WWII French Aircraft
Fri Oct 14, 2005 6:26 pm
Hi,
Are there any WWII French fighters/bombers, etc. still flying these days?
Thanks,
Mike
Are there any WWII French fighters/bombers, etc. still flying these days?
Thanks,
Mike
Fri Oct 14, 2005 7:48 pm
Though not exactly French, there is a license-built MS.406 flying in Sweden.
That said, anyone care to list any survivors?
That said, anyone care to list any survivors?
Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:38 pm
Hi--
I think the flyable Morane is out of Switzerland rather than Sweden...or perhaps there are two of them airworthy? There is certainly a Swiss one. It turned up recently in one of the mags iirc, temporarily painted in French livery for an airshow in France.
For a while there was an example of the very pretty Dewoitine 520 flying in France, but I believe it was either lost or heavily damaged in a crash. Another Dewoitine, amazingly enough a prewar one-off prototype, was sold at auction about 15 years back and was slated to be restored. (Anyone recall that? It was one of those things you don't quite believe when you read it!)
In the late 60s at Gavres, France, there were a Seafire III (PP972, now restored) and a WWII Bloch twin-engined bomber on a dump. Sadly the Bloch, which would have been a completely unique survivor, got the chop!
Of course it isn't French, but it was one of the Armee de l'Air's most successful types...and today an exceptionally rare sight: Stephen Grey's beautiful Curtiss H75 Hawk surely merits mention.
I think there's a Finnish Morane (maybe a Morko-Moraani?) in one of the museums there as well, but memory fails...
S.
I think the flyable Morane is out of Switzerland rather than Sweden...or perhaps there are two of them airworthy? There is certainly a Swiss one. It turned up recently in one of the mags iirc, temporarily painted in French livery for an airshow in France.
For a while there was an example of the very pretty Dewoitine 520 flying in France, but I believe it was either lost or heavily damaged in a crash. Another Dewoitine, amazingly enough a prewar one-off prototype, was sold at auction about 15 years back and was slated to be restored. (Anyone recall that? It was one of those things you don't quite believe when you read it!)
In the late 60s at Gavres, France, there were a Seafire III (PP972, now restored) and a WWII Bloch twin-engined bomber on a dump. Sadly the Bloch, which would have been a completely unique survivor, got the chop!
Of course it isn't French, but it was one of the Armee de l'Air's most successful types...and today an exceptionally rare sight: Stephen Grey's beautiful Curtiss H75 Hawk surely merits mention.
I think there's a Finnish Morane (maybe a Morko-Moraani?) in one of the museums there as well, but memory fails...
S.
Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:44 pm
Steve T wrote: I think the flyable Morane is out of Switzerland rather than Sweden
...and the foot goes in the mouth...
Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:18 pm
How about the TFC's Curtiss Hawk 75, eh?
Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:19 pm
D'oh, already mentionned...
Sat Oct 15, 2005 5:56 am
Dear Friends,
Yes unfortunately in France one destroyed much, fortunately the Swiss ones are there with the MS 406 and the English with Curtiss H-75 to pay homage to the French wings of 39/40 !!!
For an information there has also the replic of the prototype- fighter Caudron 760 which flies to France thanks to Mr. Jean Noan (it spent twenty years to build it with only two photographs, the plans had disappeared !!!)
Best Regard,
ERIC JANSSONNE
Yes unfortunately in France one destroyed much, fortunately the Swiss ones are there with the MS 406 and the English with Curtiss H-75 to pay homage to the French wings of 39/40 !!!
For an information there has also the replic of the prototype- fighter Caudron 760 which flies to France thanks to Mr. Jean Noan (it spent twenty years to build it with only two photographs, the plans had disappeared !!!)
Best Regard,
ERIC JANSSONNE
French Flies
Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:00 pm
JANSSONNE wrote:Dear Friends,
For an information there has also the replic of the prototype- fighter Caudron 760 which flies to France thanks to Mr. Jean Noan (it spent twenty years to build it with only two photographs, the plans had disappeared !!!)
Best Regard,
ERIC JANSSONNE
JANS,
I have read that Noan wanted to build a Caudron 714 but he went with
the later(but pre-war) 760 because there WERE drawings available.
But I must admit that taking 20 years building WITH the plans, sounds a
bit long.
Some photos of the Caudron 760 replica..
www.aatlse.org/tal/photo.php?id=spot_ca ... on760&ph02
In an earlier WIX thread, Mike shared some of his excellent photos of
the D-3801/MS 406 at La Ferte Alais..
http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... 47325f59e0
An D-3801/MS 406 video-clip from La Ferte provided by Laurent Boulestin...
http://p51d20na.club.fr/d3801_lfa.wmv
A website in English of MS 406 and Caudron 714's operations early-war...
http://lonestar.texas.net/~snolep/fighter/index22.htm
Last edited by airnutz on Sat Oct 15, 2005 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:03 pm
The Swiss D-3801
in Swiss markings, May 2004
and in French markings, May 2005
enjoy !
Martin
in Swiss markings, May 2004
and in French markings, May 2005
enjoy !
Martin
Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:22 pm
Hi « airnutz »,
No, Mr. Jean Noan did not have plans to build Caudron 760 but it reconstituted these plans thanks to only two photographs !!!
Best Regard,
ERIC JANSSONNE
No, Mr. Jean Noan did not have plans to build Caudron 760 but it reconstituted these plans thanks to only two photographs !!!
Best Regard,
ERIC JANSSONNE
Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:29 pm
Here's a couple of photos of TFC's lovely Curtiss Hawk 75
EFW D-3801
Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:35 pm
Hola Martin..are your photos and the La Ferte bird, the same aircraft?
In Mikes thread it was suggested that some French ownership was in the
cards. Are there 2 D-3801's..one Swiss owned and one French owned?
The photoS of the Caudron replica, pretty good French website to wonder
around...
www.aatlse.org/tal/2004photos2.php
A few 760 photos at Airliners...
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... entry=true
In Mikes thread it was suggested that some French ownership was in the
cards. Are there 2 D-3801's..one Swiss owned and one French owned?
The photoS of the Caudron replica, pretty good French website to wonder
around...
www.aatlse.org/tal/2004photos2.php
A few 760 photos at Airliners...
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... entry=true
Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:47 pm
Other photos of TFC's Curtiss Hawk 75
Best Regard,
ERIC JANSSONNE
Best Regard,
ERIC JANSSONNE
Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:05 pm
No « airnutz »,
There are only one and single D-3801 in in-flight status, unfortunately !!!!
It belongs to Suisses owners.
Best regard
ERIC JANSSONNE
There are only one and single D-3801 in in-flight status, unfortunately !!!!
It belongs to Suisses owners.
Best regard
ERIC JANSSONNE
Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:08 pm
airnutz
it's the same ship
it is now owned and operated by an organisation based at BEX in the French speaking part of Switzerland.
It is registered HB-RCF
Martin
NB: there are two more survivors: one at the Swiss AF Museum, and one at the French Museum Le Bourget - plus there exist some substantial components (that might lead to another rebuild project).
it's the same ship
it is now owned and operated by an organisation based at BEX in the French speaking part of Switzerland.
It is registered HB-RCF
Martin
NB: there are two more survivors: one at the Swiss AF Museum, and one at the French Museum Le Bourget - plus there exist some substantial components (that might lead to another rebuild project).