Reconstructing the sound of First World War aircraft

An audio reconstruction follows a reconnaissance pilot flying over the German lines during a mine attack. The production recorded a small gasoline lawnmower to suggest the lighter engine note of an early aircraft, avoiding the deep sound often borrowed from later machines. Period motor launches and boats sometimes used engines closely related to aircraft powerplants, so the same problem applies at sea. Sound design can quietly impose the wrong period's technology on a historical scene. Accurate engine noise helps place machinery in its correct period.