Vichy Fledglings (+announcement of aviation art exhibition)

[Skyraider3D]

Here's my latest artwork, a pair of Vichy French aircraft on their take-off run:



The aircraft are North American NAA-57-P-2 advanced trainers (predecessors to the famous AT-6 Harvard/Texan), taking off from Fréjus–Saint-Raphaël in the South of France, on what could well be their last flight. It is November 1942, and in a matter of days the Vichy French Naval Air Arm will seize to exist, as German forces occupy the rest of France. The image was inspired by this photograph of Vichy French aircraft at Fréjus–Saint-Raphaël, now under German command, waiting to be scrapped or sold.



NB. The white tailband was added directly after the Allied invasion in North Africa on 8 November 1942 and just four days later all French airfields on the Mediterranean coast were taken over by German AAA units.


This image was made especially for a digital aviation art exhibition, Wiek Luijken, John Wallin and I will have at the Military Aviation Museum in Soesterberg, The Netherlands, starting on 24 November and running until June.


Prints of Vichy Fledglings are available on DigitalAviationArt.com.

Thanks for looking!

[Lucien]

This picture has been taken at Fréjus - Saint-Raphaël all right but it shows aircraft belonging to Aéronautique navale (French Naval Aviation). Although captured by the Germans, due to previous understandings with the Italians, those a/c were all relinquished to the Regia Aeronautica. Some of them, as the Loire-Nieuport LN 40 n° 01 seen on the picture, were later transfered to Italy but most of them were destroyed in situ in 1943.

[Skyraider3D]

Originally Posted by Lucien

...but it shows aircraft belonging to Aéronautique navale (French Naval Aviation).

Ah yes I knew this, but you're right I made the mistake of calling it "Vichy French air force". I have edited the text which now reads "Vichy French Naval Air Arm". Thanks for pointing this out.

[Skyraider3D]

On the LEMB forum, Lucien pointed out that the second NAA-57, "SR-12", could be serial number 116. Can anybody confirm?