'Clipped' F-8 Crusader

[SoD Stitch]

Originally Posted by renrich

I am sure that WW1 AC shot themselves down often before synchronising gear was perfected and after when it failed.

Not necessarily; before synchronising gear was perfected, they actually bolted steel plates on to the prop where the bullets would strike. This deflected the bullets until, after a few missions, they got too shot up, and they'd have to be replaced. IIRC, Anthony Fokker was actually the one who came up with the first synchronising gear for WWI fighters (there's a thread on that in here somewhere); the Allies weren't able to duplicate it until a German aircraft with the synchronising gear installed crashed behind enemy lines.

[renrich]

There were times in WW1 that firing through the prop arc was tried without the metal deflector wedges and that often resulted in an accident. I am aware that Fokker devised the Syn gear but that sometimes failed(as all mechanical devices sometimes do) and then AC shot themselves down.

[Flyboy2]

Its my understanding that the first primitive interupter gear was wedges of steel on the inside of the propeller. Those were still used in World War II? The first French pilot to use them shot of his own propeller because the constant impact weakened the propeller and it flew apart.

[renrich]

I am sorry but typed in WW2 instead of WW1. My mistake. Obviously interrupter gear was used in WW2.

[Flyboy2]

Ok gotcha. Was a little confused there