WW1 Stealth Aircraft...

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

I know the Germans did try to get into Stealth technology as early as during World War One, with aircraft covered with some sort of transparent ‘film’ instead of the usual doped fabric…

I know a Fokker E.III was so tested was so was a much larger bomber but I can not remember where nor when I saw that info…

Anybody knows about those (failed) experiments? Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

Domi

2

Try typing “wwi stealth aircraft” into Google. you’ll get pages of info. You can find all kinds of stuff on the web- but you actually have to look for it!

3

Tried that, with various search engines and did not get far, Chukw… I know I saw pictures of such airplanes in a book, but I can’t remember where… Of course, I’d be delighted to find info on the web, but so far with various combinations of ‘WW1’, ‘Stealth’, ‘Invisible’, ‘Fokker’ and ‘Aircraft’, I’ve found just about zilch!

4

Whoops! Try this: http://members.shaw.ca/flyingaces/archive1.htm- 2 photos!

5

Wow! Fantastic site! (by the way, there’s a mistake in your posted link)

Gonna spend some time going through all those early birds!

Thanks a lot!

Domi

6

The clear material was called Cellon. There’s a good thread on that topic at the Aerodrome web site forum:

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1904&highlight=Cellon

Here are some excerpts:

And…

And a translation from an article on aircraft coverings:

Here are a few photos of Cellon covered planes (from Rosebud’s WWI and Early Aviation Image Archive):

http://204.83.160.230/archive/w/images/fokkerE3cellon_schwerin.jpg

http://204.83.160.230/archive/w/images/fokkerE3cellon_cockpit.jpg

And here’s model of a Cellon-covered E-III:

http://www.modelingmadness.com/others/shows/amnats04/1Picture%20082a.jpg

I hope that helps,

7

Very intresting!
Learn somthing new every day!
Thanks!

8

All sorts of camoflage was tried, Clear dopped aircraft were pretty transluscent, But Stealth I would think refers to a low radar profile not camo. Modern "Stealth Aircraft "still have a very high visability to the naked eye but are most difficult to locate with electronics. I do know that the Navys at that time were doing some amazing shadow painting which had a very good “Stealthy effect.” The lozenge pattern on German A/C was supposed to affect the depth perception of attackers.
But think about it, Roundels look like targets and the Germans painted most of their aircraft in Bright colors… What Stealth???

9

On some experiments, they stopped using the clear skin covers due to more reflection of sunlight giving away the aircraft’s position.

10

Thanks a lot everyone! I’m off to buy Eduard’s strip down Fokker!

11

the story goes that the bright colors were started by non other the Richtofen as he had yet to order his squadron to adopt the lozenge pattern and was dressed down by a general flying a desk for not adopting the new “multi colored camoflage” and was further order to have ALL aircraft painted in multi colored pattern forthwith . taking a tiny bit of leeway with this order he painted his plane with red and white and his squadron mates followed suit and theus the flying circus was born by the time the aformentioned general learned what he had done he was too famouse as the leader of the “circus” to discipline
goota love a CO with a nice big pair of stones in his britches.

Salut’

12

Cellon had its problems: it was brittle, and one tear would result in a huge patch ripping off in the slipstream- not good! It also became very slack when damp- also not good. And the glare that would result from bright sunlight- imagine the poor pilot getting that million-flashbulb flare! Check this link for a pic the the giant Linke-Hoffman R1 bomber with partial Cellon covering… http://www.raravia.com/img/linke00.jpg That’s a lot of Cellon!

13

That’s the bomber I was talking about…! Thanks!