Revolution Defence Cooperative NTN - S Farmer A

[comrade harps]

Revolution Defence Cooperative NTN - S Farmer A
a/c Blue 40, 1st Escadrille, Youssef Salimi Regiment, Air Command of the Algerian People's Defence Force of the United Atlas Socialist Republics
Personal mount of Escadrille Leader Alain Favier
Biskra, People's Republic of Algeria, 23 August 1955



By mid-1955 things had settled down in north Africa and there was lull in the fighting. The Red's Berber Liberation of 1952-54 had been fiercely contested by the United Nations, but had resulted in the creation of the United Atlas Socialist Republics (UASR) made up of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. The UASR's security was underwritten by the Socialist Union (SU) and the forces of the SU's Red Army. South of the ranges of the Atlas Mountains was contested, but by early 1955 the UASR was able to maintain a permanent air force presence at the ancient garrison town and oasis of Biskra.




The Algerian People's' Defence Force of the United Atlas Socialist Republics was established in 1952, its first air units seeing combat in late 1953. During their foundation years the newly created air forces of the UASR were mostly staffed by volunteer Internationals while locally born personnel liberated from European imperialism were undergoing training. Escadrille Leader Alain Favier, however, straddled both worlds. Born a colon of French descent in Algeria, Favier had been undertaking pilot training in France when the Germans invaded and was dispatched back to Algeria to continue his flight education under Vichy rule. Looked down upon as a colon by French officers and dissatisfied with serving with Nazi collaborators, Favier flew a  Morane-Saulnier MS.230 trainer to neutral, Socialist Spain on 15 July 1941. He soon joined the Spanish Republican Air Force as an International Volunteer and flew P-39s in combat during the August 1944, Spanish campaign of liberation across the French Pyrenees. In 1952-53 Favier earned five air combat victories flying for Spain during the Berber Liberation before transferring to the Air Command of the Algerian People's Defence Force of the United Atlas Socialist Republics, where he initially served as a fighter instructor pilot.






Escadrille Leader Alain Favier returned to combat with the 1st Escadrille, Youssef Salimi Regiment, in July 1955. The regiment was named after Youssef Salimi, a martyr of the Berber Liberation, and after training in Europe it moved to Boufarik in northern Algeria for its debut combat tour. This was the first Regiment-sized deployment of the new NTN - S Farmer A in North Africa. In mid-August the Regiment's 1st Escadrille deployed forward to Briska, replacing a Greek Fresco escadrille. On 23 August, Favier gained his 6th combat victory when he shot down a USAF RF-4F. He went on to achieve 5 more confirmed kills before being badly injured when shot down by an AIM-9B fired from a South African Air Force Canadair Sabre Mk.6. Given an honourable medical discharge, Escadrille Leader Alain Favier went on to work as a civilian pilot instructor until retirement.

[zenrat]

That is just lovely.  And the camo is superb.
Bravo Comrade, bravo.

[Old Wombat]

Great camo!

[comrade harps]

That is just lovely.  And the camo is superb.
Bravo Comrade, bravo.

Thanks! I'm quietly happy with the paint job, too

[NARSES2]

  And the camo is superb.

Agreed 

[chrisonord]

Nice paint on a favourite aircraft. I really need to build some of my older migs. Really liking this
Chris