[paulmcmillan]

My last comments on this subject

From Jean-Pierre Touzeau via Ben Gilbert

"
Le 15 septembre, le Lieutenant de Vaisseau Henri Koechlin ( ancien du groupe "Provence", titulaire d'une victoire) essaya le VB.10 N°3. Après 10 minutes de vol, il parut vouloir se poser et, comme s'il s'était présenté trop long, fit un passage bas sur la piste, tout sorti, le moteur arrière peut être au ralenti, s'éloigna, commença un virage à gauche et se posa dans un champ. En roulant, l'avion fut pris dans une ravine, se renversa et explosa.


Which BabelFish rougly transalates as:
September 15, the Lieutenant Henri Koechlin (old of the group "Provence", holder of a victory) tested the VB.10 N°3. After 10 minutes of flight, it appeared to want to be posed and, as if it had been presented too long, made a low passage on the track, very left, the back engine can be with the idle, moved away, began a turn on the left and was posed in a field. While running, the plane was taken in a gully, overturned and exploded.
And the following vame via AB-IX

Arsenal VB 10

2 Prototypes and 3 Production aircraft built:

01 ff 22.12.45 ER 33 fate not known
02 ff 21.09.46 w/o 10.01.48 pilot Pierre Decroo bailed out
1 ff 03.11.47 ER 33 flew for the last time on 21.09.48 fate not known
2 ff no details ER 33 fate not known
3 ff 30.06.48 w/o 15.09.48 pilot Salomon-Koechlin killed

Paul