WWI Pilots and Planes
The average life expectancy of a WW I pilot was 40 to 60 hours. (6 weeks in the trenches). The engines were no more powerful than an outboard motor and fighters went about 75 mph. They could stay in the air for about 3 hours. Quentin flew a Nieuport 28 with two Vickers machine guns. He was in the 95th Aero Squadron nicknamed the kicking mules. His plane was number 14.
The cartoon on the side of Quentin's Neiuport is Doc Yak taken from a daily comicstrip that first appeared in the Chicago Evening Journal in February 19, 1912. It moved to the Chicago Tribune and continued there until February 10, 1917 when it stopped being a daily. It continued on the weeknds until June 15, 1919. The character Doc Yak was a seasoned family guy who drove through life constantly dealing with one family problm after another. Quentin had Doc Yak driving his Jalopy painted on the side of his Nieuport.
Quentin was 20 years old when he was shot down behind German lines on July 14, 1918 by Sgt. Karl Thom, a German ace with 24 victories. He would have been 21 on November 19th.
