Stunning German Photo Album

[musec04]

Hello,

Currently on ebay is a very nice photoalbum at:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Fotoalbum-1-...EAAOSwXORfitG9

I have rarely, if ever seen a photo album of this quality.

Regards,

Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Agree Clint

What do you make out of the aircraft then?
There is a lot to ponder about if you ask me.

Very odd Bestellnummer, those C.13/18, C.14/18, C.20/18 (and probably C.9/18 as well. They simply don't exist anywhere that I can find.
Are all of them Rumplers?

Also some odd biplanes with early Pfalz fins. What do you make of those?

Intermixed with Fokker Dr.I and Halberstadt CL.II it is a very interesting album indeed.

Pity the seller is just out for the money....
Anyway it leaves me with more questions than answers....

Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hi Stig,

Glad you like it and take the trouble to say so. Thanks.

I've been thinking about the aircraft numbers you refer to, and I can't really do any better than suggest that they are particular to the school. As far as I can recall I don't believe I've seen anything of the like before.Can you see the /18 on C.20, I was slightly tempted, but no more than that to assume it was Albatros C.I C.20/15.I'm not looking at the image while I type, so if its another Rumpler you'll just have to imagine my embarrsasment.Also of course,as you'll know, as far as is known no 1918 C series serials earlier than C.100/18 were issued.

I am pretty sure that the biplanes are Halberstadt B.I and I am therefore inclined to believe that the machines, given the non-military nature of the numbering belong to the Halberstadt flying scholl in one of its iterations as we've touched on before. Are we seeing photos from the album of a flying instructor, and if so, from more than one school? Certainly the Rumpler aircraft with the unusual (non) Bestellnummern resemble nothing I've seen before from FEA 5..

With regard to the CL.II photo, interesting I thought that the Halberstadt B.Is were still about as can be seen from an aircraft in the rear of the photo.

Regards,

Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Clint

The Halberstadt B-types I have seen all have the D-fighter types fins.
Only one differ and that was a pre-war model.

I don't have the Aeronaut book....yet.

I am notoriously lousy in identifying German indifferent two-seaters, so I pass with regard to your comment of type...., but it is puzzling isn't it with those Bestell numbers? The main number is repeated in large digits as well on the fuselage.

Must have something to do with their training capacity, and who knows, probably outside the normal channels.

Very intriguing.
Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hi Stig,


Well yes, both the B.II & B.III have the type of tail featured on the D types. However, if you recall the thread when we touched upon the Halberstadt Fokker, early Halberstadt aircraft were a bit prone to borrowing elements from other aircraft, specificically the Fokker M.10. Perhaps german commercial lawyers were a bit less litigious than their anglo-saxon counterparts?


With regard to the numbers on the Rumplers, for what ever reason either the Bestellnummer has been amended to reflect the large number on the fuselage or vice versa - not that this accounts for the /18 which is the really puzzling element to my mind. Looking at the fuselage crosses this doesn't appear to have occured in 1918 which would at least account for the /18. Is there any case for asking Kees if he's seen anything like this before? Were it not for the /18 it is tempting to wonder if the 13,14 etc don't represent the final two digits of the original Bestellnummer.A rather remote possibility but could the aircraft be 1918 built Rumpler C.I whose actual number is ??13/18 and ??14/18 for example from the C.I (Mark) batch C.3000/18 to 3149/18? Edit but having said that the fuselage cross wouldn't fit. I should try and avoid stream of conscious thinking. I've just looked at a photo of C.I (Mark) 3042/18 in Propeller Blatt 8 P.291 and it has the 'new' type of Baalkenkreuz.



Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hi Clint

With regard to the training units, I think it is no use trying to identify when and where by looking at paint schemes, crosses and such things.
I doubt very much these units gave a toss about front line regulations.

I have talked to Kees, who is also very impressed by this album, even if he feels EUR 2000 is way too much, but then again who doesn't?

He agrees with you about the Halberstadts, and advise most of the C.xx/18 are Rumpler C.I. One exception, the C.20/18 is a DFW C.V

He is convinced it is a training unit, possibly two different ones, but has no theory with regard to the odd "Bestellnummern" visible.

I am beginning to harbour a thought that some aircraft were simply ordered outside the military Bestellnummer system, and in this present case were given a "phony" number just to resemble the mainstream one.

Cheers
Stig