Did Nungesser And Coli Beat Lindberg Across The Atlantic?

[casey jones]

I am reading a very good book called Sea Hunters II. One part is about the Levasseur Bi-Wing PL-8 piloted by Nungesser and Coli. Is it possible that they made it across the Atlantic, Thery were seen by a fisherman as they crossed the coast of New Foundland. Low on fuel, exhausted after many hours in the air they may have turned south crossing into Maine, with the engine icing up and the exhaustion of Nungesser at the controls for hours, the engine may have quit, Nungesser tried to make a descending glide torward the forest, crossing a small lake the "White Bird" hit trees snapping off the huge propellar decapitating Nungesser, it continued breaking up as it continued through the trees throwing Coli from the cockpit crushing him with the impact of the tail section, as the White bird finally skided to a stop the frieghted screaming birds stopped and there was only silence.


Cheers

Casey PS The above is just a guess to what could have happened.

[beana51]

The Levasseur PL.8,.... The aircraft was flown by French aviation World War I heroes Charles Nungesser and François Coli, who were attempting to win the USD $25,000 Orteig Prize for the flight, but the plane disappeared after its May 8 takeoff from Paris.Two weeks later, Charles Lindbergh successfully made the New York–Paris journey and claimed the prize, flying The Spirit of St. Louis....these were Brave Men.Pioneers in the story of Aviation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Bird



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[Ferry_vO]

Alcock and Brown were the first in 1919; Lindbergh was the first to do a solo flight. ;)

[Bomber_12th]

Alcock and Brown were the first in 1919; Lindbergh was the first to do a solo flight. ;)

Exactly...I find it quite amazing (perhaps shocking...in terms of knowing and teaching history as it happened) how forgotten Alcock and Brown's epic flight became/has become. The worst are references that leave out the 'solo' attribute altogether, making it sound exactly like Lindbergh was the first ever to do it.

[huub vink]

In fact 81 persons already had crossed the Atlantic Ocean already before Lindberg did, including an airship. But nobody had done it solo and non-stop. His flight is considered to be a crucial boost for America's aviation industry.

The last point in France where the L'Oiseau Blanc was seen in France was Étretat in Haute-Normandie. In 1927 a monument was erected, however this was destroyed during the German occupation during WWII. In 1963 a new monument was erected. Alligned with the tower from the church it indicates the last point where Nungesser and Coli were seen from France.

I visited the place a few years ago. I wonder how many visitors from this beautiful area still know who Nungesser and Coli were. The small museum was closed and abandonned, not enough people were interested I guess......

Cheers,
Huub

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[beana51]

Yes all brave men,French,British,and others...From St. Johns in Newfoundland to a landing of sorts in Ireland..27 hrs later...these men were rewarded with fame ,glory and fortune...In their Vickers "VIMY" bomber a great accomplishment.

As we know Charles Lindbergh ,in his plane created for this trip,made his trip from NY USA..direct to Paris France...Le Bourget...Landed safely...a Trip of 3600 miles in 33 and a half hours.SOLO!!...The "Lone Eagle "captured the prize,Fame , and a eternal place in Aviation history..".LUCK LINDY" was not only lucky he was skilled as a navigator..while the others will always be heroes to their people,Lindbergh captured America,and to include word wide adulation, a Great HERO in Europe!..it was a world accomplishment for mankind...and for many still is!!

Hail to them all..all the RIGHT STUFF!.........Vin.

[Rami]

I am reading a very good book called Sea Hunters II. One part is about the Levasseur Bi-Wing PL-8 piloted by Nungesser and Coli. Is it possible that they made it across the Atlantic, Thery were seen by a fisherman as they crossed the coast of New Foundland. Low on fuel, exhausted after many hours in the air they may have turned south crossing into Maine, with the engine icing up and the exhaustion of Nungesser at the controls for hours, the engine may have quit, Nungesser tried to make a descending glide torward the forest, crossing a small lake the "White Bird" hit trees snapping off the huge propellar decapitating Nungesser, it continued breaking up as it continued through the trees throwing Coli from the cockpit crushing him with the impact of the tail section, as the White bird finally skided to a stop the frieghted screaming birds stopped and there was only silence.


Cheers

Casey PS The above is just a guess to what could have happened.

Hello,

If I may chime in, I think that there is reason to believe that this aircraft actually did make it to the United States, running out of fuel and crashing into the Maine woods.

In the late 1980s, there was a serious expedition to try and find evidence of this, and they found strips of wood-like material which had been rolled through a machine, and was made of materials that were found in Western Europe, not the United States. In an interesting coincidence, the width of the material strips when put together measured the precise width of the White Bird's wing.

There is also a report that a hunter found a water-cooled aircraft engine in that same general location, along with metal fragments composed of types not used in North America, but it had been hauled out by the time the investigation was underway.

Additionally, some witness testimonials from that time (in the Washington County, Maine area and more specifically Machias / Round Lake Maine) also reported hearing an aircraft fly low overhead, (it wasn't visible because it was obscured by fog) which would have approximated with the amount of time that would have elapsed from the Paris departure.

Yes, it is by no means conclusive...but it certainly places it within plausibility.

[Willy]

The first crossing of the Atlantic by airplane was a month before Alcock and Brown by the US Navy's seaplane the Curtiss NC-4

[beana51]

Yes Rami,they become the stuff of legend and and myth..weather its Amelia ,or so many others!..of course anything is possibe,some want to believe I guess,and we spend hours ,years looking for answers....but only verifiable facts count...This reflected with Lindburgh,The long accepted ,record holder.....I for one ,think there will never be any doubt about Lindburgh..
Those French men were brave guys ,they too have a place in history.And to those who know aviation ,they are regarded highly!...in 1919,they were adventurers.

[norab]

While this may be coldblooded. They did not "succeed" in crossing the Atlantic. They failed in the attempt. If you are in an auto race and you break down 50 yards from the checkered flag, you did not finish, you failed, at best an also ran. No matter how close you were to the finish line, you didn't get it done. The prize was for a flight from Paris to New York or vice versa. crashing in Maine or in the sea off Newfoundland ( another popular theory) was a failure, not an unrecognized "victory" somehow stolen by Lindy

[Rami]

Norab,

Cold-blooded, yes. But also very true. You can't give race / crossing trophies to corpses.

[stiz]

Exactly...I find it quite amazing (perhaps shocking...in terms of knowing and teaching history as it happened) how forgotten Alcock and Brown's epic flight became/has become. The worst are references that leave out the 'solo' attribute altogether, making it sound exactly like Lindbergh was the first ever to do it.

its like another flight, first POWERED flight people!!! Even then "powered" is questionable, wood and canvas lift off quite easerly with a 27mph wind. as they had proven with over 700 glider flights in the same location :monkies:

[beana51]

Yes NORAB,Yer about a subtle as a SLEDGE HAMMER!!....and correct also...WINNING IS EVERYTHING..LOSING IS NOTHING!....And Lindbergh was the clear winner..Why we are BLOVIATING this is a stretch to me?.....Like a HORSE RACE .Ya Lose buy a nose,you just as well lost by a mile.....Thanx!

[Willy]

Sometimes that losing by a nose can be the stuff of legend though.

[beana51]

Three noses come to mind,Rudolph.the Red-nosed Reindeer ,Cyrano de Bergerac ,and the incomparable "Jimmy" Durante ..all others are losers.....lBy A Nose!!! http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/images/icons/icon22.gif