Intersting programme on BBC2 last night (21/01/08) made up around colour photographs taken during World War 1.
Concentrating on the French forces there were two colour photos of aircraft – the first was said to be a Farman, the second (also a pusher) may have been as well but had fixed machine guns protruding out of the front of the nacelle.
I noticed was that the aeroplane nacelles were both doped blue. A little earlier in the programme we had been told that French soldier’s uniforms had been changed, early on in the conflict, from Revolution Red to blue.
Was there, I wonder, anything more than coincidence in that French and British aeroplane fuselages were the same colour as their respective soldier’s uniforms ie blue and khaki(olive)?
Roger Smith.
By: galdri - 23rd January 2008 at 00:10
Oh Dear:rolleyes: The famous Nieuport of 1917. I thought I was the only one having that photo:o
By: Scouse - 22nd January 2008 at 23:52
Nice copyright-free pic here of a Nieuport taken in 1917…
By: DaveF68 - 22nd January 2008 at 21:40
I noticed was that the aeroplane nacelles were both doped blue. A little earlier in the programme we had been told that French soldier’s uniforms had been changed, early on in the conflict, from Revolution Red to blue.
Was there, I wonder, anything more than coincidence in that French and British aeroplane fuselages were the same colour as their respective soldier’s uniforms ie blue and khaki(olive)?
Roger Smith.
Co-incidence.
The nacelle is more of a blue grey, and this was probably only on Farmans – other types were other colours – much down to the treatment of the fabric (I recall a grey rubberised type was used early in the war) Later French a/c could have yellow, green/brown, aluminium or green/brown/ligh tbrown/black.
British aircraft developed their khaki colour as the best defence against fabric rot through UV – colour was secondary.
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January 22, 2008 at 11:28 am