 1941. One of the He 280 test pilots, Helmut Schenk, became the first person to escape from a stricken aircraft with an ejector seat on January 13, 1942 after his control surfaces iced up and became inoperable. This aircraft never reached production status, and the first operational type to provide ejector seats for the crew was the Heinkel He 219 night fighter in 1942.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ejection_seat

No idea of the g's, but modern ones give you 12 to 14 G's

Correct! Your question. I read that the seat could give you about 10 G's.

Dave

I'm sorry for the delay.....
I'm usually in shock if I get one right....

Since I can't post a photo of one of the more weird wonderiful flying flops..... I'll yield the question asking to Davester444.

Ahoy!
What's up, no questions anymore? I want to give a correct answer! Come on, ask!

OK....
I came across this one taking a trivia test.....

How many types of national markings did the Slovaks use during the war?


I also bookmarked the page so I can come up with questions faster.....LOL

Hi Grumpy,

I've found the following variations:











In addition the Slovak aircraft at times also carried German Balkenkreuzen, and also the Soviet star so that would be SEVEN types of national marking, five of their own and two of other nations.

OK Martin......
you seem to have come up with a few variations more than the guy who wrote the triva test..... :-)
but since you did get the three.... I'll give it to you.

Here's the answer from the quiz site..... :::

Upon declaring its independence in March 1939, the Slovaks employed a blue double cross within a red disc until 1941. After June 1941, for recognition purposes as an ally of the Germans on the Eastern Front, they adopted a blue 'German-style' cross with a red disc in the centre. The Slovak Insurgent forces of 1944 reverted to the pre-war Czechoslovak design with a version of the double cross superimposed.

THREE! I spent over two hours searching the interweb looking for all the alternatives and you only wanted THREE!!!!! :-)

OK here's my question,

In WW2 a British squadron leader suggested mounting powerful searchlights on anti submarine aircraft to aid in attacking U-boats at night. After the Air Ministry tried using the less powerful Turbinlight (used by nightfighters) they eventually agreed to try the more powerful searchlight originally suggested. Trials were very successful and the lights were adopted for widespread use.

What was the name given to these searchlights?

From "Project Constant Endeavor":

"The Leigh Light, a 24 in searchlight developed by a Coastal Command officer, Squadron Leader H. de V. Leigh, was first used in the Wellingtons of No. 172 Squadron, and in conjunction with their ASV was first employed operationally on the night of 4/5 June 1942, one of the four patrolling aircraft illuminating and damaging a surfaced U-boat which was finished off three days later by a Halifax of No. 10 Squadron."

Leigh Lights, that's right Grumpy. When I was reading up about them I also read that by fitting a series of forward pointing lights along the leading edges of the wings and turning them on when approaching to attack, an aircraft was actually harder to spot during daylight!

Your turn again Dave.

OK, I'll give a real simple one......

"The turret fighter (a two-seat fighter in which all the armament was placed in a powered dorsal turret) seemed like a good idea at the time. The RAF's Boulton Paul Defiant soon proved the concept as a failure but the Royal Navy had a much worse contender - what was it?"

The Blackburn Roc, and I agree that it had to be uglier, slower, ungainlier and whatever adjective you care to add than the Defiant.

wait, I meant adverb :-)

Correct Mike.....

The Roc was so seriously underpowered that it was slower than most German bombers.

not to mention down right ugly......
I anyone ever started a worlds ugliest aircraft collection, this would rate the top spot..... :-) :-)

Yep, she did a blazing 198 mph and made her mother the Skua look positively beautiful. Not to mention there was a floatplane test version of the Roc as well.

Anyway, here's a cruel and unusual question - name the last biplane in U.S. Navy service and what year it was retired.

Hi Mike

I'd guess it was the Stearman, but I don't know when it retired.

All the best

Rowan

I'll try with the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 trainer aircraft.

Retired in 1960 or 61.

Cheers!

Sehr gut Polar Bear!

I would have accepted 1959, '60 or '61 since I found all three dates cited.

Continuing this line of questioning - which was the last bi-plane in RAF service?