Breguet 27, Potez 39, Mureaux 115/117
by José Fernandez
This third volume in the “French Wings” series covers three aircraft by three makers and, presumably, the reader is supposed to figure out on his own what it is they have in common that makes combining them in one book relevant. There is no preface or introduction so we shall speculate that it is the all-metal construction that was then just coming into use
“Then,” for that matter, would be another thing they have in common: all are light aircraft of the 1930s and, in fact, could well have been found serving together during WWII on the same airfields. As all are predominantly reconnaissance aircraft they have one more thing in common, and that is being deployed in forward airfields in theaters of operation over which the French did not have air superiority.
If none of this has caught your attention yet, take a closer look at the cover. The aircraft in the foreground (the Breguet) looks distinctly odd, mais non? (The fuselage ends right behind the cockpit and the tail section is connected to the fuselage by means of a “boom.” Definitely unusual!)
The same team of author Fernandez and illustrator Teodor Liviu Morosanu also penned the previous book in this series, Nieuport Delage NiD 29 and NiD 62 Family (volume 1, Latecoere 290 & 298, was by Gerard Bousquet and Morosanu). Each by itself and certainly all together are a nice resource for those readers who have fairly specific interests in aviation history or kit modeling. For the latter, Morosanu’s detailed color profiles and three-views, with special attention on markings and paint schemes, are a particularly important resource, especially since some models flew with foreign air forces (China, Peru, Venezuela).
This small book is absolutely packed with information touching on all the relevant developmental, technical, and operational aspects. Photo selection is excellent, as is their reproduction and they are clearly captioned by someone who knows what details are worth calling out.
Copyright 2014, Sabu Advani (speedreaders.info).
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