Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

Another batch of very interesting photos

The first one taken at R.E.P. home base (which I cannot see is mentioned anywhere in my books) most likely shows the Turkish contingent which in 1912 went to France both to learn to fly the R.E.P aircraft and also to bring back (buy) a number of them.
Venturing a guess, I would say we see those who received their licence in August 1912.

The aircraft seen is no Type N but almost certainly a Type D. I am pretty sure it is a two-seater and it also has a diamond shaped fuselage cross-section.

There is a basic problem to co-relate Soltan/Davilla's book with what Leonard Opdycke says in his and also cross-checking with Ole Nikolajsen.

In Turkish files we can see that Turkey bought six aircraft (plus one confiscated by Serbia) all in 1912
R.E.P Warplane two-seater (70 hp): 3 (+ 1 to Serbia)
R.E.P. School two-seater (80 hp): 1
R.E.P. School single-seater (60 hp): 2

From the photos I have seen (admittedly of rather bad quality, none are of Type N
Again venturing a guess, I would say all two-seaters were of model D and the single-seater Type B.
So in spite of Soltan/Davilla's statement I don't believe a single Type N (called Type E-80 by Opdycke) ever went to Turkey. Nikolajsen says one aircraft confiscated by Serbia while Soltan/Davilla says two.
I have not checked my Serbian files, so I don't know which is correct, but I would be surprised if the Serbian model(s ) were Type N.

The three photos from Delcampe are interesting.
The first one is of such bad quality that I refrain from trying to see what it is.

The second one looks like a single-seater and thus a Type B

The third photo is actually the only one that clearly shows the Type N, initial model with its comma rudder (and also being a single.seater). The fin/rudder was later developed into a more Sopwith "look-a-like" version.

Cheers
Stig