propeller - efha days (ajbs book).pdf · propeller a.j.b.s flying - restoring - transmitting -...
TRANSCRIPT
chronology
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Old crates can’t stand tarmac… building on this basic truth, the “airfield” of Cerny-La-Ferté-Alais has created a setting where you can once more take in the atmosphere of aviation’s early days, savour the enthusiasm of its pioneers and give rein to your passion
for things of beauty!
A.J.B.S.Tel.: +33 (0)1 64 57 55 85 www.ajbs.fr
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From 1890 to Today: The Salis Adventure and Aviation’s Major Dates...
1939-1945Jean-Baptiste Salis is mobilised on the first day... after the defeat, he receives the order from the German Staff to resume his industrial activities. He refuses, disorganises and desupplies the plant, then goes to La Ferté-Alais...
After entering the Resistance, Jean-Baptiste makes his property available to the British High Command, the runway is certified under the code name “BINIOU”...He is awarded the 1939/45 Croix de Guerre with bar and is appointed Chevalier in the National Order of the Légion d’Honneur with military title.
1952Jean-Baptiste rebuilds a Caudron GIII which flies for several years for the Air Ministry propaganda department and presents it personally at the anniversary celebrations of Santos-Dumont in Bagatelle, on the 27 June 1952.
1953-1954Jean-Baptiste entrusts Jean with the restoration of a Fokker E3 for the Verdun Memorial and Latham’s Antoinette for the Air Museum...
1960For his own pleasure, Jean-Baptiste undertakes the construction of a Wright Brothers’ “Flyer”... to be completed many years later by Jean and Marcel Bellencontre for the TV series “Les Faucheurs de Marguerites”.
1919Jean-Baptiste Salis finishes his service after logging up 1,900 flying hours... He takes part in the display of French planes to the allied commission and wins the first aerobatics competition, for which he receives the Aéro-club de France plaque.
1927Jean-Baptiste joins the Société de Propagande Aéronautique (SPA) where Laurent-Eynac, later to become the first Air Minister, hires him as a pilot for his Caudron C-61.At the same time, Jean-Baptiste creates one of the first aerobatics formations in the world “La Patrouille Trimoteur” with Alfred Fronval and Charles Robin. The three Morane AIs take off, perform their display and land, linked by a ribbon sporting the French red, white & blue…
1929Jean-Baptiste Salis creates the Société d’Etude Aéronautique l’Aéro-Marine in the Ile de la Loge, where he develops five prototypes of planes and floatplanes...
1955Jean-Baptiste becomes the “pilot of memory”, “the man who makes the past fly”. He restores a Blériot XI plane of the Channel Crossing type, which Louis Blériot’s workmen had manufactured to offer their boss in 1921. He crosses the Channel once more with it in 1955, for the 50th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale... then in 1959, for the commemoration of the first crossing by Louis Blériot!
At the same time as the cinema, aviation saw the light of day just over a century ago. An adventure punctuated by the history of man and the dream of Icarus. At the time, flight was limited to hot-air balloons, slaved to the wind. Those who were for the “heavier than air” solution were not long in carrying out trials. From the first gliding flights of Lilienthal to the self-propelled leap of Clément Ader on the Eole, on the 9 October 1890, everything was to gain momentum fast... In 1903, the Wright Brothers carried out the first sustained flight on their “Flyer”. In 1909, Louis Blériot crossed the Channel. Three years later Roland Garros conquered the Mediterranean!
1912Born in Montmorin, Puy de Dôme, on the 19 September 1896, Jean-Baptiste Salis learns to fly on a single-seater Hanriot Dragonfly, at the 1st flying school of Aulnat, near Clermont-Ferrand... After his first flight, he quickly obtains his higher aviation mechanic’s certificate...
1914 War breaks out in Europe. For the first time, aviation is used intensively, to begin with for observation and pursuit, then for attack and bombing. From the first makeshift jobs to industrial boom, the war effort relentlessly drives aviation forward. The image of men also changes. They were to become real front-stage heroes whose fame was sealed by cinema newsreels. Their names are reminiscent of medieval knights – Georges Guynemer, René Fonck, Manfred von Richthofen among many others.
1915On the 8 April, Jean-Baptiste Salis is mobilised. Wounded at Verdun in 1916, he receives the Croix de Guerre and two mentions… Jean-Baptiste goes over to aviation. Having obtained his certificate as a military pilot on the 23 February 1917, sergeant-instructor Salis becomes an experienced aerobatics pilot, earning him a number of close arrests for “pointless risks” in military language…
1918 The Armistice is signed... With the Great War over, aeronautics is destined to develop with the creation of the first commercial lines. One year later, the Paris-London line is opened and the Latécoère Breguets transport mail to Africa...
1927 Nungesser and Coli’s White Bird disappears trying to cross the North Atlantic... on the 21 May, Charles Lindbergh makes it to Paris-Le Bourget in 33 hours and 30 minutes in “Spirit of St. Louis”. Flying is in its golden heyday, and cinema newsreels relate the feats of men. Major manufacturers emerge such as William Boeing, Geoffrey De Havilland, Marcel Bloch and Howard Hughes, pilot, moviemaker and billionaire...
1939 The shock of the 3 September - Germany launches its regiments on Poland. In the sky, the heroic Polish Air Force is laminated in a few hours. German Stukas attack land defences in support of armoured divisions. The Blitzkrieg is born. For the first time in history, the action of aviation is decisive in a conflict. From the Battle of Britain to Midway, a battle can be won or lost by planes.
1933On the 1 September, Jean-Baptiste takes part in the development of the airfield at Toussus-le-Noble. At the same time, he registers the articles of association for “Les Casques de Cuir” which aims to:• Set up between all professionals and friends of aviation from all countries a centre for friendly relations which will bring them closer together, maintaining their traditions and developing the feeling of universal solidarity between them, as exists between those linked by the sea.• Spread the taste for and meaning of aviation among crowds and particularly young people, by example and making it easier for them to fly.• Support all mutual aid and assistance groups created for aviators without exception.
Between 1923 and 1924, air shows become increasingly important. They are opportunities to see the heroic WWI planes close up, and, aware of the importance and keen to promote the image of aeronautics, Jean-Baptiste Salis organises a series of shows around France.
At the end of the war, aircraft performances have developed at breakneck speed: souped-up prop fighters reach almost 800 kph. New methods of propulsion emerge such as the rocket and above all the jet engine. Planes are bigger, faster, go further and higher. The frontiers are pushed back, and it will soon be the human body that constitutes the limit...
Prop days are well and truly over... The De Havilland Comet, the first commercial jet plane, revolutionises the aviation world in the early 1950s... In 1954, Seattle Giant Boeing gains the upper hand with its 707, launched on the 17 November... Marcel Dassault’s Mirage III 001 takes off, making the successful outcome of French aviation’s rebirth. The first in a lineage which is never to deny the excellence of its formula and blood!
The end of the 1960s opened up the skies to the world’s largest airliner, the Boeing 747 (400 passengers, 315 tonnes) which was to bring air transport closer to the reach of all... At the same time, Concorde was carrying out its maiden flight. Fruit of Anglo-French cooperation, the plane was to carry its privileged passengers at supersonic speed. Aviation proved that dream and reality could fly hand in hand... and the adventure goes on!
1936-1938Jean-Baptiste carries out a mission on Dewoitine in Spain during the Civil War for the Air Ministry and studies the creation of a school for Higher Aeronautics Mechanics for the Air Force.
On the 26 February 1937, birth of his son Jean...
He becomes Bucker agent for France and sets up a plant in Gometz la Ville. He buys land and the old farm of l’Ardenet... in Cerny-La Ferté-Alais!
1946Jean-Baptiste creates a Gliding Centre at the La Ferté-Alais airfield, to train student pilots on planes and gliders.La Ferté-Alais is classified as a restricted certified private airfield. J-B Salis rebuilds workshops to reconstitute and restore historic planes, in particular for the Air Museum (the wings of Latham’s Antoinette, Fonck’s Spad, Cazale’s Bébé Nieuport, Pégoud’s Blériot, a German Pfaltz...).
1975The Amicale Aéronautique de Cerny-La Ferté-Alais becomes the AJBS... the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis. Here too, the adventure goes on, punctuated by the development of air shows...…
1970On the 21 June, organisation of the first show on the plateau, under the name of Fête Aéro-folklorique, put on by the Club and the Escadrille du Souvenir. Presided by Alain Poher, the show mingled folklore and variety shows, presented by Jean Nohain, with a few aeronautic displays. Newspapers estimated some 5,000 spectators.
1965Creation of the “Club de La Ferté-Alais” whose aim is to “perpetuate the spirit of the heroic times of French Aviation by collecting as many anecdotes experienced as possible with a view to setting them down in writing”... On the 15 March 1965, the association “L’Escadrille du Souvenir” [Memory Squadron] is created. Jean-Baptiste Salis was clearly an epicurean who liked celebrations, adored his friends, enjoyed telling stories and reliving passions and adventures, and worked hard...On the 10 December 1967, his uncompromising undertaking and his passions cost him what he loved most: life.
1921Jean-Baptiste Salis creates the first Alpine airfields (Chambéry, Chamonix) and a mountain flying school in Grenoble. From planes fitted with cameras, he plots a topographical plan of waterfalls for Grenoble’s polytechnic institute...
represented, this !"#$%&'()*+), concept is em-bodied in the -,$./"+0*'articles of association:
• Conserving and maintaining the airworthiness of vintage planes and enhancing aeronautical heritage.
• Building or rebuilding aircraft that are part of the history of aviation and handing on expertise in this field.
• Facilitating and popularising flying by public and private means.
• Establishing a centre for fostering friendly relations between all pilots, mechanics and other members of the Association.
• Maintaining a certain spirit, perpetuating the memory of 1+/%23/45$*5+'6/"$*7
• Selecting the planes to be put on display that are of interest for the collection.
But the -,$./"+ is above all an adventure... or rather a squadron of adventures!
Each action of conservation mobilises a whole army of volunteers. Each restoration calls for le-gion specialisations and trades which now have hardly any place in our modern air world... who still speaks of /$8.8/95' ,/%)9/.5)8+8:' ;<$%+8:' 9/=8$.'.<>+8+8:'/+8<%/)5$./"'*?++5',+5/"'@<8A+8BFor all this memory, traditional know-how and
amicale jean-baptiste salis
To perpetuate the spirit of the “C/*D)+*'E+'C)$8” [Leather Helmets], an association created in 1929 by Jean-Baptiste Salis, the F-,$./"+'-G8<%/)5$D)+' E+' C+8%#H which became the F-,$./"+' 1+/%23/45$*5+' 6/"$*H was born, and in style at that... It has grown up year after year, re-injecting life into unlikely flying machines which an engineer from this century would hardly dare imagine!
From the frail wood and fabric dragonflies of the 3"G8$<5 and (<8/%+'I to the profusion of vapour cavalry in the shape of C<8*/$8*:' ()*5/%&*' and'6A#8/$E+8*: the whole history of aviation unfolds, from the Great War to WWII, the roaring twenties and their planes with their Cadillac-style lines, the nobility of the superb interwar aerobatics aircraft and the first planes of commercial lines...
For the -,$./"+' 1+/%23/45$*5+' 6/"$*: these last few decades have been a time for safeguard-ing, sometimes saving such historical, tech-nical, industrial and human heritage. Each of these planes represents a part of aviation’s his-tory. Each of these machines, in wood, fabric or metal, speaks to us of the history of man... and today the Cerny plateau houses <%+'<9'5?+'J%+*5'.<""+.5$<%*'<9'?$*5<8$./"'4"/%+*'$%'5?+'@<8"E:'80 craft representing the cream of aviation’s epic period, from pioneering days to contemporary times... and airworthy to boot!A unique reflection of the diversity of the periods
Old crates can’t stand tarmac… building on this basic truth, the “airfield” of Cerny-La-Ferté-Alais has created a setting where you can once more take in the atmosphere of aviation’s early days, savour the enthusiasm of its pioneers and give rein to your passion for things of beauty!
the science of the perfect gesture, the Cerny plateau provides the final refuge for a rich and sin-cere past which gave wings of wood and fabric to Icarus’ dream.
And how much know-how, time and self-sacri-fice are vital to re-infuse life into what are some-times the leftovers of a flying legend!
The adventure sometimes turns into a salvage operation, a recovery mission, sometimes at the other end of the world, sometimes on our vil-lage doorsteps... On the plateau, we know how to handle tools as well as logistics, joysticks as well as negotiations. Because everything has to be done, invented – or even re-invented!
You have to create, earn and defend the right to fly... very old planes, such as the Blériot XI or the Caudron GIII, could only fly because they were granted a pass, limited in time and field of action. Until Jean Salis contributed more than actively in drawing up the FK+*58$.5+E'C+85$J./5+'<9' -$8@<85?$%+**' 9<8' L$%5/&+' -$8.8/95*H created in 1978. This genuine “right to live and fly” cer-tificate today enables old planes to once again reach for the skies where they carried out their original feats!From there to saying that French collection avia-tion was born in the department of the M**<%%+777 you just need to see that, on a small, green pla-
teau, it has found its Eden and disciples!Only the high mass is missing from the picture...
Since its first edition in 1970, the C+8%#2N/'!+85G2-"/$*'/$8'*?<@ has attracted an ever-growing num-ber of spectators... Long-standing enthusiasts or Sunday dreamers, big families or ecstatic aficio-nados, they come to wonder at and get the feel-ing for these extraordinary machines that have rolled in from all over Europe to bless the little airfield and make it a genuine aviation Mecca, if just for the space of a week-end!
Everything plays on the senses. The shimmering colours of fabric pierced by an early morning ray of light, the smell of hot oil in old rotary engines coming back to life, the astounding symphony of a K<""*2K<#.+0* twelve cylinders eating up the runway at over 400 kph, the gutteral shocks that pound the chest when a propeller spins the air a few feet away from you... everything is there to immerse you in one of man’s most successful adventures to assuage his desire to become, for a fleeting moment, like a bird...
And all this, symbolised by the missions of the -,$./"+' 1+/%23/45$*5+' 6/"$*:' !"#$%&:' K+*5<8$%&:'O8/%*,$55$%&' /%E' 6?/8$%&: gives true meaning to the conservation of this heritage that henceforth belongs to future generations.
Restoring, making an historical heritage airworthy once more and transmitting expertise to future generations...
Sailplane SG38
A stuffed bird nailed to the wall is an insult to nature. Old planes are birds too and, as such, their place is not in a museum but up in the sky… which is the reason why the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis saw the light of day on this airfield.
On the grassy plateau of Cerny’s aerodrome, we currently manage one of the most precious collections of historical planes in the world. It practically came about by itself, as an expression of the passion of a few dozen enthusiasts for the heavens and history. It’s true that, when everything began some decades ago, the team followed a sort of instinctive course. Since then, however, with the emergence of groups like ours which have sprung up here, there and everywhere throughout the world, with the setting up of museums, collections and airplane conservatories in all countries, from Thailand to Argentina, we have become collectively aware of the goal behind all this work.
Our battle is to have the planes of yesteryear accepted as History with a capital H, since, in a way, they are the castles of the 20th century, “flying fortresses” we might even be tempted to say. Our combat is on several fronts – against poor state of repair, lack of funds and certain legislation which does not take into account the historical aspect of things…
And we’re winning the battle, despite unavoidable misadventures.
Maybe in two centuries time, young kids will come along to the Cerny plateau and be intrigued by the strange smells emanating from these old planes. Doubtless they’ll say their ancestors were crazy to fly in such contraptions. But if everything goes smoothly, thanks to us, they will also be able to fly these machines that move in more than one way. For they are so well built that there’s no reason why they should ever stop reaching for the sky...
Jean Salis
Here, on the Ardenet plateau, each of our planes represents a part of flying history. Each of these machines of wood, fabric or metal tells a tale of men… and today the airfield houses what is certainly one of the finest collections of histori-cal planes in the world. In a spirit of diversity and with an approach that is special to the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis. Everything is there to per-petuate our mission: the site, the expertise, the planes and the men of good will.
But we cannot rest on our laurels. The survival of the species implies its evolution and adaptation, and in that we are no exception…our “Flying Museum” has to open out to you. We must endow the site with the means to welcome you in the best possible conditions.
With this in view, we have to bring together our villages and towns, department and region, economic players and yourselves, so as, at the outset of this new century, to perpetuate the four missions which are our Amicale’s hallmark: Flying, Restoring, Transmitting and Sharing… what belongs to all: our historical and techno-logical heritage together with a certain vision of our duty to remember.
Christian AmaraPresident of the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis
propellerDays
Wood, fabric and a pinch of daring… The pioneering days.
The plane of this period was made of wood and fabric. As noisy as it was fallible, its engine
spat smoke and burning oil into the pilot’s face who had not only to brave the wind and cold,
but also the empiricism of a nascent aeronautical science.
At the same time as aviation was taking off, its potential military applications were being
studied. It was not, however, until the First World War and the advent of mechanical armaments
that man’s folly took wings… Initially designed for civil use, the frail craft first served as a
means of observation, replacing antique gas balloons, before becoming a weapon in its own
right. The concepts of bomber, fighter and aerial combat were born.
And with them, new heroes: pilots. The hall of fame recalls Georges Guynemer, René Fonck,
Edward Mannock or Manfred Von Richthofen. In people’s hearts and popular imagery, these
young aviators replaced the knights of old… wiped out by the hail of bullets in the mud of the
trenches. For a short time, the diverted rules of an anachronistic chivalry replaced the mortal
precepts of modern conflict.
As in many sectors, the war was to contribute to the aviation’s swift development. In the
space of five years, it was to go from pioneering to industrialisation. In 1918, the belligerents
produced each month more planes than were built before the war! And the adventure
continued, after the battlefield, a world at peace had to be conquered… Come of age,
aviation and the men who served it were now ready to write history.
pioneers
Morane H
AJBS4
pioneers
Several Blériots haunt the hangars of the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis. The first and most
famous -it was the first plane to link France and England by crossing the Channel on the 25 July
1909- is on show at La-Ferté-Alais, a last-in-the-series model built extra to the scheduled
number by Louis Blériot workers, at their own expense, as a tribute to their boss.
The second Blériot, the XI-2 (2-seater), was entirely rebuilt in Cerny. This model was particularly
well-known for having carried out in 1913, with Charles Pégoud at the controls, the world’s first
inverted flights and performed one of the first loops, maybe even the very first if we take into
account the fact that Gregorian and Georgian calendars were out of phase by almost a month.
The Frenchman seems to have been pipped at the post by a few weeks by Russia’s Nesterov.
What is legend for some is historical reality for others!
The third is also an XI-2 type, in a military version. It was in fact one of the very first aircrafts,
derived from the initial Blériot XI, but enlarged to take an observer at the rear. Its trailing edges
are indented for enhanced downward visibility. In addition, extra tanks required a transfer pump
actuated by a small wooden propeller.
Bleriot XI, types 1 & 2
Powerplant: Anzani 3 cylinder 25-hp70-Hp 7B Rotary GnomeWingspan: 7.81 m /10.25 mLength: 7.05 m / 8.45 mHeight: 2.52 m / 2.50 mEmpty Weight: 240 kg / 350 kgMax Take-off Weight:320 kg / 625 kgSpeed: 74 kph / 106 kphCeiling: nc / 4,200 mRange: nc / 175 km
like many of its contemporaries, the Blériot is a machine that enjoys flying and manœuvring in the calm morning air or at the end of a fine afternoon… the plane is easy to steer on the ground, but in flight it is its speed (for the beginning of the 20th century an amazing 100 kph) that enables the pilot to stay in charge!
AJBS6
pioneers
H-type Morane-Saulnier
On the 10 October 1911, the “Société Anonyme des Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier” was
created in Puteaux. Léon Morane, Robert Morane and Raymond Saulnier had just
given birth to one of French aviation’s most prolific aircraft manufacturers of its time!
French cycling champion in 1906, Roland Garros (nothing to do with tennis!)
completed the first crossing of the Mediterranean on the 23 September 1913,
between Saint-Raphaël and Bizerte. And when he finally stepped out onto African
soil, there were just 5 litres of fuel left in the tank!
This astonishing performance at a time when navigation was still visual, often without
the help of the slightest instrument, took seven hours and fifty minutes during a flight
which was to prove particularly problematical from the word go.
When in sight of Corsica, Garros felt a shock and noted the presence of a bump on
the hood. A valve spring and its plate had chosen the moment to assert a regrettable
freedom. This problem would have been catastrophic on a “fixed” engine, whereas,
on a “rotary” unit, the valve was kept in place by centrifugal force, enabling the pilot to
continue his flight.
Powerplant: 80-hp “Le Rhône” rotary engineWingspan: 9.12 mLength: 6.28 mHeight: 2.450 mEmpty Weight: 265 kgMax Take-off Weight: 395 kgSpeed: 150 kphCeiling: >5,000 mRange: nc
entirely rebuilt in 1990, in Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis workshops and thanks to the original drawings provided by the SoCATA (recipient of the Morane archives), this H-Type is powered by a 80-hp “le rhône” rotary engine… More advanced than the Blériot XI, the Morane H is also more manœuvrable. For a “modern aviator”, the real difficulty in handling lies in the rotary engine’s “special” character!
AJBS8
pioneers
Caudron G3
When in 1914 the Caudron brothers launched production of the G3, they could hardly
have imagined how long their large, odd-shaped biplane would last!
During the first two years of the war, the G3 was one of the most commonly used
aircrafts for reconnaissance missions or adjusting artillery fire, original assignments
for the brand new weapon that aviation embodied.
With excellent rear and downward visibility, it was one of the best observation craft
of the period. In addition, its sturdiness and particularly moderate landing speed
contributed to its surprisingly long survival at the end of the war.
Among its feats and follies were: Its landing, during the Great War, in the centre of
still-occupied Lille. Jules Védrines’ landing on the roof of Paris’ Galeries Lafayette.
Adrienne Bolland’s first loops, as a result of which she was hired by Caudron.
And, last but not least, the crossing of the Andes Cordillera, again by Adrienne
Bolland, between Mendoza (Argentina) and Santiago in Chile…
Powerplant: Anzani 100-hp / 80-hp “Le Rhône” Rotary engineWingspan: 13.40 mLength: 6.40 mHeight: 2.40 mEmpty Weight: 340 kgMax Take-off Weight: 630 kgSpeed: 112 kphCeiling: 4,800 mRange: 4 hours
Despite the efforts required to actuate controls and its modest speed, the Caudron G3 enjoyed an excellent reputation among WWI pilots who said: “If you want to kill yourself in a G3, you’d better take a revolver up”. This is the reason why it was the choice of a few feat-seeking aviators in the immediate post-war era!
AJBS10
pioneers
Spad XIII
The name “SPAD” was chosen by Armand Deperdussin because the word meant
“speed” in Volapük, a rival universal language to Esperanto. The name then became
an acronym.
The best-known Spads were models VII and XIII. Flown by leading French and foreign
aces, these aircraft ensured Allied mastery of the skies, in particular at the hands
of Fonck, recordman for air victories, Rickenbacker and the inevitable Georges
Guynemer.
The SPAD was not an “easy” plane, however, particularly at low speeds when it could
stall without warning due to reduced wing thickness. Its extraordinary sturdiness
enabled it to perform lengthy dives at over 450 kph followed by abrupt pull-outs…
making manœuvres in the vertical plane possible that were generally out of the
question for other fighters. It also had the advantage of providing a highly stable
firing platform and taking opponents’ blasts well.
This SPAD XIII was recovered in relatively good state in 1978 in Belgium.
In 1989 Jean Salis handed it over to the “Memorial Flight” association on the condition
that it was restored and made airworthy once again. This was done superbly… Powerplant: 220-hp Hispano suiza Wingspan: 8.20 mLength: 6.30 mHeight: 2.30 mEmpty Weight: 565 kgMax Take-off Weight: 820 kgMax speed: 220 kphCeiling: 6,500 mRange: 350 km
This Spad XIII is like all “Memorial Flight” planes, looking as if it has just rolled out of the Deperdussin production plant. everything is redone in identical fashion, parts, assembly, even the paintwork. Matching the fighter’s capacities, the word “excellence” is the one which naturally springs to mind when qualifying such a renaissance!
AJBS12
pioneers
Morane-Saulnier type AI
A monoplane, parasol-wing fighter, the AI-type Morane-Saulnier was flight-tested
from the summer of 1917 onwards. An attractively-designed aircraft which also
featured one or two Vickers 7.7-mm machine-guns, it was commissioned early in
1918. The first Morane to have rigid bracing, the “AI” type was one of the fastest
fighters of WWI.
All of which might lead one to think that the little Morane was a full-blown success…
and yet, it was slightly disadvantaged by its late appearance on the scene, as well as
its rotary engine which, although excellent, light and reliable, produced a gyroscopic
effect that affected its firing quality. In March 1918, the plane was withdrawn from the
front and relegated to advanced training. A total of 1,200 AIs were built, with 51 used
by the US expeditionary corps… as fighter trainers.
Nonetheless, it achieved fame after Fronval, at Villacoublay, carried out a good
thousand loops during a single flight… a record which still stands at the beginning of
the 21st century!
Powerplant: Gnome Monosoupape 9N 150-hp, rotary engineWingspan: 8.51 mLength: 5.65 mHeight: 2.40 mEmpty Weight: 420 kgMax Take-off Weight: 650 kgMax speed: 225 kphCeiling: 7,000 mRange: 350 km
No. 1567 was completely and perfectly restored by the “Memorial Flight” Association in 1991 and has been airworthy since 1993. Brought back to its original standard, it today flies the colours of the 160 squadron “les Diables rouges” [The red Devils]. A second perfectly genuine and original model has been flying since the spring of 2006, sporting the colours of ace pilot Charles Nungesser.
AJBS14
pioneers
Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a
H.P. Folland, J. Kenworthy and Major F.W. Goodden of the Royal Aircraft Factory.
With a modern design for its times, the plane was engaged on the front in April 1917.
A modified version, the SE5a, followed in June 1917, featuring a 200-hp Hispano-
Suiza geared-down engine, but there were delays since engine production could not
keep pace with that of airframes. A total of 5,205 SE5 and SE5a were built.
Combatants on both sides recognized that speed, sturdiness and ease of piloting
made the SE5a a remarkable war machine which was not even upgraded with
the appearance of the fearsome Fokker DVII in May 1918.
The SE5a was flown by leading ace pilots including Mannock (73 victories), Bishop
(72), McCudden (57), Beauchamp-Proctor (54).
The two other SE5a on display are “genuine fakes”, since their structural units come
from the “Stampe SV4” and their engines are 180-hp “Lycomings”. The two planes
were produced in 1980 for the requirements of the movie “L’as des as”…
Powerplant: Wolseley Viper 200-hp, V-8 engineWingspan: 8.12 mLength: 6.38 mHeight: 2.9 mEmpty Weight: 650 kgMax Take-off Weight: 880 kgMax speed: 220 kphCeiling: 5,185 mRange: 483 km
The “Memorial Flight” association’s Se5 began being rebuilt in england in the late 1980s and is fitted with different original parts such as tank, instrumentation, engine... The model displays the colours of Canadian ace pilot lt. HJ “Hank” Burden of the No. 56 Squadron in April 1918.
AJBS16
pioneers
Fokker DR.I
Impressed by the rate-of-climb and agility of the British Sopwith Triplane fighter,
German pilots requested an equivalent aircraft. Among the prototypes tried out,
the best proved to be the Anthony Fokker model.
The aircraft featured a fuselage made from steel tubes with fabric covering and three
wings whose section was sufficiently thick to enable it to do without bracing, thus
partially justifying its triplane design.
Series production started in the summer of 1917 and was designated Dr.1. Initially
powered by a German Oberursel engine, the powerplant was progressively changed
to 110-hp Rhône 9 models that were more efficient and, in addition, captured from
the allies!
It was with the Dr.1 that great pilots such as Werner Woss or the famous “Red Baron”
Manfred Von Richthofen, who led his men into battle piloting a red Fokker Dr-1, were
to forge its legend of invulnerability.
At its height, in May 1918, there were 171 planes in service on the front. In the eagle’s
twilight, it was on board his triplane that Richthofen was shot down at 10.35 on the
18 April 1918, in the region of Sailly-le-Sec, in the Somme valley.
Powerplant: Oberursel UrII 110-hp, 9 cylinder, rotary engineWingspan: 7.19 mLength: 5.77 mHeight: 2.95 mEmpty Weight: 400 kgMax Take-off Weight: 590 kgMax speed: 185 kphCeiling: 6,100 mRange: 300 km
one of the planes on display was repaired in compliancy with the original model and fitted with a “Clerget” rotary engine by the “Memorial Flight” association. rebuilt in 1973 for the series “les faucheurs de marguerites”, the other played an active role in the shooting of the film “l’as des as”.
AJBS18
pioneers
Fokker DVII
The Fokker D VII is for many the ultimate fighter plane of the First World War.
During the second half of 1917, the Allies had regained air superiority with their SE5s
and Spads. The Germans invited their manufacturers to produce a new prototype for
assessment at a competition held on the Adlershof field in Berlin in January 1918.
The successful Fokkers began arriving at first line units in April 1918. When the D VII
appeared on the western front, allied pilots underestimated it on account of its lack
of aerodynamic qualities compared to the graceful Albatros fighter. But they were not
long in revising their opinion.
One of the reasons was the Fokker’s ability to remain in a virtually vertical position
drawn up by its propeller, on the brink of stalling, and fire at the unshrouded
underbellies of allied reconnaissance planes. Its wing’s special shape gave it good
characteristics at low speed. Positioning itself below the 2-seater, the D VII pilot
was invulnerable and could place his plane nose-up on the brink of stalling. Such
manœuvring ability spread fear in allied ranks.
Powerplant: BMW III 185-hp,6 cylinder, in-line engineWingspan: 8.90 mLength: 6.95 mHeight: 2.75 mEmpty Weight: 730 kgMax Take-off Weight: 880 kgMax speed: 200 kphCeiling: 7,000 mRange: 1 h 30
The aircraft displayed by “Memorial Flight” is based on a certain number of period plans and documents, in particular the complete study of No. 2009, the inspection carried out by Boeing in 1919 on No. 7806 and research carried out during the restoration of the 6796 /18.
AJBS20
pioneers
Morane-Saulnier MS 138
While the Morane AI was the first model to feature rigid bracing, the 138 was, in 1921,
the last to use piano wiring.
A monoplane with parasol wings and a 2-seater tandem trainer, the M.S. 138 was
powered by a reliable and amply available 80-hp “Le Rhône” rotary engine.
80 hp hardly seems enough to drive such a plane, but excellent efficiency and its big,
slowly rotating propeller enabled faster take-offs and a cleaner climb than other initial
trainers with equivalent power.
Morane-Saulnier MS 185
When, in the early 30s, the need for an economical and reliable sporting plane
was felt, many small aircrafts were created to meet the demand.
With Morane, this led to the 180 series, which included the 185. Powered by a
9-cylinder, 40-hp Salmson engine, the 185 descended directly from the line of its
large parasol-wing monoplanes. Intended for solo flights and basic aerobatics, it flew
at 130 kph and, despite its total absence of brakes, needed only very short distances
to land. Lightness made up for mediocre power and meant that take-off could also
cope with equally limited range. Unfortunately, only 5 units of the 185 were built, the
Association’s bearing the number 1.
MORANE 138
Powerplant: 90-hp 9C “Le Rhône” rotary engine Wingspan: 10.90 mLength: 6.78 mHeight: 3.69 mEmpty Weight: 517 kgMax Take-off Weight: 770 kgMax speed:135 kphCeiling: 4,000 mRange: nc
MORANE 138
Powerplant: 90-hp 9C “Le Rhône” rotary engineWingspan: 10.90 mLength: 6.78 mHeight: 3.69 mEmpty Weight: 517 kgMax Take-off Weight: 770 kgMax speed: 135 kphCeiling: 4,000 mRange: nc
Curtiss P-40N Warhawk
From happy-go-lucky to hell… The age of fire
In this period of renewal, aviation set wings to conquer the world… It was the time of the great raids and great pilots such as Nungesser and Coli, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Jean Mermoz and all the others… Aviation followed myriad ways, some parallel, some differing. Genuine Cadillacs of the sky were dreamt up at the same time as affordable and cost-effective small planes were built. The search was on for speed as well as extending the distance covered…
And yet war clouds were already gathering on the horizon. In the various High Staffs, new ideas for using the aerial weapon were taking shape. Talk was of bombings, naval air attacks, strategic and tactical doctrines, blitzkrieg or lightning war in which aviation had the lion’s share!
From these digressions from the flight of the original dove, the “Warbirds” were to be born… difficult to be any clearer about one’s intentions! This term crystallizes what was certainly the apotheosis of propeller planes. Once again, the horror of conflict was to give birth to a succession of major technological advances which were to confirm the future place of aviation.
warbirds
AJBS24
warbirds
A trainer biplane which could also be used for agricultural purposes, the Polikarpov Po-2 was produced in the USSR from 1928 to the 1950s. The small plane was easy to manufacture and fly… and was indulgent towards most piloting errors.
Outmoded well before WWII, it had its heyday during the Great Patriotic War. Nicknamed “sewing machines” by the Germans engaged on the Russian front, the PO 2s were to become particularly famous as a result of the actions of the “night witches”.
These witches were generally young night-flying women sewing terror among enemy troops with generous gifts of 5- or 10-kg bombs. To achieve this, one of them would fly in low so as to be spotted, then fly out again as soon as the enemy opened fire. With engines noiselessly idling, her young comrades would dive in the direction of the gunfire and shed their poisoned gifts.
During the Korean war, PO 2s were used for the same missions. The little biplane proved to be a paradoxically difficult adversary to bring down, for its maximum speed was well below stalling speed of interceptor fighters…
With a total of over 45,000 units built between 1928 and 1950, the PO 2 remains one of the two most numerously built planes in the world.
Polikarpov PO 2
Powerplant : Shvetsov M-11D 125-hp, radial engineWingspan: 11.40 mLength: 8.17 mHeight: 3.10 mEmpty Weight: 770 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,350 kgCruising speed:110 kphCeiling: 3,000 mRange: 630 km
For many, flying the PO 2 is a reward,
if not quite in the way we imagine.
The controls lack precision, the
plane is underpowered, sluggish…
but it has a great look about it and
a devilishly invasive history, just like
the noise of its engine, which could
hardly be mistaken for a symphony!
warbirds
Length
AJBS26
warbirds
Focke-Wulf 44 “Stieglitz”
Powerplant: 150-hp Siemens Sh14aWingspan: 9.00mLength: 7.30mHeight: 2.70mEmpty Weight: 565 kgMax Take-off Weight: 870 kgCruising speed: 172 kphCeiling: 3,900 mRange: 675 km
With a fuselage in welded steel
tubing, then wrapped in fabric
around wooden stringers, its wings
and rear surfaces are of mixed
construction (wood and light metal),
all swathed in fabric too. Finally,
the engine is a 150-hp air-cooled
Siemens.
This veteran Arctic combat plane was
discovered as a wreck by Jean Salis.
It was restored for over 15 years from
mainly original parts and presented
for the first time to the public in May
2002, after 33 years on the ground.
The “Stieglitz” (Goldfinch) is a sporting 2-seater plane designed for instruction, aerobatics and leisure activities. It carried out its maiden flight in 1932. Conceived by Kurt Tank, the engineer who also designed the Fw190 fighter, the plane can claim to have been flown by all Luftwaffe pilots in the 30/40s at one moment or another in their career!
The Stieglitz piloted by Count Otto von Hagenburg won the gold medal at the Berlin Olympics of 1936, where, for the first and only time, aerobatics was an Olympic discipline.
The Fw44 is powered by a 7-cylinder 150-hp Siemens SH14 A radial engine and was a “best seller” in its day, recognized for its performances, consumption and ease of maintenance. It was hand-started from first compression and had a muffled, harmonious sound in flight.
The model on display is a genuine WWII veteran… the “782” was built under license in April 1940 at the CKD plant in Prague, at the time under German occupation. It was delivered by Germany to the Finnish Air Force and took part in pilot training, as well as being used as a liaison and reconnaissance plane.
AJBS28
warbirds
Boeing PT-13 “Stearman”
P as in Primary and T as in Trainer, this large, core-30s biplane, brainchild of an engineer called Stearman, was the spearhead of US Army Air Force flying schools. At the time there were three variants, the PT-13, 17, 18 (for the U.S.A.A.F.) and two N2S-1 & N2S-2 (for the US Navy)… the only difference being the powerplant. With the return of peacetime, it found a second wind in civil aviation, from crop-spraying to aerial stunts. For these ends, its 225-hp engine was often replaced by a 450-hp Pratt & Whitney.
Naval Aircraft Factory N3-N
NAVAL N3N is another of Lloyd Carlton Stearman’s creations. Built in the Long Beach Navy workshops, Southern California, it was intended for areas where the air was too saline for steel tube structures. Previously specialised in the construction of rigid airships, the workshops overflowed with an uncommon stock of light metal, thus providing the N3N with a fuselage incorporating riveted duralumin angle irons, a rarely used manufacturing process. Powered by a 235- or 300-hp engine, the N3N is lighter than the PT-13 and, for a given power, turns in slightly better performances.
BOEING STEARMAN
Powerplant: 220-hp Continental R670-5 / 225-hp Lycoming R680 B4EWingspan: 9.80 mLength: 7.63 mHeight: 2.79 mEmpty Weight: 878 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,230 kgSpeed: 170 kphCeiling: 3,415 mRange: 815 km
NAVAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY N3N-3
Powerplant: 235-hp Wright R 760-2 / R 760-8Wingspan: 10.36 mLength: 7.88 mHeight: 2.85 mEmpty Weight: 947 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,236 kgMax speed: 230 kph Ceiling: 4,663 mRange: 756 km
AJBS30
warbirds
Stinson “Reliant”
When aviation and the Stinson name crossed paths, it was almost like a fairy tale. In 1911, Katherine Stinson won a first flight in Kansas City. Completely won over, she decided to become a pilot. Left on her own after logging just 4 hours and 10 minutes of flight time, she obtained her license a few days later, thus becoming the fourth and youngest woman pilot in the US. In 1913, she created the Stinson Aviation Co., sweeping along her sister and two brothers in her wake… It was Eddie who finally launched himself into becoming an aircraft manufacturer!
1933 saw the appearance of the SR Reliant... 100 units and one year later the plane was fitted with flaps, a rare refinement at the time. Its spacious and comfortable 5-place cabin ensured the Reliant a certain commercial success. And when, in 1936, engineer Bob Ayer came up with its new so-called “gull” wing, he gave it its distinctive hallmark, so much so that people referred to the “Reliant gullwing”.
The SR-7 and its gullwing set the ball rolling for the range’s most prolific series.
With the war, the old “Cadillac of the air” became the “maid of all work” for allied forces… the Reliants did their duty and, in their way, participated in the allied victory in Europe and the Pacific. As an anecdote, the Stinson was flown by a few memorable pilots, to mention just one: a certain Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had been present at Katherine Stinson’s displays in 1915!
Powerplant: Lycoming 245-hp / Wright 350-hp / Pratt & Whitney 450-hp, radial engineWingspan: 12.76 mLength: 8.40 mHeight: 2.61 mEmpty Weight: 1,055 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,575 kgMax speed: 244 kphCeiling: 4,725 mRange: 1,040 km
The Reliant came to France in 1937,
was hidden during the German
occupation and finally entrusted to
the French Air Force on Liberation.
With the return of peace, it was
returned to its owner who, at the
end of his life, handed it over to
Jean Salis so that he could add it
to the collection and keep it airworthy
on the Ardenet plateau…
AJBS32
warbirds
De Havilland DH89 “Dragon Rapide”
The De Havilland “Dragon Rapide” is a large, twin-engined biplane which combines astonishing elegance of line with significant aerodynamic parasite drag. It has a distinctive look, a rare old-fashioned elegance and boasts a rich aeronautic past.
In 1909, the year Blériot flew the Channel, the company founded by Sir Geoffrey De Havilland took off. Its history is marked by the genius of its creator, considered as one of the best five plane designers in the world. He was to give birth to a family of carrier planes called after the Dragonfly, which, although they did not revolutionize aviation, ensured its expansion… to a good many destinations, fronts and continents!
At the end of the conflict, the “DH89s” washed off their warpaint and were swiftly reconverted to civil use. They played an active role in the renewal of air transport… At the same time, the little “Dragon” found its second youth by climbing many times a day to 2,500 metres to dispatch the seven paratroopers coiled up in its wood & fabric-covered fuselage…
Powerplant: 200-hp De Havilland Gipsy QueenWingspan: 14.63 mLength: 10.52 mHeight: 3.12 mEmpty Weight: 1,465 kgMax Take-off Weight: 2,720 kgCruising speed: 225 khpCeiling: 4,875 mRange: 837 km
In 1981, at the dawn of its new
life, the “Dragon” entered what
perhaps remains one of its finest
hours: a Paris-New York-Paris
race… “The Air Transat 81”.
Relegating prophets of doom
to the back of their hangars,
the team, made up of Pierre
Dague and Jean Salis, finished
the journey classified, with an
elegance prize to boot!
AJBS34
warbirds
Beechcraft D18
Baptised “Bichette” by its French-speaking military pilots, this small, twin-engined aircraft from the end of the 30s is rightly considered as one of Aviation’s great classics.
Developed by Dwane Wallace, the Beech 18 was resolutely modern in design for its time. A low-wing monoplane, the “18” has an entirely metal structure, a retractable undercarriage, is astonishingly versatile and easy to adapt to user needs! Sufficiently rustic in construction to ensure ease of maintenance, it was originally powered by two excellent Pratt & Whitney 450 hp engines.
The Beech 18 carried out its initial flight in January 1937 and obtained certification just two months later! A winner from the word go, it was to cover the skies of all the continents, from icy Arctic to equatorial jungles, stopping off at the major capitals on the way… It was not long before this private or public transport craft was noticed by the military who had a whole series of models tailored to their needs. Throughout the 1950s, Beechcraft developed new optimised versions to meet the demands of modern civil aviation.
Powerplant: 450-hp Pratt & Whitney R985 AN 14D Wingspan: 15.14 mLength: 10.73 mHeight: 3.74 mEmpty Weight: 2,580 kgMax Take-off Weight: 4,350 kgCruising speed: 290 khpCeiling: 6,500 mRange: 2,600 km
For over 30 years, the Beech
18 (9,100 units built) was the
primary trainer for twin-engine
and zero-visibility flying schools,
but unfairly suffered from a
reputation of being difficult to land.
On the other hand, and this time
justifiably, it was recognized
as being a no-problem plane.
AJBS36
warbirds
Fieseler Fi 156 “Storch”
An observation and utility plane of German origin used by German armed forces in WWII, the Fi 156 had impressive slow-flying qualities and was often used to go into places from which other planes were theoretically excluded. Thus it was that a “Storch” was able to fly in and free Mussolini from his hotel-prison located at the steep Gran Sasso summit.
After 1945, the Fi 156 was modernised and produced by Morane for the French Air Force. Its original wing had given way to a sturdier, albeit heavier metallic structure, which took its minimum speed from 45 to 55 kph. Later, as the Argus engine became scarcer, the Storches were repowered with Salmsons among others, still radial except for one which was fitted with a Renault.
The Fi 156 then became known as Morane 500, 501 to 505, depending on its powerplant. The Association’s model is one of the very rare genuine Fi 156s, featuring however Morane wings, since the original wooden ones can in no way be used due to adhesive ageing.
Powerplant: Argus As 10C-3 240-hp, inverted V-8 engineWingspan: 14.25 mLength: 9.90 mHeight: 3.05 mEmpty Weight: 930 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,325 kgCruising speed: 130 kphCeiling: 4,600 mRange: 385 km
Completely copied from the Fi
156 “Storch”, but built by Morane
and fitted with a 240-hp Salmson
engine, the MS 502 is considered
by many pilots as being the best
flier in the series. The one on
display in Cerny features the
colours of the French Fleet Air
Arm for whom it formerly flew.
AJBS38
warbirds
Piper J3 / L-4 “Cub”
The story of the most famous light aircraft is long and a little complicated. It begins in 1931 when two American amateurs, engineer Taylor and businessman Piper, launched a tiny plane, the Taylor E-2, christened Cub. This small plane was to meet with immediate, unprecedented success and ran up a production of over 1,500 units.
But this was just a beginning. In 1935, Taylor and Piper went their different ways, creating the Taylorcraft and Piper companies. It was Piper who was to earn fame. 1938 saw the production of the Piper J-3, an enhanced, more powerful version of the E-2, with 5,500 units rolling off the line before 1941!
That year, the US Army purchased the 65-hp version for its liaison and close observation plane. Over 5,600 military “Cubs” (L-4) were produced.
After the war, the Cub’s simplicity and cost-effectiveness attracted flying clubs throughout the world. 15,000 civil and military Cubs were thus produced in various versions, for almost 40 years. And even more… it is still possible today to acquire quasi-identical replicas or complete items, such as wings, that are totally compatible with the original model!
Powerplant: Continental A-65-8 65-Hp, flat 4 cylinder engineWingspan: 10.74 mLength: 6.83 mHeight: 2.03 mEmpty Weight: 345 kgMax Take-off Weight: 550 kgCruising speed: 120 kphCeiling: 3,500 mRange: 354 km
Complete and well-coordinated,
the 65-hp Cub is very easy to pilot
and is indulgent towards even
the grossest piloting errors…
Which is why the Cub remains
an extraordinary plane for learning
to fly!
AJBS40
warbirds
Junkers Ju52-3m
At the very beginning of its career, the aircraft was proposed to Lufthansa as a single-engine model which, as a result of its being clearly underpowered, was mercilessly refused. After adding two extra engines, it was able to start its career with the company, but above all in the brand new, on-the-rise Luftwaffe.
A little old-fashioned in terms of looks, even for its times, with a completely corrugated skin, this big, rustic 3-engine aircraft was nevertheless reliable and suitable for use from surprisingly short and basic-facility fields. Junkers served variously as carriers, were used for parachuting and underwater mine-hunting… either in the land or floatplane version!
Despite its being noisy and sluggish, those who used “Aunt Ju” have a good memory of her. Except perhaps the German pilots who, on board, had to bring in supplies to Stalingrad during a famous, particularly long, harsh winter.
After the end of WWII, it was naturally used by the Air Force whose pilots, no less naturally, baptised her “Julie”. It was used by other armed forces, Spanish and Portuguese in particular, as well as numerous airlines, including Air-France alongside her American alter-ego, the Douglas DC3.
Powerplant: BMW 132A 660-hpWingspan: 29.25mLength: 18.9mHeight: 6.10mEmpty Weight: 6,510 kgMax Take-off Weight: 10,500 kgCruising speed: 215 kphCeiling: 6,000 mRange: 1,000 km
This “Ju” is in fact one of the first
CASA 352s built in Spain. The
fuselage was manufactured in
Germany by Junkers and the wings
in Spain by CASA, in 1943. This
gender alliance between a “German
father” and a “Spanish mother” was
intended to trigger the rolling of
Spanish production lines… It took
twelve years to restore it completely!
AJBS42
warbirds
Douglas DC3 / C-53 / C-47 “Dakota”
Nicknamed Dakota by the British, this type of aircraft was powered by two 1,200-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines, flew at a speed of 280 kph and featured the remarkable ability to take on a payload equal to its empty weight.
In its different military versions, the “Dak” flew on all fronts, and either side of front lines. The Japanese and Soviets had their own versions, duly copied and built by their own industries!
The offshoot of a 1932 commercial aviation project (the “C” of DC3), they still continue today to carry freight and passengers, particularly in Central America… and an entirely revamped model powered by Pratt & Whitney PT-6 turbines is still available in the US with Basler… these young ancestors can be flown from Arctic to Antarctic, Asia to America, proving that the person who a long time ago announced that “only a DC3 can replace a DC3” was right on line!
Powerplant: 1200-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Wingspan: 29.11 mLength: 19.43 mHeight: 5.18 mEmpty Weight: 8,255 kgMax Take-off Weight: 11,794 kgCuising speed: 300 kphCeiling: 7,300 mRange: 2,575 km
One of La Ferté’s “Gooney Birds”
(sporting Normandy landing colours)
was a trial paratrooper dispatcher,
“optimised” by Air France, then used
by France Télécom… the other (an
ex-C-53) proved to be the joy of many
a company between North and Central
Americas, Europe and Africa!
AJBS44
warbirds
North American T-6 “Texan”
During WWII, the North American AT-6 Texan (Advanced Trainer) was the Everest for student pilots. The plane marked the end of their pure flying programme and the beginning of combat training. It was like a rite to adulthood, which is why the aircraft remained dear to so many pilots, for the T-6’s reputation was earned not so much through any intrinsic qualities it had, as by the significant number of those trained on the “pilot maker” throughout the world.
The T-6 was, however, more than a pilot maker. Designed to take a minimum of armaments, whenever insurrectionary conflicts broke out, it provided the most suitable and available “policing” plane!
Thus the T-6 became a battlefield surveillance and support aircraft… With the French Air Force in Algeria, the Portuguese in Mozambique, Angola and Guinea, or the Spanish in the Sahara.
The NA 64s and 68s were created to carry out policing operations. Too slow and armed with machine guns of too small a calibre, they were only used for certain South American countries. Close in design to the T6, the only difference distinguishing these planes was a 3-blade propeller, a single-pilot cockpit and a few aerodynamic details of little practical import. Powerplant: Pratt &
Whitney R 1340-49 600-hp, radial engineWingspan: 12.81 mLength: 8.84 mHeight: 3.57 mEmpty Weight: 1,825 kgMax Take-off Weight: 2,380 kgCruising speed: 270 kphCeiling: ncRange: 1,190 km
Alongside genuine T-6s, we
can find certain “variations on a
theme”… The NA 68 which was
used by Pierre Schoendorffer for
the film Dien-Bien-Phu, in which
it played the role of a Fleet Air
Arm “Hellcat”… and, for a Texan,
an unusual and highly relevant
“transformation” into… a Zero,
the famous Japanese fighter
plane, as present in the Pacific
skies as it was in Hollywood
post-war productions!
AJBS46
warbirds
Boeing B-17G “Flying fortress”
With its maiden flight in 1935, the Boeing B-17 was the first US strategic bomber. Bristling with multiple machine gun installations, the aircraft became appropriately known as the Flying Fortress, in line with the idea that was common in the 30s that heavily arming this type of plane would make it as invulnerable in the air as battleships on the seas.
This was not good thinking. German fighters were quick to home in on the giant’s weakspot in frontal attacks. To counter this, the Americans added two machine gun stations under the nose of the B-17 G version... and boosted their fighter escorts around the bombers!
The B-17G crew consisted of a pilot, co-pilot, radio operator, navigator, bombardier and five gunners (dorsal & ventral turrets, tail and waists). It was armed with 13 12.7-mm heavy machine-guns and would carry a bombload of up to 7,000 kg into the heart of Germany.
Above all, the exemplary B-17 was sturdy, simple and easy to pilot. Its four Wright Cyclone 1,200 hp engines provided a top speed of some 420 kph, and its turbochargers gave it a ceiling of over 8,000 m.
Powerplant: 1,200-hp Wright R-1820-97 “Cyclone” Wingspan: 22.66 mLength: 31.62 mHeight: 5.82 mEmpty Weight: 16,391 kgMax Take-off Weight: 29,710 kgCruising speed: 293 kphCeiling: 10,850 mRange: From 1,800 to 4,400 km
The B-17G belonging to the
“Forteresse toujours volante”
association, the genuine old-timer
combatant of the USAAF, comes
from the National Geographical
Institute (which used it as a
photography plane)... From air
display beast to cinema set diva
is but a short step which it made
when figuring in the cast of the film
“Memphis Belle” (1990), alongside
Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate
Donovan, D.B. Sweeney, Billy Zane
and Harry Connick Jr.!
AJBS48
warbirds
Curtiss P-40N Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 and P-75 are false twins which can be told apart by their engines. The P-75 was powered by a radial engine, while the P-40 had a 1,200-hp “Allison”, followed by a 1,400 version. Of simple and light construction, the plane was born before WWII. It was already part of the US fighter force at the time of Pearl-Harbour, when the Japanese destroyed several dozens on the ground. Reprimanded later for having taken off without orders, two sole pilots took to the skies under machine-gun fire to defend the island.
The P-40 is above all famous for having been part of General Chennault’s “Flying Tigers”. This team of mercenaries was already fighting the Japanese for the account of the Chinese well before Pearl Harbour. After initial difficulties, the “Flying Tigers” had developed a series of tactics which enabled them to stand up to the fearsome Japanese fighters. The shark mouth feature of Chennault’s planes had been copied from that of a British squadron in the Far East, whose ancestor in turn was the motif of a French group that, in 1916, featured it on its Caudron G-4s.
Formerly, this Warhawk took part in regaining the Pacific islands, with the “49th Fighter Group”, known as “Little Jeanne”, under Lieutenant Warren… who, several decades later and with a certain emotion, saw his plane take to the skies once more in Australia.
Australian Murray Griffiths, who
completely restored this P-40,
knew its history and found its
pilot, lieutenant Warren, the last
to have flown it before it was
abandoned on Tadji airstrip
(Papua New Guinea)… Robert
Warren’s face when he met
up with “his” plane again will
certainly remain as one of the
finest rewards for the team
of enthusiasts who spent so
many hours at this old soldier’s
bedside!
Powerplant: Allison V-1710-81 1,200-hp, V-12 engineWingspan: 11.37 mLength: 10.16 mHeight: 3.23 mEmpty Weight: 2,903 kgMax Take-off Weight: 5,171 kgCruising speed: 496 kphCeiling: 9,449 mRange: nc
AJBS50
warbirds
North American P-51D “Mustang”
The “Mustang” was designed between 1943 and 1944 at the request of the British to offset the constant lack of fighters. Put together in a record 117 days, the prototype gave complete satisfaction and the series could be launched immediately.
The original P-51 had a conventionally shaped cabin and was powered by an Allison engine. It was afterwards fitted with a Rolls-Royce “Merlin” in its B and C versions, then a bubble-shaped cockpit for its final form, the D and K versions. Used for ground attacks or as a pure fighter, the P-51 was above all one of the first aircraft in its category able to accompany bombers on their raids over Germany. This advance was made possible by a new wing section, called laminar, which reduced drag and consequently consumption. The Mustang was also fitted with extra tanks which could be jettisoned in case of combat. Its Merlin engine was built under license by the US firm Packard, since Rolls-Royce was at the time too busy supplying engines for British bombers and fighter planes.
The mustang “stallion” of Inglewood, the main North American plant, is considered as being the best allied fighter of WWII. With its “Twin Mustang” brother, it was the last operational propeller fighter of the US Air Force… and in the world (1984 – Dominican Republic)… Close your eyes: the song of this bird will stir you as much as its looks.
Powerplant: Packard Merlin V-1650-7 1,695-hp, V-12 engineWingspan: 11.28 mLength: 9.83 mHeight: 4.17 mEmpty Weight: 3,465 kgMax Take-off Weight: 5,490 kgCruising speed: 580 kphCeiling: 12,770 mRange: nc
A lot of stories have been told about
Mustangs, the difficulty experienced
when flying at low speeds and the
finesse required to tame the beast…
and yet those who whisper in the
thoroughbred’s ear know that it is
more docile and less unnerving than
it appears… provided you respect
it, its laminar wing, its propeller
and all the air displaced around the
machine!
AJBS52
warbirds
Chance-Vought F4U-5NL “Corsair”
Of all the fighters of its time, the Corsair prototype boasted the most powerful engine, the biggest propeller and doubtless the widest wing. It was also the first US fighter to fly at more than 640 kph.
The “Corsair” will remain as one of the legendary warplanes of the Pacific theatre. With its W-shaped wing mainly intended to reduce the length of the undercarriage (enhancing robustness, which was no luxury when deck-landing on aircraft-carriers, while maintaining sufficient propeller clearance!), the Corsair has a highly distinctive silhouette.
In 1943, it was commissioned in the Pacific and quickly earned a reputation as one of the most outstanding planes of its time. If its gull wings were winners in the air, it proved itself afterwards to be equally fearsome on ground back-up missions, as it proved in Korea, Indochina, Suez… and the odd territorial conflicts in South America! The last version produced in 1952 (F4U-7) was specially designed for the French Fleet Air Arm who used it up to 1964.
Fast, manœuvrable, easy to pilot and extremely sturdy, depending on the versions, the Corsair was fitted with four to six machine-guns or four 20-mm cannons, bombs or other rockets.
Amateurs and novices alike give it a distinctive place: star of the “Baa Baa Black Sheep” series with Major Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, it haunts the imagination of all those who never quite grew up...
Powerplant: Pratt & whitney 2,300-hp 18 cylinder, radial engineWingspan: 12.49 mLenght: 10.21 mHeight: 4.49 mEmpty Weight: 4,392 kgMax Take-off Weight: 6,398 kgCruising speed: 365 kphCeiling: 12,620 mRange: 1,802 km
“The dream of any pilot”, “a mythical
plane”... no lack of descriptive terms
for this plane. The fighter given a
new lease of life as air show star
requires considerable mastery at
the controls to counter the torque
formed by the 2,000 and plus
horse power generated by its
Pratt & Whitney R-2800 and
the huge propeller!
AJBS54
warbirds
Douglas AD-4N “Skyraider”
The Skyraider, whose maiden flight was in March 1945, is the last of the large, single-engine, propeller-driven attack aircraft to be built. Initially scheduled to hunt submarines on the surface and at night, it only flew after the end of the Pacific war. It arrived on the scene at the same time as the F-86 “Sabre”, just at the right moment to take part in the Korean war, where it achieved fame as a plane for taking out locomotives. With Korea’s highly mountainous terrain and subsequent numerous rail tunnels, steam locomotives were clearly easy to spot. Capable of flying relatively slowly, the AD-4 could hug the bottoms of valleys, fire a salvo at a tunnel entrance, climb in a half loop and reach for the skies as soon as possible before trouble started brewing.
The Skyraider is enthroned in the hangar alongside the Spad XIII, SPAD being the Skyraider’s nickname during the Vietnam war, an allusion to its age and method of propulsion. Considered as being over the hill when it entered service for Vietnam, it nonetheless saved a good many lives: manœuvrability, autonomy and powerful ground attack armaments enabled pilots to remain on an ejection zone and seriously complicate the task of those who wanted to capture them on the ground.
Powerplant: Wright R 3350 26 WA 2,700-hp, radial engine Wingspan: 15.25 mLength: 11.85 mHeight: 4.78 mEmpty Weight: 5,312 kgMax Take-off Weight: 11,340 kgCruising speed: 350 kphCeiling: 10,980 mRange: 4 h 30
A genuine AD-4N, the AJBS’
Skyraider was unearthed in Gabon
in 1985. Repatriated and restored,
it is certainly a pride of the Amicale
and unquestionably its biggest
single-engine plane and largest
propeller! Its first annual start-up
is a sign for the meeting season to
get underway, setting the tone with
its Wright engine, the impact of the
air spun by its propeller and the
majesty of its tight manœuvres.
AJBS56
warbirds
Yakovlev Yak 11
For French and Russians alike, the name “Yakovlev” will always be associated with that of the Normandie-Niemen Fighter Regiment…
The Yak-11 is in direct lineage from the outstanding Yak-1, 3, 7 and 9 fighter planes, those that were flown by French pilots engaged in the USSR between 1943 and 1945. The Yak-11 retained the wings, tail assembly and overall silhouette. Unlike the former, it was, however, powered by a radial engine. Although significantly less powerful than its predecessors, it lost nothing of their brio and temperament.
A 2-seater aircraft intended for fighter training schools, it is powered by a 7-cylinder, 700-hp radial engine. Flying is particularly pleasant and the plane shows an astonishing amount of finesse and reactivity, although low speed flight characteristics do require pilots to be particularly vigilant, as well as focused during take-offs on fields under 1,000 metres due to limited power. Contrary to general belief, a trainer, and above all an advanced version such as the Yak-11, must be more difficult to fly than the planes for which the pilot is training.
Powerplant: Shvetsov Ash-21 570-hp, radial engineWingspan: 9.4 mLength: 8.50 mHeight: 3.28 mEmpty Weight: 1,900 kgMax Take-off Weight: 2,440 kgCruising speed: 370 kphCeiling: 7,100 mRange: nc
The Yak 11 housed in the hangars
of the Amicale Jean-Baptiste
Salis was restored and modified
between 1984 and 1987 by Pierre
Dague. Easily recognisable, its
difference with other Yak 11s is a
single-seater cockpit and a Yak 3
retractable tailwheel.
AJBS58
warbirds
De Havilland Canada DHC1 “Chipmunk”
De Havilland of Canada (DHC) was born when the Canadian government placed an order for DH-60 Moth planes in 1928. Seeing an opening for the huge Canadian market, De Havilland set up an assembly workshop in Mount Dennis then Downsview, near Toronto. With the onset of WWII, production focused on the Tiger Moth biplane trainer then the building of the Mosquito in 1941.
The DHC-1 Chipmunk was to become the first purely Canadian aircraft built in Downsview. This 2-seater, monoplane, entirely metal, low-winged trainer was powered by a De Havilland Gipsy Major 10 engine generating 145 hp.
Pilatus P2
De HAVILLAND DHC-1 Chipmunk
Powerplant: Gipsy Major 8 / 10 145-hp, in-line engineWingspan: 10.46 mLength: 7.75 mHeight: 2.13 mEmpty Weight: 640 kgMax Take-off Weight: 910 kgCruising speed: 190 kphCeiling: 4,800 mRange: 450 km
Built in Switzerland, immediately after WWII, by the Pilatus company, the P-2 features wooden wings and comprises a good many parts of German origin.
Thus, its Argus engine, its propeller and undercarriage (that of the Messerschmitt 109) are post-war recovery items. And, finally, its “German look” made it a choice extra for productions lacking in originals! Lacking in speed, as befits a trainer plane, the aircraft is, however, capable of diving extremely quickly and resisting almost all standard student pilot mistakes…
PILATUS P-2
Powerplant: Argus AS 410 A2 465-hp, in-line engineWingspan: 11.0 mLength: 9.07 mHeight: 2.68 mEmpty Weight: 1,610 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,970 kgMax speed: 600 kphCeiling: 7,200 mRange: 560 km
AJBS60
warbirds
Nord 1101 “Noralpha”
The Noralpha is in fact the Messerschmitt 208 Taifun as it was designed and ordered by Willy Messerschmitt at the end of WWII and was scheduled to be built in occupied France by SNCAN. The ordered series was actually built, but under the name of the manufacturer, la Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique du Nord, which became Nord Aviation.
For its time, the Noralpha was fairly fast, even if slightly less so than its predecessor, the Me 108. Better fitted out and featuring a tricycle undercarriage with retractable landing gear, although heavier, it was easier for take-off, taxiing and landing without damage, which was why it had been adopted, along with the Nord 1000 (ex Me 108), by French Armed Forces. Although Noralpha prototypes (Nord 1100) were powered
S.N.C.A.N. NORD 1101 Noralpha
Powerplant: Renault 6Q10 240-hp, in-line engineWingspan: 11.48 mLength: 8.53 mHeight: 3.25 mEmpty Weight: 948 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,645 kgCruising speed: 277 kphCeiling: 5,900 mRange: 1,200 km
by an inverted-V Argus engine, Messerschmitt had preferred fitting series planes with a French Renault 6Q engine which, in his opinion, was more satisfactory…
Nord 3202
This type of plane was created by Nord Aviation during the 50s for the needs of the brand new ALAT pilot training school. Despite being powered by a Potez engine too fragile for a trainer, the Nord 3202 was a good plane, both for instruction and aerobatics.
NORD 3202
Powerplant: Potez 4D 34 260-hp, in-line engineWingspan: 9.5 mLength: 8.14 mHeight: 2.82 mEmpty Weight: 870 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,220 kgMax speed: 220 kphCeiling: 5,000 mRange: nc
AJBS62
warbirds
Dassault 311 à 315 “Flamant”
On his return from deportation in 1945, French airplane constructor Marcel Bloch decided to make a complete break with the past which had caused him so much suffering. He changed his name to Dassault and relaunched the activities of his design office. The 310 series was effectively designed during the Second World War. In reality, only the fuselage was totally new, since bearing and stabilising units were derived from those of the Bloch 174, an excellent all-purpose, twin-engined craft that saw the light of day before the war, on the drawing board of the same Marcel Bloch.
It was chosen by the Air Force in three versions : MD 311, an all-purpose, multiplace trainer plane, the MD 312, for student pilots and the MD 315, transporting ten passengers. It was the first aircraft to bear the Dassault name… the first in a long line which was to restore its letters of nobility to an aeronautics industry that had been laminated by years of occupation.
Used for carrying celebrities, reconnaissance flights, aerial photography and even operational firing of SS 10 and 11, the Dassaults of this series also made excellent trainer planes, in Avord in particular, where they finished their long career at the end of the 70s. The planes’ distinctive silhouette was matched by a highly characteristic sound provided by 12-cylinder, inverted V Renault engines.
Powerplant: 580-hp Renault 12 S 02 / 605-hp Snecma 12TWingspan: 20.70 mLength: 12.58 mHeight: 4.53 mEmpty Weight: 4,500 kgMax Take-off Weight: 6,400 kgMax speed: Maxi 390 km/hCeiling: 4,350 mRange: 1,500 km
Like all planes “without any history”,
the Flamant can nonetheless boast
excellent statistics… between its
prototype flight in 1947 and the
end of its production in 1950, 321
units were built. The twin-engined
Dassault was a trainer, not only
for navigators, radio men and
bombardiers, but also 3,170 French
and foreign pilots from 23 different
countries… logging up some
1,250,000 effective flying hours!
From straight lines to curves… The ultimate way
There was a time when the first pilots’ exclusive Grail was to get their strange machines off the
ground. A time which was counted in seconds and measured in centimetres that separated
flight from the whims of weightlessness. Centimetres and seconds became metres and
minutes, then, finally, the scales gave way to the spirit of the air… the plane was flying.
There is no doubt that the major victory of the first decade of the 20th century was the simple
possibility of “piloting” something heavier than air from point A to point B, thereby freeing
oneself from the fundamental laws of universal gravity!
And yet the new dimension had still to be mastered. A straight line is a straight line. Sure, it is
the shortest distance between two points, but where’s the magic in that? The quest for the
curve, the perfect movement apparently came from the observation of a clearly identified
flying object. Contrary to past belief, it was not a bird (has anyone seen a seagull flying on its
back?) but a plane which, alone, demonstrated that the straight line was not the only, once-
and-for-all conceivable way!
At a time when the word empirical had all its meaning, a certain test pilot by the name of
Adolphe Pégoud carried out the first loop on the 31 August 1913 in Buc (Yvelines)… But this
is nothing in comparison to the story linked to this noteworthy evolution in human flight. In
August 1913, Pégoud tested a parachute. After jumping from his plane, he realized that, left to
its own resources, the aircraft straightened out, nosed up and finished in a field, which, when
all was said and done, was the initial purpose. But it was what happened before, that gave
Pégoud the idea that one could fly upside down… unlike seagulls!
AEROBATICS
Pitts S1-S
AJBS66
AEROBATICS
Dewoitine D.27
The D.27 embodied the consecration of Emile Dewoitine’s parasol-wing fighter planes.
Although structurally in the lineage of previous versions, the D.27 was perfected from every
angle: aerodynamically, engine-wise (V12 Hispano-Suiza generating 500 hp for the initial
version), V-axle landing gear and… two 7.7-mm synchronised machine guns to wrap up
the package.
Shortly after the crash of October 1926, the Constructions Aéronautiques Dewoitine went
bankrupt. Development of the D.27 was subsequently transferred to Switzerland, from where
a prototype emerged from the nest on the 3 June 1928. In March, Dewoitine created the
Société Aéronautique Française Avions Dewoitine in France. He produced two pre-series, one
rechristened D272 and powered to take part in aerobatics displays. The other was armed with
two 7.7-mm Darne machine guns. A contract for four pre-series models was signed by the Air
Ministry’s Technical Management. Proposed in two versions (the D 271 with a 500-hp HS 12Hb
engine and the D.273, fitted with a compressor upgrading power to 425 hp at 4,000m), the
D.27 was never operational in France and no model was chosen.
At the end of 1929, the decision was taken to refit Swiss fighter command with D.27s. A pre-
series of five models was ordered bearing the name D.27 III. In all, 66 aircraft were to fly with
the Fliegertruppen. Up to 1940, the D.27 was to remain the front-line Swiss fighter, before
becoming a trainer until retired in 1944. Although it was never to delight French fighters, Emile
Dewoitine’s offspring was exploited to the full by their Swiss counterparts…
Powerplant : Hispano suiza type 57, 500-hpWingspan: 10.3 mLength: 6.56 mHeight: 2.78 mEmpty Weight: 1,038 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,415 kgMax speed: 298 kphCeiling: 9,200 mRange: 600 km
The only airworthy model in France (the second and last representative flies in Switzerland), Cerny’s Dewoitine is a Swiss plane. As with many of its fellow craft, it continues its life in civilian clothes towing gliders. Repowered with a Pratt & Whitney radial engine, certainly less genuine but so much more available and reliable, it brings the name of Emile Dewoitine and a certain conception of pre-war French aviation back to life…
AJBS68
AEROBATICS
Morane-saulnier MS 317
Descended from the 1937 Morane 315, the 317 had brakes, a 225-hp engine and an
electric circuit. It was modified during the 60s to have a more powerful glider tug than
those used at the time. Retired during the 80s, it continues to delight buffs of the
Morane parasol-wing line.
MORANE SAULNIER MS 317
Powerplant : Continental W 670-6A 220-hp, radial engineWingspan: 12.0 mLength: 7.60 mHeight: 2.80 mEmpty Weight: 829 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,100 kgCruising speed: 140 kphCeiling: 4,200 mRange: 800 km
Morane-saulnier MS 230
The logical follow-on from the 130 model, the Morane 230 was developed in the early
30s to meet the needs of a brand new fighter training school for the equally new
Air Force. The undercarriage was significantly enlarged in relation to its whimsical
predecessor, boasted one of the first oleo-pneumatic suspensions, and movable
surfaces were enhanced and enlarged. On the other hand, the 230-hp Salmson
engine was retained since it gave both planes particularly good speed for the times.
From the mid-30s, then for the first 10 post-war years, the Morane 230 was the darling
of the crowds, piloted by Fronval and Détroyat before the war, then Michel Berlin
afterwards. It was not, however, an easy display plane but, in expert hands and despite
a certain heaviness at the controls, the smoothness and elegance of its magnificent
top-trainer sessions never failed to rouse enthusiasm.
MORANE SAULNIER 230
Powerplant : Salmson 9Ab 230-hp, radial engineWingspan: 10.70 mLength: 6.98 mHeight: 2.80 mEmpty Weight: 830 kgMax Take-off Weight: 1,150 kgSpeed: 205 kphCeiling: 5,000 mRange: nc
AJBS70
AEROBATICS
After WWII, aerobatics made its way back on stage, with Marcel Doret and
his Dewoitine, together with a host of new pilots, including Romanian prince
Cantacuzene, Léon Biancotto... A few of these aces had recovered rare examples
of a small, particularly versatile plane which outstripped anything that flew:
the Bücker Bü-133 Jungmeister (Young master).
Powered by a 135-hp Hirth engine that was later replaced by a 160-hp SH-14A Bramo
radial engine, its prototype flew in 1935… Major pilots were to shine on the
Jungmeister, such as Romanian Alex Papana and German Otto von Hagenburg.
At the 1937 Zurich international show, nine out of the thirteen competitors flew
the plane, which carried off the first three places.
The Bücker 131 Jungmann (Young man) was the standard flying school trainer
for German pilots in the years between the wars. At the time, it was powered by
a 105-hp Hirth engine. After WWII, it was produced in Spain by Casa where it was
fitted with a 125-hp EMSA Tigre.
Later it was upgraded with a more powerful Lycoming generating 180 hp. With this
engine it replaced the Bücker 133 in top-level aerobatics competitions. Bückers had
always been extremely well favoured by aerobatics pilots. Major Liardon’s low-level
figures and 90-degree bank runs were well-known in the 50s.
Bucker 133 “Jungmeister” & 131 “Jungmann”
BUCKER Bü 133c
Powerplant: Siemens Sh 14-A4 160-hp, radial engineWingspan: 6.6 mLength: 6.02 mHeight: 2.2 mEmpty Weight: 425 kgMax Take-off Weight: 585 kgMax speed: 220 kphCeiling: 4,500 mRange: 500 km
BUCKER Bü 131b
Powerplant: Hirth HM 504A-2 105-hp, in-line engineWingspan: 7.4 mLength: 6.62 mHeight: 2.25 mEmpty Weight: 390 kgMax Take-off Weight: 680 kgMax speed: 183 kphCeiling: 3,000 mRange: 650 km
AJBS72
AEROBATICS
Pitts S1-S & S2-B
Indisputable winner of the 1972 world aerobatics championships in Salon de
Provence, the Pitts S1S is an offshoot of a prototype built in 1936 by a Presbyterian
preacher called Curtis Pitts. It is a tiny plane, with low inertia on all axes, consequently
highly agile. It is difficult to use its power to the full, particularly in competition, notably
because of its fixed-pitch propeller. It is extremely spectacular at aerial meetings. The
Pitts S2-B is a 2-seater version... for sharing the pleasures of what remains one of the
most prolific aerobatics planes!
PITTS S1-S
Powerplant: Lycoming IO 360 B4 A, 180-hpWingspan: 5.28 mLength: 4.72 mHeight: 1.80 mEmpty Weight: 349 kgMax Take-off Weight: 522 kgCruising speed: 227 kph Ceiling: 6,800 mRange: 507 km
Stampe
In the 30s, along with associate Vertongen, Belgian Jean Stampe designed a trainer
and aerobatics plane whose development was interrupted by WWII. The “Stampe”
SV4 was the more modern and clearly superior rival to the British De Havilland “Tiger
Moth”. After the Second World War, France sought to relaunch its aeronautical
industries and, among other things, needed a new trainer. The Stampe thus found
its slot. Hundreds of units were built by the Société Nationale de Construction
Aéronautique du Nord. The alliance brought French nationality to the Belgian Stampe
SV4 and, in its wake, a solid reputation. There are over one hundred still flying in
Europe, piloted by those with a nostalgia for its light controls and finesse. Although
sure and usable in primary aerobatics, the Stampe and its “small” 4-cylinder, 140-hp
Renault engine version require precision piloting. Its defects and qualities make it an
excellent albeit tricky teacher. STAMPE & VERTONGEN SV-4
Powerplant: Renault 4 P01/ P05 140 Hp, in-line engineWingspan: 8.40 mLength: 6.81 mHeight: 2.7 mEmpty Weight: 529 kgMax Take-off Weight: 825 kgSpeed: 170 kphCeiling: 5,000 mRange: From 280 to 420 km
AJBS74
AEROBATICS
Zlin 526 AFS
The latest development in the Zlin line, descended from WWII Bückers, the 526 AFS
was actually a single-seater 526 with shortened wings. It only really competed in one
World Championship, in Kiev in 1976. Like the 526 A Akrobat, the 526 and the 526 F
(maiden flight in 1968) are thoroughbred aerobatics planes. From the 50s to the early
80s, Zlins were regular podium-toppers in international competitions. It was only
when new Russian and above all French generations came on the scene that these
fabulous Czech flying machines went into “retirement”, or maybe semi-retirement
would be more accurate...
ZLIN 526 AFS
Powerplant: 1 Walter Minor 160-hp, in-line negineWingspan: 8.84 mLength: 7.80 mHeight: 2.06 mEmpty Weight: 665 kgMax Take-off Weight: 975 kgMax speed: 210 kphCeiling: 5,000 mRange: From 480 km to 840 km
Hirth HI-27 Akrostar
This advanced, single-seater aerobatics plane was designed at the end of the 60s
by Swiss champion Arnold Wagner. In September 1969, design began at aircraft
manufacturer Wolf Hirth GmbH, in Kirchheim, Germany, under the direction of
Professor Eppler, from Stuttgart’s Technische Hochschule. Construction began in
December and the maiden flight was carried out on the 16 April 1970. Christened Hirth
Hi-27 Akrostar (Acrostar), powered by by a 220-hp Franklin 6A350 C1 engine and
Hartzell HC-C2YF-4 propeller, despite being diffused almost confidentially,
the aircraft delighted aerobatics pilots in the 1970s and 80s. Currently, only two
models are left in the world...
HIRTH Hi-27 Akrostar
Powerplant: Franklin 6 A-350-C1, 235-hpWingspan: 8.22 mLength: 6.04 mHeight: 1.80 mEmpty Weight: 553 kgMax Take-off Weight: 750 kgSpeed: 310 kphCeiling: ncRange: Autonomy 2 h 30
AJBS76
AEROBATICS
Mudry Cap 20
The first CAP 20 was designed by Claude Piel and constructed by Auguste Mudry.
Intended for the Air Force aerobatics team, this single-seater was built “sturdy”,
although too heavy for its 200-hp engine.
Featuring excellent stability but heavy on controls, the plane never really allowed
pilots to shine at competition level. On the other hand, when it was replaced by CAP
230, 231 and 232s, its users found them so outstanding that they immediately went
to the top of the table.
The number 2” CAP 20 was modified by adding different ailerons, reducing wing
span and transplanting a 260-hp engine. Thus fitted out, it would have made
an excellent mounting but, too late on the scene, it was only used as a trainer for
EVAA pilots.
MUDRY CAP 20
Powerplant: Lycoming AEIO 360 B1, 200-hpWingspan: 8.04 m mLength: 7.21 mHeight: 2.00 mEmpty Weight: 656 kgMax Take-off Weight: 830 kgCruising speed: 280 kphCeiling: 5,500 mRange: 400 km/h
A.J.B.S. 10
Developed by the Association from an idea of Jean-Pierre Lafille, the “A.J.B.S. 10” is
in fact a sort of flat-winged CAP 10. Powered by a Lycoming engine producing 200 hp
and a fixed-pitch propeller, the aircraft has similar performances to standard CAP
20s, making it an excellent aerobatics trainer plane, as well as a good 2-seater air
display or national level competition plane.
A.J.B.S. 10
Powerplant: Lycoming AEIO 360 B2F, 180-hpWingspan: 8.06 mLength: 7.16 mHeight: 2.55 mEmpty Weight: 537 kgMax Take-off Weight: 765 kgCruising speed: 270 kphCeiling: 5,500 mRange: 1,000 km
AJBS78
AEROBATICS
“Quiet everybody… Action!” Shooting stars…
Le mur de l’AtlantiqueLa promesse de l’aubeL’aventure c’est l’aventureLes faucheurs de margueritesLes hommes du tigreLes 12 légionnairesArsène LupinLe temps des AsL’équipageLa conquête du cielL’AéropostaleLe ciel est leur métierLes brigades du tigreDas BootLes Andes, Point OmégaLe ciel et le feuQuelques hommes de bonne volontéPour l’honneur d’un capitaineL’As des AsLe vol du SphinxL’empire du soleilIndiana JonesCinq jours en juinAprès la guerreMemphis BelleJean Galmo, aventurierDien Bien PhuL’instinct de l’angeTangoLe nombril du mondeSaint-Exupéry – La dernière missionD’un Blériot à l’autreUn long dimanche de fiançaillesLes chevaliers du ciel0SS 117, Le Caire nid d’espionsLe Grand CharlesLes Femmes de l’Ombre
“Plateau” may well refer to the geographical location of la Ferte-Alais, but, in French,
can also be interpreted as another form of location, since the term also means a
cinema set. And many of the vintage planes are quite at home there too, for here the
two worlds of moving machines meet, in a maelstrom smelling of castor oil against
the humming backdrop of cameras as they shoot.
Jean Salis was quick to understand that cinema’s inordinate demand for planes
was a gift-wrapped opportunity to extend the aircraft manufacturer’s art. And
history did things well since these two major milestones of the 20th century were
born practically at the same time, and often forged their way side by side. Whence
the emergence of a genuine craft industry (in the noble sense, but then doesn’t
the word aircraft contain “craft”?) which, in the expert hands of Jean Salis and his
associates gave second wind to machines that had long since forgotten what a
cloud looked like.
As time went by, the cinema became the means (financial among others) to fuel
such rebirths. Clearly, the cost of reconstructing a genuine pioneer is way over its
potential market value… so the maths is easy: the movies have become vintage
aviation’s leading patron!
And everybody’s happy, for that’s where the real alchemy works… the planes are
there, the images are superb, the public applauds the feat and la Ferte-Alais has
become a star in its own right!
PhotograPhers : Christian Béchir, Stéphane Beilliard, Jean-Marie Brigant,
Guy Brochot, Hervé De Brus, Franck Cabrol, Bernard Charles, Laurent Genie,
Michel Germaine, Antoine Grondeau, Françoise Guilé, Craig Justo, Harald Ludwig,
Alain Maire, Xavier Méal , Robin Moret, Joe Rimensberger, Hubert De Sousa,
Patrice Sublemontier, Thierry Thomassin and Frédéric Vandentorren.
texts : Loïc Blaise, Gilbert Courtois, Philippe Labarraque, Jean-Pierre Lafille
and Alain Maire.
IllustratIons : Philippe Labarraque, Harald Ludwig and Alain Maire.
CommunICatIon & PuBlIshIng CommIttee : Christian Amara (A.J.B.S. President),
Gilbert Courtois, René Ghilardi, Philippe Labarraque, Jean-Pierre Lafille, Marc Mathis,
Dominique Osmont and Sylvie Roger.
DesIgn & ProDuCtIon : Maogani.
our aCKnoWleDgements go to : The Memorial Flight Association, the Forteresse
Toujours Volante Association, the Aérorétro Association, BP Aviation, the Conseil général
de l’Essonne, Community of municipalities, DGAC, EADS and Guybrochotdesign.com.
thIs WorK WoulD not haVe Been PossIBle without the participation
of the THALES Company.
We should like to express our particular thanks to the family of Jean-Baptiste Salis for its help and commitment to the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis.
Avec le soutien du conseil général de l’Essonne
AJBS – An Association governed by the law of 1 July 1901 all members of which are volunteers. SIRET 340 335 363 00016 – APE 9623