Le Spixteen

[Greebo]

This is a Spitfire LF Mk IX of the French Air Force in 1944. The AH Spitfire Mk XVI is closer to this aircraft in terms of performance and looks than our 1942 high alt Mk IX so I have skinned it as a spixteen.

The French Air Force's recon squadron GR.2/33 "Savoie" served in Italy from May 1944. It was equipped with a variety of marks of camera-equipped Spitfires before transitioning onto F-6 Mustangs in 1945. The squadron worked closely with the USAAF's 111th Tactical Squadron who were based on the same airfield. Their aircraft adopted some of the USAAF's markings with brightly painted wing stripes and rear fuselage. This aircraft MJ 897 was named "Curieux" and used for low altitude armed reconnaissance missions. As such it was equipped with a low alt Merlin and clipped wings. It was lost to flak in January 1945.

There is a tranlated history of the unit with a photo of this plane here.

[FTJR]

I know somene who is going to be very happy.

Nice one Greebo.

[lyric1]

 

[Vraciu]

 

[SFRT - Frenchy]

And I was about to ask you to make one  You good 

'Curieux' meaning "curious". Appropriate for a photorecon bird.

[Threeup]

Great work Greebo – thanks for this inclusion, and the work is appreciated.

This will have to wait until after ANZAC day before it gets a run, but it will.

As my long suffering squaddies know I’m half French, but all Australian and won’t fly anything without an Aussie skin. This adds to the OCD.

If you ever want your lawns mowed by way of thanks, pass your address onto JR and he will take care of it.

[Seadog36]

  Beauty~

[Greebo]

Thanks guys, glad you like it.

I came across this scheme by accident while looking for a photo of another French aircraft. Lyric1 found me some info on Hurricanes of the Free French Flight in Libya 1941/42. These had the normal RAF desert camo but with French roundels on the wings and large Cross of Lorraine symbols on the rear fuselage. Most of these aircraft were Mk Is but ideally I'd like to skin a Mk II with this scheme. There is a (probably inaccurate) profile of a Mk II which is aircraft BG707 below, but I really need a photo to be able to skin it.

I have found out that BG707 definitely was a Mk II and that it was flown by Cdt. Joseph Pouliquen who later commanded the Normandie-Niemen squadron on the Eastern Front. However I can't find a photo of it in any of my books or on the web. So I was wondering if maybe Frenchy or someone else here might be able to find a photo of this aircraft.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

Let me compile. I have the french jug book but i have a mag with some French profiles. Im planing on updating my book collection for Xmas 

[SFRT - Frenchy]

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/biblio/series/ailes_de_gloire/ailes_de_gloire.htm

[SFRT - Frenchy]

The cross is probably light blue, not red.

[Greebo]

I agree on the blue cross. I read a thread in a modellers' forum where they were discussing this. There was a photo of a B-26 in a French museum with a blue cross and a b&w photo of a Blenheim where the cross was clearly the same shade as the blue part of the roundel. Your Hurri photo also shows this. I think this is a case of one profile of model getting it wrong and other artists copying that mistake.

If I can't find a photo of a Mk II in the next few weeks I'll skin a Mk I instead, it is just that a Mk II is likely to see more use in the MA.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

In 43 they replaced them with Spitfires. But i think in 45 right had the end of the war they had canons hurri .
i dont have my books so i cant help much. Ill keep on digging the web.

[Greebo]

I know the French AF had some cannon Hurris post-war. I've seen some photos of them (based in SE Asia IIRC), not sure if they used them during the war though.

[XxDaSTaRxx]

Well it's French so at least it can run from a B-17  




Good work Greebo