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Source: https://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=jeu_N6-2 (Game) Nr 6 We will launch a new AZUR-FRROM project (release end of Q2 2025 hopefully). N0 GAME this time, pages are too slow to appear in the site, but we will give data allowing to guess what is the project (injected plastic model of an aircraft). Nothing to win, no need to send the answers to Contact, but you still may enjoy to guess what are : the aircraft designer (= manufacturer) the aircraft exact type (and/or usual name, if used) the kit scale We give below all the informations (J1 = Thursday, 17 th of April), you may use them to find the answer ... info will be released on Sunday, the 20 th of April). Since then, everybody might have guessed ... and for sure you may go as in the play, using only 3 clues each day - but 6 on the first day . Information and clues : D0.1 We will propose TWO boxes (800 units for each box) of this kit, never done in injected plastic in the scale, nor in any other scale (according to Scalemates) D0.2 The aircraft was more in use by the enemy than by the manufacturer country (according to some sources) D0.3 The aircraft was seen with at least 5 different nationality marks (probably 6, maybe 7) D1.1 Less than 200 aircraft built in two batches almost identical D1.2 Two planes tried to bomb Saïgon, and came back without damages D1.3 Aircraft exported in only one country D2.1 Used in a major war D2.2 Wingspan more tha n 18 m and less than 25, lenght more than 12 m D2.3 The cockpit was so narrow that the manufacturer had to implement part of the pilot's instruments on the engine D3.1 Carried a crew of three, plus bombs D3.2 But one aircraft was able to carry 14 persons on more than 1500 km D3.3 Scale of kit between 1/50 th and 1/96 th V.P.

Source: http://frrom.com/index.php?page=jeu_N2-2 AZUR-FRROM is to release a aircraft new tool kit expected for release in March-April 2022. Three boxes will be provided. Guess the type? Game starts on Wednesday 17th of November at 06.00 PM Paris time The goal of the game is to guess what will be this new kit. Scale is : 1/72 nd . Every day additional informations on the plane or the kits (three clues each day) will be provided. Remember: AZUR-FRROM mainly producing 1/72nd kits of planes forgotten by mainstream kit makers. V.P.

Hello While I am struggling with the DC-8F, I wanted to change a little. So I started a couple of French bombers in 1939/1940. I chose two kits of the Bloch MB 210 BN5, one in overall green and one camouflaged. BN5 means that this is a Night Bomber with a crew of 5. Both kits, and later a third one in Romanian guise, are produced by Special Hobby in Czech Republic under the French brand FRROM. These are FR0055 and FR0056. Here is the History of the MB 210 as written in the FRROM Internet site. https://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=frrom-fr0055 Construction of the Bloch 210 prototype began in 1933. It was a float-mounted aircraft powered by a Gnome & Rhône radial engine, designed to meet the requirements of the French Naval Aviation. The first flight took place on November 23, 1934. The aircraft was accepted by the French Air Force with some modifications, including the adoption of retractable landing gear. Two orders, in 1934 and 1935, were for 130 units in the Bn4 version (4-seater night bomber), powered by 900 hp Gnome & Rhône 14 Kirs/jrs engines. The first production aircraft made its first flight on December 12, 1935. No. 2 and all subsequent aircraft had a more pronounced dihedral, and, starting with No. 3, the vertical tail was shorter. Additional orders were subsequently placed, for a total of 257 MB 210s produced for the French Air Force. Ten aircraft were exported to Romania in 1937, while others were sent to Republican Spain. The first French aircraft were assigned to GB I/12 and II/12 at Reims and II/19 and II/21 at Bordeaux. However, a series of accidents prompted the General Staff to ground the MB 210s from flying between September 1937 and March 1938. These accidents resulted from two main causes: first, the G&R 14 K engines were underpowered, and second, the technical innovations featured on the Bloch MB 210s (retractable landing gear and variable-pitch propellers) could surprise crews accustomed to older aircraft. Improved training and the replacement of engines with slightly more powerful G&R 14 Ns (910 hp at takeoff) allowed bomber group conversions to resume. At the outbreak of war, the MB 210 was the most widely used bomber in the French Air Force. There were 180 aircraft, divided into 12 bomber groups, as follows (only units still equipped with Bloch 210s at the end of August 1939): GB I/11, based in peacetime at Toulouse-Francazal, moved to Vergières (Istres) at the end of August, then to Mas de Rus (Arles) in December 1939. Its Bloch 210s were replaced by LeO 451s starting in March 1940. GB II/11, also based at Toulouse-Francazal before the war, moved to Istres, partially transferring to LeO 45s starting in December. 1939. Since LeO crews were not trained for night flying, Bloch 210s carried out night bombings over northern Italy on the nights of June 13, 15, and 17, 1940. GB I/12, normally based in Reims, moved to Auzainvilliers (Vosges) upon the declaration of war, then to Caen on September 8, where it began its conversion to the LeO 45, a conversion completed in October. GB II/12, based in Reims-Courcy in peacetime, moved successively to Damblain, then Caen, and finally Orange, where it was completely converted to the LeO 45 at the end of the year. GB I/19 was in Sétif (Algeria), where it converted to the DB-7 from April 1940. It returned to mainland France where it participated in combat, but on the DB-7. Bordeaux's GB I/21 moved to Chambry (Aisne), then to La-Ferté-Gaucher (Seine-et-Marne), and finally to Avignon-Châteaublanc in January 1940, where an experimental squadron was established to fly the Amiot 354. The group was transferred to Connantre (Marne) on May 18. It carried out numerous night missions with its Bloch 210s and sometimes Amiots, until its withdrawal to North Africa on June 19. GB II/21 was based in Bordeaux Mérignac and moved to Athies-sous-Laon (Aisne) at the end of August 1939, then to Nangis on September 18. He was transferred to Avignon-Châteaublanc on December 21st, and received a few Amiot 354s. On May 16th, 1940, the unit, equipped with two Amiots and 10 Bloch 210s, went into combat, flying night missions, successively based at La-Ferté-Gaucher, Nangis, St Florentin, and Avord. From June 15th, the Group withdrew to North Africa. GB I/23 moved from Toulouse-Francazal to Istres in September 1939, and began re-equipping with LeO 45s in February 1940. The Group did not seem to be a priority; its LeO 45s, which had already been assigned to it by other Groups, were taken from it. Worse still, given the urgency of the situation, the Group went to the front on May 23rd and was assigned Bloch 210s from other units, themselves exhausted. GB I/23 operated from Pont-sur-Yonne and Chaumont-Semoutiers. The state of the equipment led to serious accidents with losses of aircraft and personnel, to the point that the Group was banned from MB 210 operations. GB II/23 transitioned from Bloch MB 200s to Bloch MB 210s between April and August 1938, at its base in Toulouse-Francazal. It was transferred to Istres upon the declaration of war, then to Vallon from December 8th. A few LeO 45s were delivered in February 1940. The Group was sent to Orange-Plan de Dieu on May 27th, and to the Étampes region from June 2nd. From June 6th, the Group no longer used its Bloch 210s for war missions; it had switched to LeOs. GB I/51, normally based in Tours, was transferred to La Perthe (Aube) on August 27 and carried out its first war mission on September 9, 1939. Between September 16 and November 22, 23 night reconnaissance missions were recorded. On December 4, the unit departed for Le Luc, where it was converted to the Breguet 691 Assault. GB II/51, also in Tours, was converted to the Bloch 210 in January 1938. It was transferred to Troyes, where it carried out 20 reconnaissance and leaflet-dropping missions between September 2 and December 6, 1930. It was then sent to Le Luc, where it was transformed into an assault unit flying the Breguet 690. The General Staff, well aware that the aircraft was outdated, undertook the conversion of the groups still equipped with Bloch 210s to more modern types (LeO 450, Amiot 350, DB-7), but insufficient production by French industry prevented this program from being carried out. At the end of the French Campaign, there were approximately 100 Bloch 210s remaining in mainland France and about 20 at Maison-Blanche in Algiers. In July 1940, the Bloch 210 was withdrawn from the front lines. However, during the invasion of the Free Zone, the Germans recovered 37 Bloch 210s, which were used in schools or as transport aircraft. The ten Romanian aircraft were delivered in 1937, in two batches. The engines were equipped with annular exhausts, and they were camouflaged like the French Bloch 210s of the time, all green with Romanian roundels and a tail fin. At least one aircraft was camouflaged, and of course, the roundels were replaced with Michael Crosses, shortly before Germany's attack on the USSR on June 22, 1941, an attack in which the Romanians joined. The Bloch 210s were grouped into Squadron 82, which operated primarily in Bessarabia from its base in Erculesti, south of Focsani, with the first mission taking place on July 8, 1941. The Bloch 210s participated in the attack on Odessa during August, but were withdrawn from the front lines at the end of that month. Numbers 5 and 6 were used as transports by the 2nd Bombardment Flotila, while the other surviving Bloch 210s were transferred to the 3rd Aerotransport Flotila. It appears that few aircraft were sent to Republican Spain by France at the outbreak of the Civil War. The first production MB 210 was delivered by Lionel de Marmier to Barcelona in late August 1936, and the aircraft was then grounded in Albacete for two months. Three more Bloch 210s built by the Hanriot firm were delivered in crates at the end of October 1936. One briefly served with the Malraux Escadrille, then several Bloch 210s were grouped into a short-lived "Bloch Escadrille," after which two were transferred, on March 1, 1937, to Grupo 11, a bombing unit based in Lerida. A Bloch 210 marked with a large white M on the tail belonged to the 2nd Squadron of Grupo 12, and carried out night bombing raids until June 1938. Two Blochs were transferred to the multi-engine school in Totana. Specifications: Twin-engine night bomber with four (Bn4) or five (Bn5) crew members, Gnome & Rhône GR 14 N10/11 14-cylinder double-star engines, 910 hp at takeoff and 950 at 3,500 m. 320 km/h at 3,500 m, ceiling 9,900 m, 22.81 m, length 18.9 m. Offensive armament: 1,600 kg of payloads, defensive armament: one MAC 34 7.5 mm machine gun in each turret. FR0055 Bloch MB 210 Early schemes No. 124, coded VI white, GB I/19 2nd Squadron (F 119), July 1938. Abandoned at La Rochelle in June 1940, with the same camouflage. Box art. No. 258, 14 White, B, GB II/23 4th Squadron (BR 129 Lapin Trimardeur), Toulouse, 1939 No. 22, GB II/19, 4th Squadron (SPA 79), Bordeaux, 1937 FR0056 Bloch MB 210 at war schemes No. 194, GB II/21, La Ferté-Gaucher, May 1940. Aircraft damaged on the ground and found by the Germans. No. 104 "Lieut Hardy", La Ferté-Gaucher, May 25, 1940. Aircraft damaged and found by the Germans. This aircraft, sent as reinforcements to La Ferté-Gaucher, was not camouflaged; the old insignia, tactical code, and fuselage stripe were covered with fresh paint. The upper paint appears very aged and lighter. No. 97, 4th Squadron GB II/21 (F118), abandoned at La Rochelle, June 1940 I started with everything inside the fuselage and you will see that all the pieces come from the box. I thinned the seat edges as this is not an armoured seat. To be continued... Patrick

Hello I have just finished those two FRROM 1/72 SPAD 510. These tiny fighters were easy to assemble except when rigging the wings and the undercarriage legs. I made FR 0049 and FR 0050 . Here is below the historical text according to the FRROM Internet site. The SPAD 510 (more precisely, the Blériot-SPAD 510 C1) was the last French biplane fighter. It was the only biplane competitor, facing ten monoplanes proposed in response to a 1930 program. The "prototype policy," initiated by Albert Caquot, led to the order and manufacture of a prototype, which made its first flight on January 6, 1933. After an initial series of modifications to the prototype, the aircraft was deemed dangerous by the Central Flight Test Commission, particularly during spins, and the Commission recommended its abandonment. However, the Minister requested additional tests, which invalidated the Commission's conclusions. The Dewoitine 500, the winner of the competition, was ordered in 1934, but Blériot nevertheless obtained an additional order for 60 SPAD 510s, probably to ensure continued operation, even though the aircraft appeared obsolete before its entry into service. The SPAD 510s were built in Suresnes, with the first leaving the factory in early 1936. The 7th Fighter Wing, based in Dijon, received Spad 510s starting in mid-May 1937 (GC I/7, 1st Squadron, Spa 15 "Casque de Bayard" tradition, and 2nd Squadron, Spa 77 "Croix de Jérusalem"). GC II/7 followed in July 1937 (3rd Squadron, Spa 73 "Cigogne Japonaise", 4th Squadron, Spa 78 "Panthère Noire"). The highly manoeuvrable Spad 510 was used in air shows in the summer of 1937. The fragile landing gear was the cause of numerous accidents. However, radio testing did not begin until January 1938. Some aircraft were equipped with Bronzavia collectors in 1938, allowing pilots to be trained in night fighter operations. The Spad 510 began to be replaced by Morane 405s at GC I/7 in June 1938. As for GC II/7, it still had 17 Spad 510s remaining as of May 1, 1939. The Spad 510s recovered from the 7th Wing were transferred to other units in North Africa or used in training schools, particularly to train reserve pilots. On August 27, 1939, upon mobilisation, the Regional Fighter Squadron 3/561 took up position at St. Inglevert, between Boulogne and Calais, to cover the coast. It was equipped with Spad 510s and a few NiD 622s. The squadron moved at the end of October to the Havre-Octeville airfield, where it was joined by the 4/561, also equipped primarily with Spad 510s. On January 18, 1940, GARC II/561 became GC III/10. The NiD 622s and Spad 510s were gradually replaced by Bloch 151s or 152s, starting in December 1939, but some followed the unit's movements until the end, and one was found abandoned at Bergerac on June 20, 1940. The surplus Spad 510s were assigned to the Châteauroux depot or to the flight school at Romilly-sur-Seine, before being reassigned. No. 9 was delivered to the Polish Aviation Training Depot and destroyed at Corbas on May 26, 1940. Spad 510s Nos. 39 and 60 were also assigned to the DIAP. A comparison with similar aircraft (the latest biplane fighters) yields the following: USSR Polikarpov I-153 (1939) 426 km/h, 800 hp, United Kingdom Gloster Gladiator (1937), 414 km/h, 850 hp, Italy Fiat CR-42 (1939) 430 km/h, 840 hp. Specifications: Single-engine biplane fighter of metal construction. Powerplant: a 12-cylinder Hispano-Suiza 12 XBS V-engine, rated at 690 hp, driving a two-bladed wooden Chauvière propeller. Wingspan 8.84 m, length 7.46 m. Maximum speed: 372.5 km/h at 4,150 m. Ceiling: 10,100 m. Range: 875 km at cruising speed. Armament: 4 MAC 34 machine guns, with the ability to carry a Michelin flare bomb under the fuselage and a photo-machine gun on the lower left wing. Notes and additions: Corrections: We received additional information after the model was released (Ailes Françaises No. 8). It appears that the first aircraft had their lower surfaces (undersides of the upper and lower wings and stabilos) painted khaki, with white underwing numbers, probably up to No. 20. The following aircraft had their lower surfaces made of aluminium, with black numbers. Subsequently, some aircraft were camouflaged (those from the 7th Squadron would have kept their lower surfaces and original serial numbers), while others remained in their original state, particularly the training aircraft. FR0049 SPAD 510, 7th Squadron (based in Dijon) Consequently, for the aircraft offered below, the lower surfaces of number 14 were khaki (with white numbers), number 25 is correct, but the serial number N204 of number 26 was black. No. 26, 1st Squadron GC I/7 (Spa 15 Casque de Bayard), 1 Red, Lt. Ozanne, Squadron Commander, Dijon, June 1938. Black service number (see above) No. 14, 5 white, 3rd Squadron GC II/7 (Spa 73 Japanese Stork), Dijon, spring 1939. Khaki lower surface No. 25, 4th Squadron GC II/7 (Spa 78 Black Panther), Dunkirk air show, 1937 FR0050 SPAD 510 at war Therefore, for the aircraft offered below, the undersides of number 9 were khaki (with white numbers), number 25 is correct, but the serial number N204 of number 26 was black. No. 44 wore Bronzavia collectors, which can be done in scratch if you wish. No. 9 was involved in an accident on May 26, 1940, at Lyon-Corbas, pilot por. Zygmunt Paciorkowski Other flights by Polish pilots (and accidents) on SPAD 510s: Nos. 30, 14, 58, and 21 (all at EAA 301, Châteaudun, all four crashed on May 17, 1940, due to fuel shortages, as the tanks were not sufficiently filled for the planned ferry flight). No. 9, 8 White, DIAP (Polish Aviation Training Depot), Lyon-Corbas, May 1940. Khaki lower surface. No. 44, 14 White, 3rd Squadron GARC II/561, Le Havre-Octeville, late November 1939 No. 56, 6 Red, CIC Montpellier, June 1940. Serial number N235 Black. FR 0049, SPAD 310 No. 14, 5 white, 3rd Squadron GC II/7 (Spa 73 Japanese Stork), Dijon, spring 1939. Khaki lower surface with white codes. FR 0050, SPAD 510 No. 44, 14 White, 3rd Squadron GARC II/561, Le Havre-Octeville, late November 1939, aluminium lower surfaces with black codes. Bronzavia exhausts scratch built. Patrick

UPDATE - it'll be a Dassault MD-450 Ouragan in 1/48th scale Oh nooo 😂 Source: https://www.frrom.com/index.php/index.php?page=Accueil-2 As the FRROM 1/48th Super Mystère B2 seems to be a success why not another post-WWII/Cold War French jet in 1/48th scale? Like the SO.4050 Vautour, MD-454 Mystère IVA, MD-450 Ouragan or MS.760 Paris. V.P.

Hello Here is my most recent kit with this RAF Fairey Battle in 1/72. She was from one of the squadrons which were stationed in France within the Advanced Air Striking Force. This aircraft will be P2251 of the No88 Squadron stationed at Bouy-Mourmelon airfield at the beginning of May 1940. Actually this aircraft was shot down on May 11th near Bouillon in Belgium. One of the crew was killed and both others were made Prisoners of War. You can find a picture of the crashed aircraft on page 22 of the Warpaint book about the Fairey Battle. I chose this particular squadron as I live near this former airfield. As I needed No88 codes I decided to make them with special masks. I have a Silhouette cutting machine and Heather Kay kindly sent me the “RH*D” file with the right shape. I have made the roundel masks as well. I can say this is an easy kit with many details for that scale. You can follow the work in progress here : https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235150639-ffrom-fairey-battle-172/ I am waiting any comment to improve my next Battle kit. Patrick

Hello For those who did not followed the build within the “To the few...” group build here is my finished 1/72 FRROM Douglas DB-7. This is Douglas DB-7 B3 N°41 from GB I/19 in June 1940 somewhere in France. Groupe de Bombardement I & II/19 were the only DB-7 groups which fought in France from June 5th as the third one arrived too late. Two other groups were preparing in North Africa as well. The build is here : https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235146320-frrom-douglas-db-7-french-air-force-1940-172/ Patrick

Hello Here is the kit I chose to attend this group build about the first year of WWII in Europe. This is the new FRROM FR0052 1/72 kit of one of the Douglas DB-7 which entered French Air Force front line service in May / June 1940. Here is some information I picked up on the FRROM Internet site. http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=frrom_fr0052 In 1939, France, behind in the production of modern aircraft and anxious to rearm in the face of the approach of war, sent a Purchasing Commission to the United States. It was shown various aircraft, including the Model 7B which would become the DB-7, a twin-engine Douglas high-wing. A flight by a French pilot ended badly, the aircraft crashed to the ground, but it was promising enough for France to order 100 aircraft, coded DB-7, which were to be delivered by January 31, 1940. These aircraft were to be equipped with Pratt & Whitney P-1830-SC3-G engines. Additional orders were placed on October 14, 1939 for 100 DB-7As (enlarged tail fin and Wright R-2600-A5B Twin Cyclone engines), 170 additional DB-7s on October 20, and finally 480 DB-7Bs with R-2600 engines and enlarged tail fin. The aircraft, shipped in crates, were to be assembled in France. However, the port of Le Havre and the assembly plant in Caen were considered too close to the frontline, so it was decided to send the DB-7s in crates to Casablanca to be assembled in Morocco. A certain delay in production and convoying allowed only 10 aircraft to be assembled by April, 20 by May, and so on. The aircraft assembled in Morocco were brought up to French standards (throttle levers, radio equipment, armament, painting of the fuselage roundel, which appeared a different blue from that of the rudder and wing roundels, painted in the factory, removal of the registration number under the wings) and were first given to GB I/19 and II/19. It was only on May 16, 1940 that these groups were fully equipped. They were sent to mainland France, and, given the disastrous situation of the French forces, were engaged against the Germans in the North of France. In mid-June, it was decided to evacuate the modern aircraft to North Africa, so the DB-7s were sent to Algeria. GB II/61, equipped in the meantime with DB-7s, was sent to mainland France but only had time to carry out one mission before having to return to AFN, like the survivors of GB I/19 and II/19. After Italy entered the war on June 10th, the DB-7s bombed Cagliari. 16 DB-7s were lost during the battle of France. Specifications (French DB-7): three-seater twin-engine bomber of metal construction with mid-wing. Engines: two Pratt & Whitney 1830-SC3-G of 910 hp. Wingspan 18.70 m, length 14.30 m, wing area 43.10 m2. Ceiling 9,400 m, maximum speed at 3,400 m: 496 km/h. Armament: 4 Browning machine guns in the nose, two twin MAC machine guns in the rear position, 800 kg of bombs in the hold. Pictures of the material below come from the same site. To be followed... Patrick

UPDATE: it'll be a 1/72nd Douglas DB-7 Boston - ref. FR0052 http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=frrom_fr0052 This FRROM Armée de l'Air DB-7 initial boxing will eventually followed by Special Hobby RAF DB-7 Boston I & II boxings. ‐-------------- Marketing teaser campaign... FRROM game: guess our next kit project. First clue on Tuesday December 12th evening. Source: https://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=jeu_N4-2 I've got dreams: 1/48th scale Vautour II, Mystère IV and Alizé, as follow up and at the same quality level as their recent Super Mystère SMB2. 🤞 However, considering the FRROM/Azur boss aviation main focuses (for Interwar & WWII a/c in 1/72nd scale) and the most probable partnership with Special Hobby for the design and production, I admit that I have no illusions. V.P.

Hello Here is my next Northrop Gamma of the late 1930's with this 1/72 FRROM Gamma 2E in Chinese service coded 901. Once again I cannot better tell you the story as it is written on the Internet site of the producer of this kit. http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=frrom-fr0034 “In January 1932, with the help and capital of his friend Donald Douglas, John Northrop created the Northrop Corporation, a subsidiary of the Douglas Aircraft Company, which allowed him to work independently on aircraft with metal construction, a technique he pioneered. Northrop thus developed the Gamma, a fast mail plane. By adapting a wider fuselage to the Gamma that could carry eight passengers, Northrop obtained the Delta, a transport plane whose prototype left the factory in May 1933. The Gamma 2E, compared to the civilian versions, had a bombing hatch added under the fuselage, behind the wing, and was of course armed. In the early 1930s, China had to face Japanese expansionism. In 1934, it imported 132 aircraft and 14 spare engines from the United States for a total of $3.7 million, including 46 Northrop Gamma 2Es and 21 Vought V-92C Corsairs. The Marco Polo Bridge incident, caused by the Japanese on July 7, 1937, drew the two countries into the war from the 28th. The Gammas were assigned to squadrons (Chungtui) 1 and 2 of the 1st Bombardment Group (Tatui), and to squadrons 9, 11 and 14 of the 2nd GB. They were mainly used in the fighting around Shanghai. On August 14, 1937, on Chennault's orders, about forty Chinese aircraft attacked the Japanese fleet off Shanghai and bombed the enemy command post. The Gamma 2E of the 14th Chungtui mistakenly attacked the British cruiser HMS Cumberland without causing any damage. The Japanese claimed the destruction of a Gamma 2E. During the following operations, the Chinese air force suffered significant attrition, which led to the reassignment of the Gammas of the 1st Tatui to the second (October 1937). On October 14, five Gammas took off from Nanking in the company of other Chinese aircraft to attack the airfields and depots of Shanghai. On the 20th, five Gammas bombed the Japanese. On the 24th, the 902 of the 2nd Tatui was shot down. On November 11, three Gammas attacked the aircraft carrier Kaga, but two were shot down (1405 and 1402) and that same day, a Gamma was destroyed on the ground by a Japanese bombing raid. On January 4, 1938, two Gammas were bombed and destroyed in Hankou. At the end of October 1937, a unit formed by American, French and Dutch mercenaries was set up (14th Volunteer Sqn) and based in Hankou. Four Gamma 2E from the 11, 14 and 9 Chungtui were assigned to this unit and participated in bombing missions. Labusssière would record 116 sorties in this unit, including 28 war missions. The last war mission took place on March 20, 1938, the unit was disbanded on the 22nd after losing 3 of its Gammas. The surviving Gammas, if any, were probably transferred to training. Another variant of the Gamma, the 5A, was purchased for evaluation by the Imperial Japanese Navy. And the prototype of the 5B version, which differed from the 2E by the canopy and other external modifications, was used in Republican Spain. The Gamma is at the origin of a very successful family, which includes the Gamma 5B (used in Republican Spain), the Northrop A-17, and finally the Douglas SBD used as a dive bomber by many air forces during World War II. Specifications (2E): Single-engine, two-seat bomber with low wing and fixed landing gear, of metal construction. Offensive armament: 1,600 lb bomb load and 2 .30 machine guns in the wings, defensive armament: one machine gun in the rear seat. Corrections: Please note, the assembly diagram of the Gamma 2E (FR0034) in step 12 is correct, unlike the correction that was put in some boxes, the tank must be mounted at the rear (the transparent flat face is turned towards the front of the aircraft (and there is no transparent part in the semi-retractable tank). The same must be done for the Gamma 5B The machine gun holes must be dug and the headlights installed in the wings. Camouflages: Cam A: Gamma 2E Bomber coded 901, Chinese Air Force. Aircraft belonging to the 9th Chungtui, 2nd Tatui then passed to the 14th Volunteer Sqn, Hankéou, July 1937 to April 1938. This aircraft was, among others, piloted by William Labussière. Cam B: Gamma 2E Bomber evaluated by the British Aeroplane Experimental Establishment, coded K5053, 1937/38. Cam 😄 Gamma 2E Bomber, 14 black, from an unknown Chinese unit, 1937-1938. Cam 😧 Gamma 2E Bomber, 1412 black, transferred from an unknown Chinese unit to 14 th Vol. Sqn, early 1938.” I hope you like her. Patrick

Hello Here is another bird of the Northrop drawing board of the late 1930's and I cannot better tell you the story as it is written on the Internet site of the producer of this kit. http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=frrom-fr0051 “In January 1932, John Northrop created the Northrop Corporation, a subsidiary of the Douglas Aircraft Company, with the help and capital of his friend Donald Douglas, which allowed him to work independently on aircraft with metal construction, a technique he pioneered Northrop thus developed the Gamma, a fast mail plane. By adapting a wider fuselage to the Gamma that could carry eight passengers, Northrop obtained the Delta, a transport plane whose prototype left the factory in May 1933. The Gamma 2E, compared to the civilian versions, had a bombing hatch added under the fuselage, behind the wing, and was of course armed. The Gamma 2E was sold in several dozen copies to the Chinese, who used it during the conflict against Japan. The Gamma 5B was an evolution of the Gamma 2E of 1934, it differed by the empennage and the canopy, more rounded on the 5B. In April 1936, he took part in an international competition of the Argentine Army and Navy to renew their aircraft fleet, a competition which won the B-10 WAA and WAN for bombing, the Hawk 75 with fixed landing gear for hunting and the Focke-Wulf Weihe for bombing training. Left in a hangar at the El Palomar base, near Buenos Aires, it was bought there by Henry Fletcher, an American living in Mexico, in January 1937. As the Spanish Republic was then looking for aircraft of all types to deal with the uprising of part of the military led by Generals Sanjurjo and Mola in July 1936, it was hardly surprising to find the aircraft in Mexico in the first quarter of 1937. At the end of December 1937, it was loaded onto a cargo ship and landed in Le Havre on January 13, 1938. Reassembled in the workshops of the SFTA, one of the companies controlled by the Spanish Republican government, it arrived in Spain, in flight, in the spring of 1938. The aircraft was painted in Republican colours, green on the upper surfaces, blue on the lower surfaces, with red identification bands at the wingtips and around the fuselage, the Republican flag was partially painted on the rudder. The Gamma 5B received the code BN-001, applied to the fuselage strip. In June 1938, it was transferred to the 1st Coastal Defense Squadron of Group 7, based in El Carmoli (Valencia). The crew assigned to the aircraft was pilot Joaquin Tarazaga Moya and photo operator Sergeant Navarro, the latter sometimes being replaced by Lieutenant Lopez Dominguez. The missions were carried out solo, the aircraft took off at night in order to arrive at the target at dawn, to benefit from surprise and good aiming conditions during the bombing. Other missions consisted of long patrols off the coast to search for possible submarines or enemy boats. At the end of 1938, the squadron was transferred to the Huercal Overa airfield (Alicante province) to counter a landing at Motril, a landing that did not take place, then returned to El Carmoli at the beginning of 1939. The Gamma, undergoing repairs, was not transferred to Oran with other aircraft of the Republican fleet, at the end of March 1939. It was captured in good condition by the Nationalists and was sent to the Cuatro Vientos experimental centre, near Madrid, where the different models of Republican aircraft were tested. It does not seem to have been put back into service by the victors, and it still appears in this park in 1950. Specifications: single-engine two-seater bomber of metal construction. Engine: a Wright Cyclone G of 870 hp, driving a three-blade Hamilton metal propeller. Wingspan 14.57 m, wing area 33.7 m2. Armament: 4 machine guns in the wings, a fifth in defence, possibility of carrying 1000 kg of bombs under the fuselage. Camouflage: Cam A: Gamma 5B coded BN-001. Aircraft of the Grupo 71 de Defensa de Costas, El Carmoli (Valencia province), between June 1938 and April 1939. Notes: Attention, the assembly diagram of the Gamma 2E (FR0034) in step 12 is correct, unlike the rectification that was put in some boxes, the tank must be mounted at the rear (the transparent flat face is turned towards the front of the aircraft (and there is no transparent part in the semi-retractable tank). The same must be done for the Gamma 5B In Argentina, the aircraft is left entirely in natural metal, and coded NR14998. It is then equipped with a 700 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engine. In Mexico, the Gamma 5B bears the code XA-ABI, and uses the Wright Cyclone engine that it will have in Spain.” Actually after building four Northrop Delta from the same manufacturer I can say I am seasoned and I have found easy to assemble all the parts. I had to sand around the pants to get a near perfect joint and it was the same for the wing to fuselage joint. I had to use a rule to place the bomb launchers and the last and small difficulty was to place the vaccum formed canopy on the fuselage. For those interested by this period of aircraft by Northrop the best book is “The Northrop story 1929-1939” by Richard Sanders Allen, ISBN 0887405851 Later will come the Northrop Gamma 2E... Patrick

New game from FRROM Source: http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=jeu_N3-2 Start Thursday 16 December 2021 - 18:00 Paris time V.P.

FRROM is to announce a 1/72nd new kit at Telford. Source: http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=Accueil-2 Bets are open. V.P.

FRROM is currently studying the idea of a 1/72nd Breguet Br.521 Bizerte kit. The brand would like to hear modellers about this project. The planning and explanations are here: http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=frrom-frxx-2µ Source: http://www.avionslegendaires.net/avion-militaire/breguet-br-521-bizerte/#photos V.P.

Hello Here are a couple of Special Hobby / Azur FRROM 1/72 Dassault SMB2 I built just in time to bring them at SMW Telford. Actually, those kits are not already available and they are test shots given to me by the manufacturer. They are likely to be produced by the begining of next year. First, here is the SMB2 N° 88 10-RB from Escadron de Chasse 2/10 Seine in natural metal finish in 1962 at Creil AFB. Next is the SMB2 N° 59 10-SD from Escadron de Chasse 1/10 Valois covered by the last camouflage in 1974 at Creil AFB. Both of them are, except the scratch pilot harness, strictly built from the sprues, as the box does not exist. The decals came from two Berna Decals sheets (72-52 & 72-54). They were shown on the Special Hobby space at SMW. The French SMB2 will be produced under the brand Azur FRROM and the Israeli aircraft under Special Hobby. Patrick

FRROM-Azur is to release a 1/72nd Northrop Delta kit Source: http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=Accueil-2 - ref. FR0032 - Delta Civilian Version "Swedish, TWA and Mexican Service" Source: http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=frrom-fr0032-2 - ref. FR0033 - Delta over Spain Source: http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=frrom-fr0033-2 V.P.

Special Hobby has just re- released the Azur-FRROM (link & link) 1/72nd Vickers Type 267 Vildebeest Mk. III kit - ref. SH72400 Sources: https://www.specialhobby.eu/en/our-own-production/special-hobby/vickers-vildebeest-mk-iii-1-72.html http://www.specialhobby.info/2018/10/sh72400-vickers-type-267-vildebeest.html In box review: https://www.detailscaleview.com/2018/11/special-hobby-vickers-type267-sh72400-review.html V.P.

Azur-FRROM is to release a 1/72nd Renard R-31 kit - ref. FR0039 Release expected in October May 2018. Source: http://www.specialhobby.net/2018/03/fr0036-renard-r-31-172-pripravujeme.html Box art Sprue A V.P.

AZUR/FRROM is to release in June 2017 a 1/32nd Industria Aeronautică Română IAR-80A kit - ref. FR8002 Source: http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=frrom-fr8002-2 V.P.

French Wings 4 - Lioré et Olivier LeO 45 Azur FR.ROM The Lioré et Olivier LeO 45 was a French medium bomber from WWII. The aircraft was an effective bomber however it appeared too late to have much effect on the Battle for France. Even though the first prototypes were built in 1938 the shortage of propellers and the change from the original Hispano-Suiza engines led to only 22 aircraft being delivered by the start of WWII. The aircraft were particularly distinguishable by the large 20m cannon fitted for rearwards defence. In the end over 400 aircraft were produced and these would be used by the Vichy government. The aircraft were also used by the Luftwaffe though in the transport rather than bomber role. In a strange twist some of these aircraft would then receive American markings over the German camouflage after they were again captured. The book is softback A4 in size with 80 pages. There are a wealth of black & white photographs with 22 pages of colour profiles. The text is interspersed with technical drawings of the aircraft. The text covers Development, construction, combat use (including Vichy use in Syria), captured use, and use post WWII. These books in the French Wings series are excellent give an insight into often forgotten but import French aircraft, and this one is no exception. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Available direct from MMP Bookis

Source: http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=Accueil-2 To be followed V.P.

Calling this one done - earlier stuff can be seen here. Comments/thoughts/abuse appreciated! Have fun... Iain

Source: http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=fr8001-iar-81-c-1-32-nd-2 AZUR-FRROM is to release in June 2013 a 1/32nd IAR 81-C fighter injected kit - ref. FR8001 V.P.

Howdy, folks! Here are my finished IK-2 and IK-3, Yugoslav pre-WWII planes. These brothers were made late 30s, very different designs and still very similar. IK-3 took part in air defense of Belgrade in April 1941. and had 11 wins with 4 casualties over Reich's Bf109s... Unfortunately, there wasn't enough of them for that defense to have any chance of success, out 12 produced only 6 were operational and after a few days the two remaining were captured and scraped. Heartbreaking... IK-2 was mostly stationed in Bosnia at the time and surviving ones were given to Croat Air Force. As for models themselves, mostly build out of box, Azur Frrom did a decent job with them. IK-2 was given a bit of details in the cockpit and not much more than that (save the wires on the outside, mentioned in instructions). There are a few inaccuracies outside, most of which can be easily fixed. Canopy could have been done better (goes for IK-3 also), but it's not completely useless. I wasn't going for 100% accuracy, so it didn't bother me much... IK-3 saw a bit more work in cockpit, seat and belts were made from scratch, as were side details. There were some touch-ups on the outside of both, mostly opening exhausts and intakes, IK-3 legs also got a bit of pedicure... More on this can be found in WIP thread... Thanks for watching... Cheers!

Vickers / C.A.S.A. Type 245 "Spanish Vildebeest" 1:72 FRROM Azur The Vildebeest was initially developed as a torpedo bomber by Vickers in response to specification 24/25 to provide a land based aircraft giving coastal defence capabilities. With several variants originating from the original design including the Vincent, Spain ordered 27 aircraft but specified the installation of a Hispano-Suiza V12 powerplant in place of the Bristol radials that were fitted to other aircraft. This changed the profile of the aircraft significantly at the front end giving a much more aerodynamic and tidier look. The order for 27 machines was met through 2 British aircraft being supplied and 25 being licence built in Spain by C.A.S.A. which were posted to Murcia although the delivery wasn’t until 1935, just before the Civil War despite manufacture starting in 1932. At this time, they were void of guns, bomb racks and bomb aiming equipment. Despite these omissions, they were pressed into service in 1936 by the Republicans during the civil war by using a 3rd crew member to drop bombs through a panel under the pilots seat! They later moved to Valencia in support of further bombing missions. After one and a half months of operations, seven Vildebeests had been lost in combat. Towards the end of 1936, the remaining aircraft were sent for repairs and to have the bombing equipment installed and went back into service with Grupo 73 in coastal defence duties until the end of the war. The kit This is another pleasing variant from FRROM Azur based on the original Vincent kit. Boxed in the new standard light blue style box with stunning artwork of an aircraft operating over the Aragon Front from Sarinena Airfield in 1937, the contents are plentiful containing injection moulded plastic, resin, etch and no less than 5 scheme options on the decal sheet. There is a hint of flash present along the mould seams in places, this is more noticeable on delicate parts such as the struts. I find running a sharp modelling knife along the edges is a good way of removing it. Typical of Azur’s product range, the kit doesn’t have location pins like you would expect on main stream kits, so construction will be more challenging if you’re not used to this. The instruction sheet is in a folded A5 booklet format with text in French and English. The diagrams are clearly drawn with exploded diagrams where detail necessitates. Assembly of the kit is very much the same as the Vincent Mk.I that I reviewed recently HERE. The cockpit is nicely detailed with a mix of etch, resin and plastic parts. The pilot’s seat is assembled on the internal framework that bridges the width of the cockpit to each side of the fuselage. On this is also mounted the resin control column. The seats are treated to some tech seat belts. According to the references I’ve read up on, the early operations lacked guns and had a third crew member, however the instructions include a rear gun position but no third seat (if the additional crew member actually had one), so keep this in mind when choosing your scheme. I suspect that a rear gun was indeed added for operations or else the rear gunner would of been able to drop the bombs instead of needing a third crewman. Due to the different powerplant, this version gets completely new fuselage halves. Again, interior detail is moulded in to the halves as on the other kits. Care will need to be taken fitting the small round side windows as there is no step to secure them as with on most main stream kits, so there is a higher risk of getting glue marks on them. A beautifully moulded resin engine is included that drops in to the opening at the top of the nose whilst the lower nose has two radiators sandwiched between the fuselage halves. A different propeller is included for this version with a pointed spinner. Unfortunately, my example has suffered from some sink marks on both the blades and spinner so some filling will be necessary. The tail on this version is different in that it has an extended base below the fuselage, similar to the hurricane but more pronounced. With the fuselage assembled, the wings are next. As mentioned in the other review, care should be taken aligning these up. Fortunately, this is made easier by the wings being completely parallel. A good thread is provided HERE by John (Viking) on handling this tricky stage. Some of the location points are barely visible, so you may want to address this with a micro drill. The instructions on the strut locations are quite thorough with exploded diagrams assisting the main drawings. The wings are moulded as single pieces with stunning surface detail. Whilst the sprue containing the spatted wheels is included, the Spanish versions didn’t use spats, so there are plenty of leftover parts to go in the spares box. I’ve read that some of the Spanish aircraft were fitted with floats and this version was covered by Special Hobby previously. It would of been good to have this option included. The weaponry in this kit is a little disappointing. The box artwork shows an aircraft fitted with wing racks which is to be expected for late 1936 onwards, but there isn’t any contained in the kit. Conversely, the instructions call for the torpedo to be fitted, but I’m not aware of them being fitted in service. It would of been good to see the wings ‘bombed up’ from the box. As with the other Vildebeest variants in this range, the kit is thoughtfully adorned with lots of resin and etch detail to give it the busy look reflected in the real aircraft. Additional coolers are mounted under the lower wing leading edges, these are provided in resin. There are prominent slat guides on the top wings of the Vincent, these are provided on the etch sheet. Markings There are 5 options included in the kit. Given the history of weaponry fitted that is described in the introduction above, this should be considered as to what year(s) of service your chosen aircraft was operational in, particularly if you want to scratch build some wing racks. The choice of schemes offers some eclectic finishes from brightly coloured over silver, dark green, and mottled green / yellow oche. The decals are printed by Aviprint with sharp definition and no evidence of registry misalignment. T-5 – Silver / red bands – Sarinena Airfield 1937 T-23 – Dark Green / Yellow Oche Mottle over silver – Los Alcaceres 1937 T-9 – Silver / red bands – Manises Airfield (nr Valencia) T-1 – Silver – shortly after delivery (1935 ??) BR-60 – Dark Green / red bands – Grupo 73 based at Los Alcaceres 1938 Conclusion This is another great variant to the Vildebeest range with quite a different look to it because of the liquid cooled powerplant. It's disappointing not to have wing mounted bomb racks and bombs included considering these were catered for in the Vincent Mk.I and the sink marks in the propeller will need some filling to tidy up this prominent feature. Apart from these issues, it’s a great kit full of detail thanks to the etch and resin supplements. The nature of these short run style kits means that beginners will find it a more challenging build if not used to them, but there is no doubt as to the quality of build you can achieve from the box. Review sample courtesy of