The triplane story reminds me of when the Gillette Mach 3 came out and Wilkinson Sword and Gillette just went back and forth adding more blades to their razors.
Experimental planes should not be in these lists. Experiments should be conducted to see what works and what does not, which means those that fail will always been on such lists.
The thing is...everything in this era that failed to actually fly was dismissed as an "experimental airplane". Things that flew were "prototypes". Everything was so new even Anthony Fokker didn't get it right every time
@@MGower4465 that's not how experimental is defined. Prototypes that flew are also experimental aircraft. They are not failures because they never got into service. In some cases like the FK6 and the Sopwith mention in this video they were overtaken by other technical developments rendering them obsolete before the testing programme had ended.
@@MGower4465 no, I'm talking in general since the birth of the invention by George Caley of the fixed wing aircraft with separate system for lift, propulsion and control.
I apologize if somebody has already mentioned this, but the problems mentioned for the final aircraft, the R.1, should have topped by the fact that the cellulose material used to skin the plane was highly volatile, and very prone to bursting into flames. That's why so many very old films have been lost in fires or simply have crumbled away. Those that are left are stored very carefully in controlled environments and carefully transferred to a more stable format. Aircraft of that era burned far too easily as it was. Why add a surface like that to the mix. "Now where is that darn Bosch bomber? Oh wait, it just burst into flames by itself."
Though the DR.1 he mention did found it's own fame on it's own, but not the aircraft itself. Fredrich Von Reinders aka The Red Baron piloted that aircraft on the very day he was shot down, yet it was the ar.12 bi-plane he scored the most kills in.
For the reverse for this; Fokker D.VII (my favorite from WW1), Fokker Dr.I, Albatross D.III, Fokker Eindecker, Sopwith Triplane, Sopwith Camel, Sopwith Dolphin, Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5, Bristol F.2, Nieuport 11, and Nieuport 17 would be good choices for such a list.
Considering the fact that aviation was still very young and plains where still pretty much motorized kites it's understandable that they would practice in extremes ( go big or go home) without those failures we wouldn't have what we have today.
You need a shot of one of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome's planes flying along with the Rotary engine (World War I definition-not a Wankel!) With the interruptor being used for throttle control 😊
Ol' #1 there is proof that the idea of, and quest for, stealth aircraft did *not* first crop up in the late 70s. The Brits also tested a transparent cellulose/celluloid (sources differ) coating for aircraft during the war, with the objective of making it effectively invisible to a ground observer when flying above 1000 feet. It worked, but it suffered all the problems mentioned here and was never adopted as a result. (That said, apparently, it was tested on an existing airplane rather than a new experimental one.)
Actually that was the HO229 jet flying wing. Stealth on that aircraft is useless on today's radar, but effective on WW2 era radar due to the aircraft's frame material is of wood.
@@kevwebb2637 Stealth is not just about radar returns. Visual stealth has been something people have been trying to achieve since... well, pretty much since the days of hunter-gatherers stalking their prey, really. And the R1 is an example of an aircraft testing a visual stealth solution.
Surprised there's no mention of the truly lunatic Pemberton-Billing (Supermarine) aircraft. They built some real "Stop That Pigeon" designs in WW1. After the war, they employed a Mr RJ Mitchell, and things got a bit more Spitfirey.
Ah, the "Pulpit" and the "Harry Tate"! Edit: - Not the "Pulpit"? I would have thought that was a shoo-in for the worst! The "Harry Tate" is debatable, as it was reasonably reliable, and probably is better described as "Annoyingly Average", but what other plane needs a burly 12 stone gunner or else it falls out the sky?!
Because British Rail only came into existence at the end of World War 2 This is why Darkness is focusing specifically on World War 1 planes Because if he has to talk about British Rail one more time he'll go insane
