Warbird Information Exchange

Hi,

Are there any WWII French fighters/bombers, etc. still flying these days?

Thanks,
Mike

Though not exactly French, there is a license-built MS.406 flying in Sweden.

That said, anyone care to list any survivors?

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.

...and the foot goes in the mouth...

How about the TFC's Curtiss Hawk 75, eh?

_________________
Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

D'oh, already mentionned...

_________________
Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

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

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

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

The Swiss D-3801

in Swiss markings, May 2004









and in French markings, May 2005








enjoy !
Martin

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

Here's a couple of photos of TFC's lovely Curtiss Hawk 75

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

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

Other photos of TFC's Curtiss Hawk 75














Best Regard,

ERIC JANSSONNE

No « airnutz »,

There are only one and single D-3801 in in-flight status, unfortunately !!!!

It belongs to Suisses owners.

Best regard

ERIC JANSSONNE

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).