France Fights On

[NARSES2]

In my alternative WWII timeline the counter attack at Arras in 1940 works and forces the already nervous Germans to pull back their armoured spearheads (as a by product Rommel is captured and spends his war in a manor house in deepest Oxfordshire). This enables the French and British forces to form a defensive line on the Somme and they manage to hold the Germans for a few months until the invasion of SE France by German and Italian forces means that they have to retire to the Atlantic coast. This withdrawal is successfully completed and a part of the French Army finds itself in N Africa having been evacuated there from Marseilles. They are soon joined by other French forces which are transhipped there from the UK and soon these forces advance into Italian controlled Lybia from the West whilst the British enter from the East. After a short campaign the Italians are defeated and the coast of N Africa becomes an allied stronghold.

With France fighting on from her colonies the decision is taken to continue manufacture of the Ms 405 in Algeria. My thinking on this is that they would have chosen something easy to build and the older style technology of the 405 would have been easier to manufacture in the colonies. Anyway whilst using British and latter US supplied aircraft the French continued to produce a small number of aircraft domestically in order to keep the skills set and to keep up with the latest innovations. The Ms 420 was the last in the line of designs originating from the  405 and a small number were built and based in Corsica after the islands liberation.

This of course meant that with the end of the war, Morane Saulnier were in prime position to become the preeminent French manufacturer and together with their close partners Hawkers (strong links were developed during the war years) they went on to dominate the post war European aviation market.

Anyway here's my model of the Ms 420. It's the RS kit of the Doflug 3802/3802 (see here for details of the real aircraft https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_M.S.406) which is very nice. Paints used are from Lifecolor as they do a series of French WWII camouflage colours and the transfers are from the spares box.

Ms 420 of GC 1/5 "Champagne" based on Corsica 1945 (note I think this is the squadron badge I've used   -I'm getting old  )






Here's a couple of pics of the 420 with it's great grandfather the 405

[Father Ennis]

Very interesting ...

[Hotte]

Good idea 


Hotte

[Spey_Phantom]

thats a good idea, very nice build. i had a similar plan (for Belgium and other countries) but never went through with it.
im looking forward to more 

[The Wooksta!]

Now one of those would look very nice in Zirkus Rosarius colours with rough RAF roundels sprayed over the German markings and an Air Min number on the tail.

Nice build.

[rickshaw]

It's a pleasant looking aircraft.  I'd be a little bit worried about the barrel length though, that unsupported might lead to aerodynamic forces producing inaccuracy.  However, apart from that it has a sort of Focke-Wulf look about it, I think.  Where are the radiators?  Under the fuselage or the wing?

[James]

Nice build. 

[NARSES2]

It's a pleasant looking aircraft.  I'd be a little bit worried about the barrel length though, that unsupported might lead to aerodynamic forces producing inaccuracy.  However, apart from that it has a sort of Focke-Wulf look about it, I think.  Where are the radiators?  Under the fuselage or the wing?

Radiators are under the wings Rick.

Must admit I thought the barrels were to long but looking at the real thing, that's what they were like. Here's a pic of the real thing http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/EKWD-38032.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.warbirdsforum.com/topic/1006-doflug-3803/&h=366&w=700&sz=41&tbnid=87vip8wHS_KX6M:&tbnh=64&tbnw=122&prev=/search%3Fq%3DDoflug%2BD%2B3803%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Doflug+D+3803&usg=___Lfbb-uFoqa6WzFUbCpNkY6YP-8=&docid=KoJXTy6sKYt76M&sa=X&ei=_4G8Ucy2EcOT0AXNioDADA&ved=0CDgQ9QEwAw&dur=2597

As I've said in my blog I feel it looks like an armed sporting aircraft.

Thanks for looking lads

[Tophe]

Very beautiful MS-420, thanks
(congratulations from France)

[Jay-Jay]

+1

[Dizzyfugu]

This is nice! I also have a Doflug in my stash and wonder what to make of it (thought about a COIN aircraft...) - the French colors and marking suit it well! Fine idea!