French Fighters

[Vespasiano]

Hello All,

I'm a french student, impassioned by aviation, I am playing to AH since last year, and I would like to know why french Fighters are always forgotten in flight games, AH, Flight Simulator, Il-2...

We often see some people saying that they were bad planes, not really powerfull, but do you know these ones ?

Dewoitine D-520 : Best french fighter, some great Aces, for example Pierre le Gloan, who shot down 5 Fiat Cr-42 in the same day

Curtiss "Hawk" 75 : Version of the american Curtiss P-36 for the french armée de l'air, it was not well armed, but it was a great fighter, even against Messerschmitt Bf-109, with many victories in dogfight.

Arsenal Vg-33 : It was only a prototype because of the end of the war in France in 1940, but it was a really great plane, as powerfull than the first Spitfire or Messerschmitt...

There were also Morane-Saulnier 406 and Bloch 152, but they were less efficient against Luftwaffe.

We know that the french aviation hasn't taken part to a great period of the war, but our pilots fought well with these great planes, so why not to add them in a game ? I'm sure many people in France and even in other countries should be intersting in flying these aircrafts.

See you soon.

[wstpt10]

Agreed, the D.520 and Hawk 75 would both be fun additions to the game. I would also suggest the M.S. 406.

D.520

Armed with 1x Hispano 20mm, 4x 7.5mm MGs

Curtiss Hawk 75C

Armed with 4x/2x wingmounted MGs, and 2 MGs mounted above the engine firing through the propeller.

Finnish M.S. 406

Armed with 1x Hispano 20mm, 2x 7.5mm MGs.

I hate to plug another game, but the Dewotine and H75 are both featured in World War II Online. The air combat in that game isn't as massive as this game by a long shot, but still worth checking out. It includes a lot of other lesser-known French weapons, like the Suoma S35 tank, MAS 36 rifle, etc... The image of the D.520 is from that game.

[Vespasiano]

Thanks for your answer  

Because of all desperate french virtual pilots, these planes adapted in an intersting game as AH should be very successful, at least D-520... for the moment there is no possibility to fly our beautiful planes, like part of history forgotten...

[straffo]

A MB152  or a MS406 would better than the VG33 at least they were used.

Et puis le VG 33 c'est pas franchement un zinc d'enfer

[Vespasiano]

Plus rapide que le d520 quand même...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal_VG-33

As I said, it shouldn't be necessary to add all these planes, but perhaps one or two of the most interesting...

[straffo]

Prototype data

You know combat pilot though it was a "junk" plane so

[Ball]

See Rule #5

[tedrbr]

See Rule #5

[Cypher]

See Rule #5

[straffo]

Originally posted by Ball
See Rule #5

Furby ,you're not supposed to bring morons here, look who posted after you.

[Krusty]

Hawk75.. yeah.. There's a thoroughbred right there...

Take a P40B... Remove a quarter of its horsepower. Now add a LARGE MASSIVE amount of frontal drag for the radial engine. Now put 1x 50cal and 1x 30cal in the cowling, and 2 optional 30cals in drag-inducing gondolas under the wings outboard of the landing gear. Maximum speed of 280mph at 10,000 feet. That's probably around 230 at sea level.

Ain't NOBODY going to be intimidated by this dainty bird.

EDIT: Don't confuse the "Curtiss Hawk 75" with the "Curtiss Model 75".

France didn't get any of the Hawk 75s, but they did get Model 75s (P-36s, basically). At least according to David Mondey's book, "American Aircraft of World War II".

[Wes14]

lol we need a French fighter:aok

(btw u say that Hawk 75 wouldnt be intimadated,i never thought a hurri Mk1 was a threat till i got pwned by one:noid )

now back on topic

all the French fighters shown here i would try to fly

[tedrbr]

See Rule #2

[MiloMorai]

In February 1938, two months before the first P-36A had rolled off the Buffalo assembly lines for the USAAC, the French government entered into negotiations with the Curtiss company for the supply of 300 fighters of the Hawk 75A type which Curtiss had offered to the Armee de l'Air. The Hawk 75A was an export version of the P-36A, and was being offered for sale with either the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp or the Wright Cyclone engine.

75 was the Curtiss model number and Hawk was the name given to Curtiss fighters.

Curtiss Hawk Model 75, aka P-36.

[wstpt10]

Originally posted by straffo
Prototype data

You know combat pilot though it was a "junk" plane so

So wrong... The D.520 was very well liked by its pilots, and was used into 1942 by the Vichy government. It could turn with a 109E, and rolled at an amazing rate. The only downsides to it where limited cannon ammo (60 rounds) and a low top speed compared to the 109E (530KMH).

Krusty, the H75 may be slow but it was an exceptional knife fighter.

Oh, and by the way, the Hawk 75 is is P-36.