"Two Seaters" Topic

In your opinion………
what were the most "popular" 2 seat 'planes on both sides during the 1916-18 period ?
….and how effective were they compared to the single seat scouts?

I don't know of any other two-seaters, whether
ground-attack (rare, those), recon (many) or
fighters which could match the Bristol F2B
(AKA 'Brisfit').

Over 4400 were built – mute testimony to its
quality.

I am not sure how it compared to single-seater
fighters, especially late war fighters.

If by "popular" you mean a combination of effectiveness as a fighter/bomber as well as trust/affection by the pilots and observer/bombers who flew them, then I would agree with Ed. From what I've read, once some initial combat tactics were refined, the Bristol F2Bs were capable of going up against just about any German fighters and giving a good account of themselves, especially when they were able to cover each other's blind spots.
For the German side: maybe some of the late war Halberstadt CLII and Hannover CLIII 2 seaters. They were used as ground attack and bombing aircraft, but were sturdy (extra armor plating to protect against ground fire) and formidable enough that they were themselves used as escorts for dedicated bombers like Gothas. I don't know how effective they were against allied scouts 1 on 1, but their observers had 360 degree fire capability with their ring mounts, which was some advantage.
Hope this helps. Tom

Perfect, and as I thought. Many thanks!

You may also want to check out the French Bréguet 14.

I posted your question on the Wings of War Aerodrome Forums. Here is one reply:

Well if longevity in real life is any measure then the Rumpler for the Germans and the Harry Tate (Re8) for the Entente. The Re8 is generally regarded as an easy target, the Rumpler as a bit tougher but still nowhere near as manoeverable as the scout planes. In the game of course pick the ones with Immelman capabilities.