Can anyone tell me if the FE2b was ever fitted with a rear facing gun? A photograph I have shows it with just a gun at the front of the nacelle, whereas another of a FE2d shows that aircraft with both front and rear facing guns. My knowledge of WW1 aircraft is totally inadequate, but I suspect that as the 2d was a later mark it was fitted with the better armament.
So far as the BE2e is concerned I’m sure this has been discussed before, but darned if I can find the thread. Am I correct in thinking that in this aircraft the observer sat in front of the pilot, and that the aircraft had rear facing guns only?
TIA
Brian
By: low'n'slow - 6th June 2007 at 16:30
Yes. “Observer” was a bit of an ironic term for the poor blighter in the front cockpit of a BE2. He couldn’t see very much forwards (engine) or upwards (top wing), he couldn’t even see that much downwards over the leading edge of the the bottom wing.
The normal procedure seems to have been for the pilot to do all the “observing”, while his colleague knelt on the front seat, looking backwards for enemy aircraft. I kid you not!!
By: Lyffe - 6th June 2007 at 16:01
My thanks for your comprehensive reply. I thought I was correct in thinking the BE2e observer was in the front, but it was the last photo on your website (seen elsewhere) that rather threw me. The camera position suggested that the pilot was responsible for its operation, something I thought would be the observers responsibility. That set me wondering how much observing an observer could actually do in this type as it appears that his field of earthward vision was extremely limited – certainly more so than in the FE2.
Brian
By: low'n'slow - 6th June 2007 at 15:26
Yes and No.
You have to remember that in 1915-16 they were pretty much making it up as they went along, so there was a fair amount of creativity at Squadron level when it came to rigging up guns.
Basically if the aeroplane could get off the ground with the weight on board and the observer didn’t shoot his own propeller off it was regarded as fair game!
The FE2b originally had a single Lewis gun on a No.2 Mk1 mounting, a simple loop mounting made of steel tube. That allowed the observer (in the front seat) to fire forwards, some side movement and by standing up (:eek: ), to fire almost vertically down.
In later service, FE2b and d models both sometimes sprouted a second gun, mounted just ahead of the pilot’s cockpit, firing backwards over his head and the propellor. As you can see by the attached pictures (courtesy of www.earlyaviator.com), it required some gymnastics on the part of the observer!
All BE-2 types were flown from the rear cockpit, with the observer in the front. Initially of course the BEs were unarmed, but later the “Strange Mount” developed by Lt Louis Strange, allowed a gun to be fired either diagonally forwards (hopefully, but not always, missing the prop, struts, wires etc). It could additionally be pulled backwards, over the observer’s head, to fire to the rear above the pilot. (See final pic Copyright the Australian War Memorial)
Hope that’s of help. There might be few more pictures of interest for you on our website www.biggles-biplane.com
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June 6, 2007 at 2:43 pm