Streamer installation research

[CRUZ-]

Hello players of FC!!

 

This is my first post, its long, I know, but im trying to start a modest historical research.
 

I’m brand new on FC but some of you may recognice my nick from ROF.

There is something that allways took my attention on both games and I started a small historical research and maybe some of you may add some information, that is the place where the streamers are installed. Someone can think that this is a silly detail but both games have an incredible detail level, not only in skins and models but in technical aspects, like engines operation, aerodinamics and phisics responses like giroscopic efects on rotative engines. This level of realism is much more high than what you can find on some others famous games that pretend to be “flight simulators”

Following this level of detail that some of us enjoy a lot, I allways found strange the place where the streamers were installed on the gane, at the end of a wing rib.

Beeing an aeronautical technician I can initially base my observation on the fact that the ribs MAY not have the structural resistance to support the loads that the drag on the streamer can cause, as they are to provide shape to the wing profile, and not an important structural resistance, in addition the last part of the rib is the weakest and as in the game as is suggested it would need a kind of special clip attackment to support the streamer.

Theese are only thoghts and doesn’t have a strong technical fundament, as I should calculate the loads that the streamer produces and the resistance of the diferent ribs of the diferent planes on the game, but I would be aiming in the wrong  way.
 

I think the wright way to follow is an historical research, but not too much is writen about this aspect, and I couldn’t find any pictures of real ww1 plane using streamers, but so far, I was able to find descriptions of this in two books, No Parachute, A.G.Lee and Wings of War, R. Stark.

Its clearly mentioned in the Lee’s book that british planes like the Pup and the Camel used two streamers attached to both rear struts, also he mentions the same attachment on Albatros DIII. 

In the Stark’s book mentions the same attachment on camels but on Fokker D7 he says that he attaches the streamer to the end of the cockpit and also you can see it on drawings that he made for his book, and one single streamer going through the fuselage and under the tail on his fokker D7.

 

The reserch is not finished, is more like an strat, I have two more books to enjoy and continue the research. If someone can help and add some information with fundaments, like books, original pictures (not personal opinios) I’ll appreciate it very much.
 

I’m not sure if developers of the game read this posts, but if they dont, the idea is to let them know about the research once is finished.

 

Thanks everybody, take care!

 

[No.23_Gaylion]

USAS Marking and identification policy.

[CRUZ-]

Great! Thanks a lot US93_Talbot! That’s the kind of official information that I'm talking about.

 

Now I know why the developers may have decided to place the streamers in that place, but I still think that it was not the real place the pilots ended up tying them.

 

The evidence that I've found is about British and German streamers on struts, but we can think they could have a similar rule, and I think is the same problem on US side.

Those documents say where should be installed but not where they were actually installed.

 

What is shown are official documents, but they may not consider technical or practical aspects during the operations, they may be more like a general rule trying to make commander planes easily identified from far. Technically they may not consider the resistance for every model of wing and plane, and practically, as I mentioned before, that place of installation need an additional device to attach the streamer to the rib, when it could be easily tied to a structural part as the rear strut, with the same visual effect (the spirit of that general rule).

 

I couldn't find yet any evidence of a special attachment device on the end of the rib, and I personally think they never even tried to attach anything to a rib ending, due to its structural weakness and the practical nonsense.

 

But again this are only opinions, and what I'm trying to find is evidence of where they REALLY installed them.

 

I DID FIND evidence of pilots tying the streamers to the rear strut several times, as I mentioned previously, and the research is only beginning…

 

Thank you again US93_Talbot!!!

 

Take care!!

[the_dudeWG]

3 hours ago, CRUZ- said:

and I couldn’t find any pictures of real ww1 plane using streamers

 

A bit hard to see, but they are definitely attached to Udet's tail in the lower image. S!

 

[CRUZ-]

Thanks a lot dudeWG!! Great contribution. One of the books waiting to be readed is Udet’s one. 
I’ll see what I can find there...

[J2_Trupobaw]

Boelcke used two black-white-red streamers, one on each wing (left streamer visible on photo)

[CRUZ-]

Thanks a lot J2_Trupobaw!!! great contribution!!

I can clearly see the streamer, I can not see the attachment but I can assume that it was tied to the rear strut as I´m trying to investigate. At least we don't see the ´´special device´´ attachment suggested in the game:

I don't agree with the attachment on the trailing edge, and I could never find any evidence of that special black attaching device. Again, I think it was almost always tied to the rear struts.

Thanks again!!!

 

[J5_Adam]

On 9/4/2020 at 7:13 PM, CRUZ- said:

Thanks a lot J2_Trupobaw!!! great contribution!!

I can clearly see the streamer, I can not see the attachment but I can assume that it was tied to the rear strut as I´m trying to investigate. At least we don't see the ´´special device´´ attachment suggested in the game:

I don't agree with the attachment on the trailing edge, and I could never find any evidence of that special black attaching device. Again, I think it was almost always tied to the rear struts.

Thanks again!!!

 

 777 knew that the streamers were never attached there and they also knew that that type of hardware was used never used to do it with. They only did it that way because apparently they were unable to attach it to any strut.

[CRUZ-]

Thanks a lot J5_Adam!!!

I hope they can correct it know, maybe they've forgotten about this wrong attachment item, because I'm sure they are bringing that mistake from ROF. 

As I said in my first post, they are simulating very well complex effects as gyroscopic precession on rotative engines, but this that you can think is an easy to fix item remains wrong. 

I know!! maybe is not so easy to fix, but is it worth it, the great quality of the game request it.

Thanks again J5_Adam!!!

[No.23_Triggers]

One thing that always bugged me just slightly is that you only get the one streamer on one side, rather than two on each wing...

[CRUZ-]

That's right US93_Larner!!! They should be wearing two streamers on rear struts as far as I know...