Original N.28 damaged in landing accident

[Clunkmeister]

Apparently the engine quit on landing and the landing gear folded due to a hard touchdown. 
Pilot is unhurt, but the only original, (not a replica) Nieuport 28 in the world, and it got banged up. It still ran its original LeRhone engine.  As all of us know, old biplane wrecks can look a lot Öse than they really are due to everything being knocked askew. 
i expect it’ll be repaired, but maybe let’s build a replica and fly it instead? 

[Clunkmeister]

What’s truly amazing is how young men actually went to war in these things.  
Man only learned to fly less than 15 years before, and suddenly, they’re a major weapon of war. 
Nothing but wood, wire, and linen cloth…

You cheated death every time you flew one of these. Cantankerous engines, poor fuel, brand new technology, and then, you do it all from a closely set pair of spoked motorcycle wheels, and spokes don’t like side loads, so they often collapsed.  
Which left you with the backsides of two nice, hard steel machine guns to stop your face from hitting the oh so inviting soft leather coaming. 
Camel Face, anyone?
 

Even today, I give much respect to people who fly these. And yes, on occasion, even today, accidents happen

[ScottsGT]

Ouch! 

[Peterpools]

Ernie

Absolutely agree that for air shows and flying, they should be replicas. Even WWII war birds are fast approaching the age of retirement and shouldn't be flown in the wild blue yonder if we want them around for the younger generations to see and marvel at. At this point, history needs to be preserved as best we can.

 

[Clunkmeister]

Peter, it would take a group of skilled craftsmen less than a year to knock out a replica of the N.28.   It’s gonna take them most of that time to fix the original, so when they have the fabric all torn off, now’s the time….

[PanzerWomble]

On 9/18/2023 at 3:55 PM, Clunkmeister said:

What’s truly amazing is how young men actually went to war in these things.  
Man only learned to fly less than 15 years before, and suddenly, they’re a major weapon of war. 
Nothing but wood, wire, and linen cloth…

You cheated death every time you flew one of these. Cantankerous engines, poor fuel, brand new technology, and then, you do it all from a closely set pair of spoked motorcycle wheels, and spokes don’t like side loads, so they often collapsed.  
Which left you with the backsides of two nice, hard steel machine guns to stop your face from hitting the oh so inviting soft leather coaming. 
Camel Face, anyone?
 

Even today, I give much respect to people who fly these. And yes, on occasion, even today, accidents happen

In the UK a microlight is defined as being under 450kgs ...a Sopwith Camel with guns came in at 500kgs ...crazy 

[vince14]

I hope it's repaired, but I agree with the others - let this sit in a museum and build a replica for flying displays.