Romanian airforce at the beginning of WW1

I found an interesting document about the planes available to the Romanian airforce at the start of WW1.

Planes in service on 1 Jan. 1914:
- 12 Bleriot
- 10 Bristol-Coanda
- 6 Farman
- 1 Vlaicu

Planes received in 1915 and 1916 (until 15 Aug. 1916):
- 6 Bleriot
- 10 Morane Saulnier
- 12 Caudron
- 5 H. Farman
- 13 M. Farman
- 8 Voisin
- 4 Nieuport
- 20 Breguet R.
- 1 Aviatik
- 1 Taube-Albatros

Available airplanes on 15 Aug. 1916:
- 4 Caudron
- 2 H. Farman
- 10 M. Farman
- 8 Voisin
- 4 Nieuport

Planes on 1 Oct. 1916 (17 of those were unserviceable):
- 2 Morane Saulnier
- 2 Caudron
- 3 H. Farman
- 6 M. Farman
- 6 Voisin
- 12 Nieuport
- 17 Farman 130 H.P.

Planes received from France during 1916 (the whole year):
- 3 H. Farman
- 41 Nieuport
- 18 Breguet R.
- 38 Farman 130 H.P.

The same data was published in the following book: 'România in razboiul mondial', 1916-1918, vol. I, Bucuresti, Imprimeria Nationala, 1934, pag. 70.

Gen. Dénes

Yes, that's where i got it. I assumed that most people here don't have that book and they may find the list interesting.

I have collection of “Flacara” magazine from 1914-1915, with many interesting articles about “The Great War”, about Romania’s neutrality and about the Romanian aviation. Maybe sometime I’ll find time to translate and post some of them.

It would be great if you can do some photos with a digital camera, or to use a scanner, the latter in case you can open the magazine at 180 degrees without damaging the pages. The articles about the Romanian aviation, with some photos if possible, would be a great and welcomed support to my topic "The Beginnings of the Romanian Air Force", of course if you want to insert them there.

How comes Vlaicu airplane was in service in 1914 if it was destroyed in 1913?

Hi bansaraba,

It's about Vlaicu III airplane. It was completed (after the Vlaicu death) in Mai 1914. The Vlaicu's family wanted that flying test should be done by Petre Macavei a close friend of Vlaicu. Ministerul de Razboiu was the owner of the plane and wanted a military pilot should do this. But that never hapened and the plane was left in Cotroceni hangar until 1916 (during the war) when disapeared without a trace ( probably taken by the germans)

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on November 24, 2009 02:46 am

Vlaicu designed 3 aeroplanes.
Vlaicu I = this was the first aeroplane made by Vlaicu. When Vlaicu died, this aeroplane was part of the funeral cortege, with the wings clipped to allow it to pass through some of the narrower streets of Bucharest.
Vlaicu II = this was an improved version of the first aeroplane. This is the aeroplane that Vaicu died in.
Vlaicu III = this aeroplane was under construction when Vlaicu died. It was completed some time later.

So, in 1916, the Army had 2 Vlaicu aeroplanes, Vlaicu I and Vlaicu III. It is likely that the aeroplane on that list is, as Cantacuzino pointed out, the Vlaicu III aeroplane, because Vlaicu I was modified for the funeral. The fate of these aeroplanes is unknown.

The best source on Vlaicu, his life and aeroplanes is the book "Vlaicu" by Dan Antoniu, published earlier this year.

HTH
Radu

It was certainly seized by the Germans, as it was presented in a showroom in Berlin in 1942. Afterward, it was probably captured by the soviets, or perhaps destroyed during the WWII bombardments.

Interresting.
What is the source of this info? Is there any documentary or photographic evidence?
Radu

Several aviation officers declared in 1946 that they saw Vlaicu III in Berlin in 1942, in an aviation showroom, as an outstanding achievement of the beginnings of the aircraft industry. I read this in C. Gheorghiu, "Aurel Vlaicu, un precursor al aviatiei romanesti", Ed. Tehnica, Bucuresti, 1960.

You have to take what Mr. Gheorghiu - whom I had a chance to personally know - has written with a 'pinch of salt', as sometimes he was not properly informed, or based some of his conclusions on assumptions (e.g., the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 design was inspired by the I.A.R. 80).

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on November 26, 2009 06:16 am

Probably the officers saw the Aviation Museum in Berlin wich had a rich collection of WWI and interwar aeroplanes exhibited. The museum was dispersed after a allied raids in 1943. Some aeroplanes were put in wood crates and sent in est germany (today in Poland).
Later were found by polish and some of them were restored and exhibited in Cracovia aviation museum.
About Vlaicu III, it is possible to check the list with all the planes from initial Berlin colection.

I had a chance to see that museum last month. Highly interesting exhibits (e.g., Me 209 record plane). You can even touch them (when nobody looks at you).

Gen. Dénes

When they say "Neiuport", which ones are they referring to?

One of the games I own (Wings of War) puts Ion Muntenescu in a Neiuport 17, but the only info I can find (So Far) is that Romania used Neiuport 11's.

Also, it says he shot down 2 Fokkers....but doesn't list which ones either.