Editor in Chief Bill | 04 Jun 2016 9:00 a.m. PST |
Which ace pilot of WWI is your favorite? |
Chris Wimbrow | 04 Jun 2016 9:17 a.m. PST |
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Veteran Cosmic Rocker | 04 Jun 2016 9:45 a.m. PST |
Ball – my great grandfather was in the RFC, one of the first to join, and consequently went from being a pilot on the front line to being a trainer. He knew Ball, Maddock and others. Ball was the one that my grandfather thought was a natural. |
Dynaman8789 | 04 Jun 2016 9:57 a.m. PST |
Red Baron – only name I can remember so he wins by default. |
boy wundyr x | 04 Jun 2016 9:59 a.m. PST |
Barker if I had to choose, but there were a lot of interesting guys. |
Wackmole9 | 04 Jun 2016 10:07 a.m. PST |
Ball and then Raoul Lufbery |
Doms Decals | 04 Jun 2016 10:42 a.m. PST |
Probably Josef Jacobs for me, but it definitely changes depending what I've been reading most recently. Other candidates would include McCudden, Udet, Collishaw, Berthold, Pinsard, and of course not-an-ace-but-a-legend Louis Strange. |
Herkybird | 04 Jun 2016 10:54 a.m. PST |
Oswald Boelke. To quote JE Johnson's book.. In January, they (Boelke and Immelmann) were awarded a high decoration, the 'Pour le Merite', and 2 days later Boelke celebrated by accounting for his ninth Allied aeroplane. During the previous summer Boelke had dived into a canal and rescued a French youth from drowning. His commanding officer recommended him for the German life saving medal, and this was duly awarded. It says much for the character of the German pilot that he derived almost as much pleasure from this medal as for the 'Pour le Merite'. |
Ceterman | 04 Jun 2016 11:09 a.m. PST |
M.v.Richthofen, Boelke, Udet, then about 50 tied for 4th… |
Fat Wally | 04 Jun 2016 11:12 a.m. PST |
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vonMallard | 04 Jun 2016 11:43 a.m. PST |
Willy Cowpens and Eddie Rickenbacker, and Nathan Zackery (LOL) |
DisasterWargamer | 04 Jun 2016 11:58 a.m. PST |
Frank Luke the balloon buster |
wrgmr1 | 04 Jun 2016 12:20 p.m. PST |
Wener Voss, Raymond Coltishaw, James McCudden |
Sundance | 04 Jun 2016 12:21 p.m. PST |
I have to admit since I was a kid I've been fascinated by Richthofen. I have every book about him I've been able to track down. BUT…there are a number of very colorful and interesting personalities among the WWI pilots. |
WCTFreak | 04 Jun 2016 12:24 p.m. PST |
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BW1959 | 04 Jun 2016 1:47 p.m. PST |
Luke, Rickenbacker, & Stark (I like his pink DVII)
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B6GOBOS | 04 Jun 2016 1:58 p.m. PST |
Ltd. David Endicot Putnam. |
skippy0001 | 04 Jun 2016 2:23 p.m. PST |
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Ceterman | 04 Jun 2016 2:45 p.m. PST |
Oh man, I forgot about Voss! So, about 50 tied for 5th… |
brass1 | 04 Jun 2016 3:54 p.m. PST |
Albert Ball There's a poem in "Billy Bishop Goes to War" with the refrain He courted the Reaper like the woman of his dreams And the Reaper smiled each time he came to call. But the English like their heroes cold and dead, it seems, And the coldest of them all was Albert Ball. I can relate. LT |
Twig66 | 04 Jun 2016 4:02 p.m. PST |
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Crazyfrenchteacher | 04 Jun 2016 4:30 p.m. PST |
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Garryowen | 04 Jun 2016 5:07 p.m. PST |
If only one, then Rickenbacker. Tom |
liborn | 04 Jun 2016 5:19 p.m. PST |
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wrgmr1 | 04 Jun 2016 5:30 p.m. PST |
Voss's Triplane, [URL=http://s207.photobucket.com/user/moose7093/media/ltnwernervoss_zpsf48cfafc.jpg.html]
[/URL] Raymond Collishaw link James McCudden
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IronDuke596 | 04 Jun 2016 5:44 p.m. PST |
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jgibbons | 04 Jun 2016 5:55 p.m. PST |
Voss.. His final dogfight was amazing… |
14Bore | 04 Jun 2016 6:16 p.m. PST |
Frank Luke, fellow 27th squadon member. |
21eRegt | 04 Jun 2016 6:35 p.m. PST |
Voss, Guynemer, Richthofen, Ball and Rickenbacker are my top five. |
Combat Colours | 04 Jun 2016 8:36 p.m. PST |
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Mako11 | 04 Jun 2016 10:33 p.m. PST |
Manfred von Richtofen, though Boelke gets honorable mention for his dicta. Don't know about Voss, Udet, and the others. May need to read up on them a bit, again. |
Chris Wimbrow | 05 Jun 2016 3:12 a.m. PST |
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noigrim | 05 Jun 2016 3:48 a.m. PST |
Francesco Baracca you guys are too mainstream ;) |
Sobieski | 05 Jun 2016 4:42 a.m. PST |
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Blutarski | 05 Jun 2016 6:22 a.m. PST |
Baracca lives on to this day. The prancing horse that was always featured on his a/c was later adopted by Enzo Ferrari as the logo for his automobile company. Rene Fonck, highest scoring Entente ace, deserves mention. Totally agree with C Wimbrow re The Aerodrome Forum – an indispensable reference source populated by people who actually know what they are talking about. Also well worth a visit – thevintageaviator.co.nz - a WW1 aviation company owned by Peter Jackson (yes Gimli, THAT Peter Jackson) which is doing some absolutely mind-blowing work. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED …. especially if you are interested in learning what is involved in the manufacture of brand new vintage WW1 aviation engines (Bentleys, Clergets, Oberursels, Mercedes). Very cool site. B |
Great War Ace | 05 Jun 2016 7:07 a.m. PST |
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Timmo uk | 05 Jun 2016 7:22 a.m. PST |
Rickenbacker as I had a Rickenbacker guitar. The company slightly changed their name to honour the Ace. I think the original was Richenbacker or similar. Voss as he was a natural pilot, worked with the ground crew on his aircraft and was clearly fearless. At one point, before he threw his life away, it was looking likely that he could eclipse Richthofen's score. |
handgrenadealien | 05 Jun 2016 10:50 a.m. PST |
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Hussar123 | 05 Jun 2016 3:47 p.m. PST |
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ubercommando | 05 Jun 2016 3:49 p.m. PST |
Mannock. He wasn't a natural but he overcame his modest background and being blind in one eye to become the top British ace and could have scored more kills than Von Richthoven had he been more selfish and claimed the credit for shared kills. He had a no-nonsense approach to combat as well. A complicated character as well which makes him more intriguing. |
wrgmr1 | 05 Jun 2016 5:14 p.m. PST |
Forgot about Mannock, he was a good one. |
Stavka | 05 Jun 2016 8:19 p.m. PST |
Raymond Collishaw, as apparently my dad took me to meet him at some dinner event back somewhere in British Columbia when I was about five or six years old. Can't remember the event of course, but at least I can say I have been spoken to by a living WW1 flying ace! Victor Maslin Yeates- Winged Victory is still one of my favourite war novels, ever. |
JimSelzer | 05 Jun 2016 9:34 p.m. PST |
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Michael Hatch | 05 Jun 2016 10:14 p.m. PST |
Bartholomew Wolfe Bandy. link Michael in Cloverdale. |
wrgmr1 | 07 Jun 2016 8:57 p.m. PST |
Michael – every now and again I take out the Bandy Papers and read the whole series, just for fun. Love them! |
Old Contemptibles | 08 Jun 2016 2:31 p.m. PST |
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Wulfgar | 08 Jun 2016 5:50 p.m. PST |
Albert Ball and Ernst Udet. |
Karellian Knight | 10 Jun 2016 4:52 a.m. PST |
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Bearserker | 10 Jun 2016 11:12 p.m. PST |
Ernst Udet tops them all in my book. Highest scoring surviving WW1 German pilot with 62 kills. Flying as a barnstormer and movie stuntman between the wars. Helping to create the Luftwaffe and pioneering German dive bombing tactics. He was a true adventurer and aviation pioneer. Unfortunately, he had a dark side as well. He drank to excess and was a known womanizer. His affiliation with the Nazi party, Hitler and Goering led to his eventual downfall and suicide. All in all, the man led a hell of a life! |
cplcampisi | 12 Jun 2016 11:26 a.m. PST |
Silvio Scaroni is my favorite Italian ace -- he didn't score as many victories as Francesco Baracca, but he racked up an impressive number in a short time. He may have even surpassed Baracca if an almost fatal event hadn't kept him out for the last six months of the war. Also he flew a Hanriot HD.1 which one of my favorite fighters. :-) |