1930s French Bomber

[The Rat]

Third word - Blackburn*

*Except the Buccaneer of course!  :ar:  

[Davey B]

What's wrong with the Beverley then?  

(fixed landing gear aside...)

[The Rat]

What's wrong with the Beverley then?  

(fixed landing gear aside...)

Yes, I'll admit to a soft spot for the Beverley. I first saw one at an airshow around 1960, North Weald maybe? WOW! BIG!  

Cute, in a chubby sort of way.  ^_^

But hardly beautiful.    

[Tophe]

which country made the uglier plane, the UK or France. So I built what I thought would be the ugliest plane I could come up with, yet still look Gallic. Alvis 3.1

Oh yes, I am ashamed of my french nationality seeing the ugly designs that were ordered by the army here (I am ugly myself)... Fortunately, things have improved a little in later designs . And Alvis is helping the cure , reaching the top in ugliness  to help saying: 'the Real ones were a little less ugly' . Thanks Doctor...  

[NARSES2]

My type of plane Alvis    

[elmayerle]

which country made the uglier plane, the UK or France. So I built what I thought would be the ugliest plane I could come up with, yet still look Gallic. Alvis 3.1

Oh yes, I am ashamed of my french nationality seeing the ugly designs that were ordered by the army here (I am ugly myself)... Fortunately, things have improved a little in later designs . And Alvis is helping the cure , reaching the top in ugliness  to help saying: 'the Real ones were a little less ugly' . Thanks Doctor...

Actually, as near as I can tell, the early 30's was a period when nearly all countries made ugly aircraft, no need to be ashamed of it.  Especially not when France makes a number of very aesthetically appealing aircraft today.

[Joe C-P]

That is something else! Ya know, if you dumped the tail engine it'd be a lot more plausible, though I do think that is the funniest bit of it.

One if these years I'm going to be brave enough to make a plausibly silly subject.  ^_^  

[Alvis 3.1]

Yes the Promenade deck had a Maitre'd, it was the job of one of the enlisted men. They of course, were not allowed the priveledges of dining atop the plane, but instead had a locker full of Gouda cheese to eat from. The enlisted also were expected to operate in the bult-in kitchen to prepare the fine food served aboard. The promenade deck was often used to sway the influences of Air Force officials, and several of the fatal crashes appear to have happened the day after these late night parties.
As for the ugliness of French planes versus other countries, Air and SPace magazine quoted somebody once" If it's ugly, It's French. If it's weird, it's British. If it's ugly AND weird, it's Russian!" And, in the defence of many of the firms during that time...many DID design some beautifully elegant aircraft, but often only wer fed a contract done up by an ignorant official somewhere whose ideas of aircraft often led to some truly ugly designs...The Fleet Shadower concept coming to mind!


Alvis 3.1

[Julhelm]

And like always, the stark reality of french 1930's military obsession with streamlining beats fantasy:

[Tophe]

And like always, the stark reality of french 1930's military obsession with streamlining beats fantasy:

Yes, top of your pictures is a Dyle&Bacalan twin-boomer, a French Burnelli - I prefer Burnelli ones, you know, I am not patriot...
 (Tophe, with a French passport and foreign heart...)  

[Leigh]

Yes, top of your pictures is a Dyle&Bacalan twin-boomer, a French Burnelli -

Are you sure? Cos it looks alot like LEGO to me!

[Tophe]

Yes, top of your pictures is a Dyle&Bacalan twin-boomer, a French Burnelli -

Are you sure?

I am never sure, but have a look at http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-Dice/2...acalan-ab20.jpg

[nev]

From that to the Mirage III and 2000...  

Maybe the Mirage F.1 was a throwback to the 1930s?    

[elmayerle]

From that to the Mirage III and 2000...  

Maybe the Mirage F.1 was a throwback to the 1930s?  

More like the Mirage IIIV was.  IMHO, it was truly ugly in vertical operations and only good looking in regular flight.

[NARSES2]

Thanks for the in-flight photo Tophe, I can make the booms out now. Does anyone make a 1/72 scale kit ?

I have a real soft spot for the "mongrels" that the French came up with in the 30's they just have character, as do some of the US bombers of the same period - Bolo anyone ?

Chris