normanprince

This is a Voisin Type 8 (Voisin 8 / Voisin VIII) pusher equipped with what appears to be a 37mm cannon. Another view of what is certainly the same aircraft: Note the nose art with the Owl clutching (or dropping) the bomb. The Voisin Type 8, in particular the cannon armed type, was used frequently on night attack and bombing missions during the First World War. Norman Prince was an American aviator and pilot who was a founding member of the Lafayette Escadrille. Prince would perish from head injuries sustained in October 1916 when his Nieuport 17 tangled with telegraph cables and crashed. Given that the Voisin Type 8 initially entered service with the French Air Force in November 1916, it is likely that this aircraft was named "Norman Prince" in his honor. See: Voisin Type 8 airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A... Norman Prince en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Prince www.earlyaviators.com/eprinorm.htm albindenis.free.fr/Site_escadrille/escadrille124Lafayette...

Thanks a lot. I was very curious about this one. Do you know if it was common for a plane to have two names? Is it possible that Prince actually flew this one and that it was named "Henriette?"

Oh, nevermind. I just noticed the discrepancy with the dates. I wonder if the plane is named "Norman Prince" and the owl mascot is named "Henriette."

Yes, I would be interested to learn the origin and fate of both the "Henriette" name and owl nose art, as well as stylized logo ("AVSA"? "ASA"?) below "Norman Prince."

I've been puzzling over that, as well. I looks to me like some combination of HSV.

The Lafayette Escadrille, American volunteer pilots who flew combat missions for France before the US entered World War I.

Georges Thenault (1887-1948), commander of the Lafayette Escadrille - "the famed branch of the French air force in World War I composed of American volunteer pilots." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Thenault

On Norman Prince (at right in photo): "Captain Georges Thenault, the Escadrille's commander, credits Norman for conceiving the idea of bringing together his countrymen with some of those of the French Foreign Legion in a squadron of flyers to be initially known as the Escadrille Américaine."
(Wikipedia article puts Prince's date of death as October 15, 1916.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Prince
See notes under , taken in December, 1915 just before the founding of the squadron.

Art Siegel Quite right. Thanks for picking up my error.

A related group photo, with a negative date of 6/26/16.
From Kiffin Yates Rockwell's (1892-1916) page at the Virginia Military Institute site:
"Rockwell was accepted by the Service Aeronautique, began flight training in September 1915 and in April became one of the founding pilots in the squadron initially known as the Escadrille Americaine (later called the Lafayette Escadrille). In May 1916, while on patrol at the front, he became the first American pilot to down an enemy plane. Rockwell subsequently flew dozens of patrols and fought in many air battles, gaining fame for his skill and courage. His final combat took place on September 23, 1916, when his Nieuport was downed by the gunner in a German Albatross observation plane. Rockwell was first buried in the cemetery at Luxeuil-les-Bains, France, where there is still a marker; his remains were later moved to the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial at Marnes-la-Coquette."
www.vmi.edu/archives.aspx?id=12371

artolog: thanks for researching the names and background information on these men. We will update the record.

Another view of the same aircraft (see comments there):