by Griff Hosker
More aeroplanes were shot down by ground fire than aeroplanes and I have tried to be as realistic as I can but Bill Harsker is a hero and I portray him as such. The novel ends shortly before the start of the Battle of the Somme and book 3 in the series (1916) will begin with that monumental battle.
Selected Specifications for the aeroplanes mentioned in the novel
FE2b
2 crew
47 feet wingspan
12 feet 6 inches height
Rolls Royce Eagle engine 360hp
Maximum speed 91 mph (up to 98 at higher altitude)
Ceiling, 11000 feet
2 Lewis machine guns and up to 517lb of bombs
AEG G1
3 crew
52 feet wingspan
11 feet four inches height
2 Mercedes 8 cylinders in line engines 100 hp each
Maximum speed 78 mph
Ceiling 7874 feet
2 machine guns
Aviatik B1/B11
Crew 2
Wingspan 40 feet
Height 10 feet 10 inches
Mercedes D11 Engine 99hp
Maximum speed 60 mph
Ceiling 16404 feet
1 machine gun
Fokker E1
1 crew
29 feet wingspan
9 feet 5 inches height
.7 Cylinder air cooled rotary engine 80 hp
Maximum speed 81 mph
Ceiling 9840 feet
1 machine gun (later variants had a machine gun firing through the propeller
Arco DH2
1 crew
28 feet wingspan
9 feet 6 inches height
Gnome Monosoupape 10 hp Rotary engine
Maximum speed 93 mph
Ceiling 14,000 feet
I machine gun either fixed or moveable
Nieuport 11
1 crew
29 feet wingspan
7 feet high
1 Le Rhone Rotary Engine 80hp
Maximum speed 97 mph
Ceiling 15,000 feet
1 machine gun
I used the following books to verify information:
World War 1- Peter Simkins
The Times Atlas of World History
The British Army in World War 1 (1)- Mike Chappell
The British Army in World War 1 (2)- Mike Chappell
The British Army 1914-18- Fosten and Marrion
British Air Forces 1914-1918- Cormack
British and Empire Aces of World War 1- Shores
A History of Aerial Warfare- John Taylor
Thanks to the following website for the slang definitions
www.ict.griffith.edu.au/~davidt/z_ww1_slang/index_bak.htm
Griff Hosker July 2014
Other books
by
Griff Hosker
If you enjoyed reading this book then why not read another one by the author?
The Sword of Cartimandua Series (Germania and Britannia 50A.D. – 128 A.D.)
Ulpius Felix- Roman Warrior
Book 1 The Sword of Cartimandua
Book 2 The Horse Warriors
Book 3 Invasion Caledonia
Book 4 Roman Retreat
Book 5 Revolt of the Red Witch
Book 6 Druid’s Gold
Book 7 Trajan’s Hunters
Book 8 The Last Frontier
Book 9 Hero of Rome
Book 10 Roman Hawk
Book 11Roman Treachery
They are all available in the Kindle format.
The Aelfraed Series (Britain and Byzantium 1050 A.D.- 1085 A.D.
Book 1 Housecarl*
Book 2 Outlaw*
Book 3 Varangian*
The Wolf Warrior series (Britain in the late 6th Century)
Book 1 Saxon Dawn*
Book 2 Saxon Revenge*
Book 3 Saxon England*
Book 4 Saxon Blood*
Book 5 Saxon Slayer*
Book 6 Saxon Slaughter*
Saxon Dawn is available in I-Player format at Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and the I-Store
The Lucky Jack American Civil War series
Rebel Raiders
Confederate Rangers
The Road to Gettysburg
The Napoleonic Horseman Series
Book 1 Chasseur a Cheval
Book 2 Napoleon’s Guard
Book 3 British Light Dragoon
Book 4 Soldier Spy
The Dragon Heart Series
Book 1 Viking Slave
Book 2 Viking Warrior
Book 3 Viking Jarl
The British Ace Series
1914
1915 Fokker Scourge
Also available in paperback and Kindle is the book aimed at 12-15 years olds, Great Granny’s Ghost
Carnage at Cannes is a modern thriller and is available in the Kindle format.
Travel
Adventure at 63-Backpacking to Istanbul
For more information on all of the books then please visit the author’s web site at http://www.griffhosker.com where there is a link to contact him.