Author Topic: Antiques road show  (Read 1017 times)

Antiques road show
« on: 18 February, 2009, 08:25:16 pm »
Last night I woke up at silly AM and watched some telly. Antiques Road Show was on and one of their "experts" was examining two paintings from WW1 done on two part of a propeller. He professed to be well up on RAF / RFC aircraft of the period and went on to say that aircraft X in the painting was obviously a Sopwith and aircraft Y was a Bristol Fighter. They were not. The first was a DH2 and the second was difficult to identify but not a Bristol Fighter, perhaps an Avro 504 or a Be.2.My faith in the experts has been destroyed.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Rob S

Re: Antiques road show
« Reply #1 on: 18 February, 2009, 09:33:09 pm »
Mmm....evidently a Sopwith, very recognisable  ;D

When I saw it on Sunday I thought the film editing guy had mixed up the closeup shots...but looking at it again he did indeed say the plane pic the owner was holding was a Sopwith when it's actually an FE2B



And then he looked at the one he himself was holding...



and said it was an FE2B when it's clearly not. My guess is that it's a Strutter.

To be fair to him he only said he'd seen a lot of propellors made in to stuff like hall stands and threads on cycling forums...I reckon he nipped over to the military guy Roy Butler, was told what they were, and then got muddled up during the filming.


Re: Antiques road show
« Reply #2 on: 18 February, 2009, 10:00:45 pm »
Your right the first one is an FE2b not a DH2. I didn't spot the second seat on the telly. Not sure what the second is, it appears to be a monoplane but it's not a Bristol M1c. Can't think of any other British monoplanes of that era.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Rob S

Re: Antiques road show
« Reply #3 on: 18 February, 2009, 10:18:25 pm »
Your right the first one is an FE2b not a DH2. I didn't spot the second seat on the telly.


The triangular fin in front of the tail is the giveaway.

Quote
Not sure what the second is, it appears to be a monoplane but it's not a Bristol M1c. Can't think of any other British monoplanes of that era.

Me neither...I assumed the lower of the wings was rather faded...just like a lot of it is on the righthand wing. 

Re: Antiques road show
« Reply #4 on: 18 February, 2009, 10:27:49 pm »
If we assume a disappeared lower wing it could be a Bristol Scout.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.