The Potez 25 : the legendary aircraft, definition of "everything", French aircraft of the Pacific War

[Atomeur 529]

Hello !

 

I want to suggest here probably one of the plane with the most history in the world : the Potez 25. It has a huge, huge, HUGE history.

 

I know that what I write is just too much for some players to read it entirely, so I put in blue the main details.

 

 

 

General characteristics of the Potez 25 TOE

Spoiler

• Crew: 2
• Length: 9,415 m
• Wingspan: 14,14 m
• Wing area: 46,46 m²
• Empty weight: 1 510 kg
• Gross weight: 2 500 kg
• Powerplant: 1 x Lorraine 12 Eb of 450 ch. More powerfull engines can be mounted, up to 600 ch.

Performance

• Maximum speed: 210 km/h or 220 km/h
• Maximum altitude : 5800 m or 7 200 m
• Autonomy : 500 km, more in fuction of the version

 

Armament

• Early version : 2 (or 1) x 7,7 Vickers machine guns in the front with 500 bullets, 2x7,7mm Lewis machine guns in the back with 8x97 bullets, 1x7,7 Vickers machine gun under the fuselage
• Late Version : 2 (or 1) x 7,5 Darne or MAC 34 machine guns in the front, 2x7,5mm Darne or MAC 34 machine guns in the back and 1x7,7 Darne or MAC 34 machine gun under the fuselage
• Strange version : a 20mm HS 9 or HS 404 cannon in the front, and the defensive armament of the back is the same.
• 400 kg of bomb in all combination you want ! There were so much version that everything was probably tested (four 50 kg bombs under the main fuselage and four 50 kg bombs under the wings).

The context

 

In 1918, it is the end of the first world war. France is, at this moment, one of the most powerfull contry in the world, and due to this, a lot of French aircrafts manufacturer appears and developp their societies. In 1919, it is the case of Potez. this manufacturer began to build model of planes to carry only few passengers, single engines aircrafts. In 1923, Henry Potez began to build the Potez 15, a reconnaissance aircraft which is enough good. This plane is important for our aircraft because with this first plane, he acquires experience. But Henry Potez wants to do more : he wants to create THE plane. THE plane which can do everything, which fly everywhere, which can be used by everybody, in every countries etc... It is the Potez 25. It is like a faster and better version of the Potez 15 and this aircrafts comes after the failures of the Potez 23 and 24.

 

Its developpement began probably in 1923 but the first prototype to be built was in 1924. From 5 to 21 december of 1924, the aircraft is at the 9th International Aeronautics Exhibition, at the Grand Palais in Paris but he did his first flight only in 1925, probably the 28th of March with René Labouchère.

The is aircrafts is a sesquiplane (the lower wing is less big than the upper wing). The fuselage is built of two main parts : the engine mount and the fuselage. Concerning the engine mount, it is in metal and every engine can be fit in the plane, so I can only say that the main engine was the Lorraine 12 Eb. It is easy to access to the the engine by some traps and there is a firewall. The fuselage is a mix of wood and metal. The spars are in spruce (wood) and the structure is in plywood in the front and middle of the aircraft. The back of the aircraft is in canvas except for the upper part of the bacj which is in plywood too. The stabilizer are in wood and canvas. It has landing gears with independant wheels but it can also have floats.

In the aircraft, there are different types of equipments like a starter, an extinguisher, a compass, an altimeter, a thermometer, a watch, a Badin, a tachometer, a heater, for the crew and for the armament, radio is in option and it is possible to have photograph equipment. Of course, this aircraft can do everything so he can carry bombs, he have armament composed of one or two machine guns in the front and two machine guns in the back, different equipments to travel threw the desert, to be operationnal in Africa and every countries who used it can put their own equipments.

In may 1925, he is tried by the STAé. His performances are good, as good as the better aircrafts of 1918. He cost less than a Breguet 19 and less than all of the other aircraft. It is very easy to use it, to maintain the plane. Next to the first prototype, a second is built without armament. He goes in a lot of other countries where he did very good flight demonstrations. We don't know the precise number of copies who were built, but we talk of more than 4000 copies in more than 22 countries. It is litterally the aircraft the most built during between two wars.

 

"Did they know that when you hooked a wing tip to the ground, you broke as many "feathers" on the other side and continued to fly like that until you hit a repair center, which often happened much later?"

Henry Potez

 

Spoiler

 

His history

In France

France produced around 2500 copies who enterred in service in 1925. Around 1500 aircrafts were sold to other countries and produced into license.

 

 

Civilian carreer

This is probably the main part of the history of this aircraft but the Potez 25 is a legend since it was used by the Aeropostale . They were used to cross the desert for very dangerous flights to deliver the mail and some passengers. We can quote the accident of Henri Guillaumet with a Potez 25. It aso served to do some raids and expeditions. it served in Air France untill 1935, in different training schools like Caudron School or hanriot School, with 13 Potez 25.55 and A-2, in the French Aviation Company with 17 Potez 25.3, 25.55 and 25 A-2.

He was also used in a lot of races like the tour of Europe with Ludovic Arrachart and Henri Carol. The main goal of this race was to travel 7400 km in less than 3 days in August 1925 (which means around 2466 km in one day, which is, in 1925, a BIG number for a plane). Paris-Constantinople, Constantinople-Moscow, Moscow-Paris.It is a success.

In 1926, the Tour of the Mediterranean sea was also accomplished by Pelletier Doisy and Gonin, with 6500 km in one flight, which represents 41h 40 min of flight without landing. It is also a success.

In september 1930, Léon Challe and Rapin did a Paris-Saigon flight (with stopovers), which represents 12 000 km in less than 10 days. Girié and Bouchet did a Paris-Tehran flight (with the return) with the prototype of the plane which means 13 000 km in 75 hours. It is a success too.

 

 

Military carreer

The main versions of the Potez 25 was the Potez 25 TOE (for Théatre d'Opération Extérieures), the A-2 version and the B-2 version. The aircrafts was modified to have reinforced lubrification circuits, more fuel (a fuel tank was installed in the fuselage) etc... It participed to a lot of wars. During the inter-war, it was used by the Air Army, Military Aeronautic, Naval Aviation, Government and in the colonies. It serves in metropolis to do reconnaissance missions, light bombing, training... He served in Lebanon, Syria and AFN.

In Indochina, still before Second World War, he serves against the mutiny of Yên Bài in 1930, during the pacification of Mororcco. In AOF, they served to create different bases emergency bases, to do some serching, exploration, reconnaissance... missions. In AEF, they did same type of missions, since 1930 and 1932. The first of April 1933, a squadron was created in Djibouti with 10 Potez 25 TOE untill 1939. In 1931, a squadron is installed in Madagascar with 5 Potez 25 TOE since 1933. To the scientist point of view, this aircraft was also very usefull because untill 1925, Antoine Poidebard discovered a new technique to discover remains of the older civilisations. he used some Potez 25 TOE in Syria and discover Phoenician ports of Tyr, Sidon and the anciant remains scatterred around the Oasis of Palmira.

 

 

A Black Cruise was made by French Army with 28 Potez 25 TOE under the orders of the French General Vuillemin. It represents 28 000 km in Africa. 3 groups are created. The travel begins at Istres and ends at Le Bourget. During this adventure, The planes went to Dakar, Bangui and tons of other destinations.

Spoiler

http://aviateurs.e-monsite.com/medias/images/carte-croisie-re-noire.jpg

 

 

Second World War :

During the Second World War, France still used the Potez 25 a lot. Indeed, in 1939, 475 Potez 25 are still in service in France but military missions are totally forbidden since the 21th of september of 1939. He was still used for training purposes. He knows the fight against the Luftwaffe only 1 time, against a Messerschmitt 109. The Potez was not armed and I am sure that in your head, you say to yourself "this plane was shotted down in 2 bullets" like a normal War Thunder gamer, but it is not the case because, even if the plane recieved several bullets, he is litterally indestructible and the pilot returned to his airfield where he could land normally. He wasn't considerred as shotted down by the 109 but his "gunner" (the guy bhind the pilot) was injured. After the 10th may 1940, there were only very few Potez 25 in France, and they were not in military squadron. BUT some of them were still present in a meteorology section and their pilots really wanted to continue their mission even if it was in the middle of a bombing raid. But as I said it before, they never know the fight against Luftwaffe so... During the Battle of France, they took off between two bombing raid, sometimes at only few hours of difference, to climb to maybe 7000m to collect their datas and to land after. The Luftwaffe always miss these Potez 25 however in the middle of the sky.

 

After defeat of France, a lot of Potez 25 was still in service in Indochina and globally in Africa. They were here to protect the colonies against the American "Flying Tigers". It continues to serve during the Syrian campaign in 1941 with 30 planes, during the Franco-Thai war where they support the French infantery on the ground in bombing, during the Madagascar war in 1942 where their missions were to do medical evacuation.

 

In 1940, the Potez are also present in the Pacific War against Japanese army, and it is maybe one of the first plane to fight against japanese planes during this war. Indeed, the 25th september 1940, two Potez 25 escorted by two MS 406 (without their 20mm cannon) are attacked by some Ki 27 (maybe 2). The Ki 27 shotted down a Potez 25 (who is forced to land on the ground with his gunner dead).

 

If they served in the Vichy Air Army, they also served in the FAFL. Indeed, to begin, a lot of pilots took their Potez 25 to join the allies side , to go join English people. Some of them served in Indochina for some pilots to join the American "Flying Tigers". But they also served to do military attacks. Three main groups were created : the Gabon and Middle Congo Detachment (Pointe-Noire, 5 Potez 25), the Cameroon Air Detachment (August 27, 1940, Douala, some Potez 25) and the Permanent Air Force Detachment of Chad (Fort Lamy, August 1940 , 2 potez 25). They bombed the city of Lambaréné multiple times during the campaign of Gabon. Some Potez were attacked by Martin 167 of Vichy Air Force. The Alsace squadron had also their Potez 25 since september 1941, at least 8 Potez 25 TOE, one of the squadron of the Picardie Group was also equiped with Potez 25 for coastal surveillance.

They also served in the FAFL to train a lot of pilots and to do different type of missions like transport. They also bomb motoried columns of Clarke in 1941 with Jeannekeyn to help the FFL.

 

 

After the War

You maybe think that after the war, the story of this aircraft is the end ? Well... no. Because he continues to serve untill 1946 (more than 20 years after his first flight). Indeed, in Africa and generally in their colonies, the Potez 25 still serve rench country. If in Europe the American planes was known everywhere, in Africa, the plane known everywhere was the Potez 25 . From Senegal to Chad, from the Great Saharan Erg to Sudan, from the most arid deserts to the tropical forests passing by savannah, this plane has known everything, every landscapes. It was the most populous plane of its time in this continent. Still after the war.

"He had flown over the "hippopotamus pond" on the Bobo-Dioulasso track, photographed the herds of elephants in the lagoons and glades of Côte d'Ivoire, frightened the giraffes in the plains of the banks of the Niger towards Niamey, greeted the bugle sounding the rising of the colors in the fort of Zinder, disturbed the call to prayer launched by the muezzin from the top of the mosque of Agades. He had dropped messages in the middle of the Tenere desert for the attention of the camel pelotons on their way to Dirkou or Bilma, witnessing the arrival of the Azalaï (the salt caravan) at the port of Timbuktu. During his sightseeing trips, he had left Tambacounda for Youkounkoun only to discover the bow hunters, completely naked but protected by a pelvic sheath. He is even said to have taken part in a "toad dance" on a full moon evening in the sands of Atar in Mauritania." (There are may some mistakes in this text, I am sorry).

The last plane to serve under French colours was in 1946. The 5th of october 1946, a training flight was ordered. Someone took the Potez 25 n°2157 to do it. it was parked in front of a number of Avro Anson. To turn and be on the taxiway (or runway), the pilot had to open the throotle and turn by holding back a wing. But a rock blocked the tail skate and the plane goes right in front of the Avro Anson called "Blanche Neige". The pilot had British reflexes, he puts the throotle stick in front of him and it was too bad for our veteran French plane. Indeed, this plane conserved the French initial system (whith the French system, when you put the throotle stick in front of you, the engine throotle is at 0% and when you put it "in you pocket" ("Manette dans la poche" comme on dit dans le milieu), the engine throotle is at 100 %). Our Potez 25 attacked the Anson and ran into it. Both planes were destroyed (or heavily damaged). This is the story of the last Potez 25 in French service.

 

Picture of the last Potez 25 in French service.

 

 

Of course, today, he is not in service. We can only find him as a plane in museums, for example at Le Bourget. But... you now, when I said this plane was everything and could be found everywhere, it as not a joke. Today, he is still everywhere because this plane is also... a plant (a shrub more precisely). Indeed, in South America, this plane was also very popular to carry mail. The Colletia cruciata (name of the plant) is native of Chile, Argentina, uruguay and south of Brazil, a place where the Aéropostale was very famous and the Aeroposta Argentina too, and especially the Potez 25 this last company has bought to carry mail. Due to the special aspect of his leafs, this plant was called "avion Potez" (or "Potez plane"). (No, it is not a bad joke) . Just tell me the name of a plant which is called "Boeing plane"... You can't, because it never happens.

 

 

A very robust plane

In this part, I am going to explain why this plane was a very solid plane. It is also in this part that I will tell some particular stories about spacial planes.

In 1929, the Potez 25.55 n°1521 resgistered "F-AJDY" was recieved by the Generale Aeropostale. This plane served this company during 9 years. It was sold to Argentina in 1938 to Antonio Molina M. Its new registration was LV-JFA. In this country, the Potez 25 continued to serve untill 1967 !

An other story about this plane is the famous accident of Henri Guillaumet. The 13th of june 1930, the Potez 25 F-AJDZ of Henri Guillaumet had an accident in traversing the Andes. Guillaumet did a hard landing in the middle of the mountains. His plane passed on the roof and broke his propeller. After a 5 day trip, Guillaumet was saved. The plane was in the middle of the mountains, far from everything. To walk to this plane, people had to walk at least one day. We're in 1930 and Helicopter which can carry big pieces of metal and big deliveries doesn't exist yet. Vehicles are of limited power too. After a long time spent on the back in the cold weather of the Andes, this plane was repaired and flew again. It continued to serve to the company during deveral years.

 

Our plane in flight

 

 

The other countries

Afghanistant used 2 Potez 25, Argentina used some planes, Brasil used 24 Potez 25 (it is interresting to note that a Potez 25 shotted down an other Potez 25 during the revolution), Republic of China 28 aircrafts, Republic of Spain used at least 8 of this aircrafts, Estonia used 9 Potez 25 (it is interresting to note that 5 Potez 25.25 could use skis), Ethiopia used 6 of this aircraft (here, I can at least tell you that, 10 years after being in service, he was used for military missions against Italian planes), Finland used 1 aircraft, Greece used 30 copies (in november and december 1940, some Potez 25 were shotted down by the DCA and the Italians in doing some bombing raids), in Guatemala 5 Potez 25.49 were sent, in Paraguay some Potez 25.33 were used (they served during the Chaco war where The Potez 25 did the first air combat on the American air continent, in 1932, some Potez 25 protected by Wibault 73 (another French Fighter) bombs different targets), in Poland 300 Potez 25 was built under license (250 A2 and 50 B2) the engine was replaced by a PZL Bristol-Jupiter VIIF, these aircrafts fought against Luftwaffe, in Portugal 42 Potez 25 were used (27 aircrafts was built under license by OGMA, one prototype with a 1 200 L fuel tank, 15 Potez 25.37), Romania used 263 Potez 25 ( 250 of them was produced under license and 13 of them was the 25.36 version which can be converted in monoplane !), Yougoslavia used at least 230 Potez 25 (220 of them were produced under license by Ikarus. Some Potez 25 fought in 1940 by the hands of some resistants to bombs cities but they were captured to the Croatian forces. In 1945, some of them were still in service), Swiss also used at least 17 Potez 25 (6x25.28, 5x25.29 and 6xunknown version, from 1928 to 1940), Turkey used 1 Potez 25 A2, Uruguay used 10 Potez 25.

 

 

URSS also used this aircraft at 2 copies (25.29 version). They didn't bought it because they thought the Polikarpov R-5 has the same performances. The Luftwaffe also used one hundred (100) Potez 25 (Yes !) captured to Poland in 1939 for training pruposes and liaison aircrafts. Japan used more than 7 Potez 25 of different versions. We can note the Potez 25.x, which is a version of the Potez 25.4 which is itself a version of the original Potez 25, which can have a cannon and a compressor for high altitude.

((Maybe one used bu the Italians and maybe one used bu the USA in the "Flyting Tigers" group))

 

 

Comparison with other aircrafts :

Of course, we can compare this aircraft to the Po 2 already in game and in a lower measure to the Swordfish. Compared to the Po2, the Potez 25 was created two years before (the Po2 did his first flight in 1927), it has a better speed (70 km/h of difference), a better armament (more bombs and more guns). If the Po 2 was built to between 20 000 and 30 000 copies, the Potez 25 was used by more countries, it was more "everything" than the Po 2 and it has more history.

Compared to the Swordfish, the Potez 25 has the same max. speed, half of his bomb load, more manoeuvrability, a better defensive armament.

 

 

 

Conclusion

This aircraft a total and huge success ! It have so much variants that it is litterally impossible to name them all (some variants have no name), it serve as a bomber, as a fighter, as a transport, as liaison, as a reconnaissance, as a medical transport etc... aircraft. It was so everything that it was a biplane or a monoplane and it was possible to developp different versions of a version. It was so everywhere that he fought against himself. More than 94 variants were made. If we consider than an aircraft with a different engine is a variant, it is more than 100 different versions but officially, we talk of 87 variants. To compare it with other aircrafts built in more copies, the P 47, the Bf 109 or the Spitfire has less variants. He was produced at the same number of copies than the Bf 109 E. Sometimes, we talk of more than 7 000 copies all around the world.

 

And a last thing. I said before that the Potez 25 did litterally everything. It is true because he even fight on the ground at their own maneer in a fight of an other world.

Some French aviators took the Lewis guns of the Potez 25 of the field to install them on ground vehicles or just on the ground, defending the field or a land not far from the field. The 10 March 1945, a column of French vehicles whith the Lewis guns of the several Potez meet a column of the Japanese army. Several Japanese mens died during the attack. When I say that bthe Potez fought on the land, it is because the pilots and gunners of the Potez 25 hold the Lewis guns during this ground fight like a really ground army. It is the same thing the 9th of March 1945 in an other place of French indochina where those same Lewis guns of the Potez were installed on the land next to the main field. It is still the aviators and gunners of the Potez 25 who open the fire on Japanese army in a ground fight. Here again, the fight was very very violent and a lot of mens of both sides were killes.

 

 

And here is a video of the Potez 25 in colour in the "Flying Tigers" :

 

 

 

Sources :

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potez_25

https://www.avionslegendaires.net/avion-militaire/potez-25/

http://jnpassieux.fr/www/html/Potez25.php

http://www.frrom.com/index.php?page=frrom-fr0037

http://www.crezan.net/pag_aby/abyssinia_avi_po25.html

https://aviation-ancienne.forumactif.com/t7809-filmcouleur-potez-a-bord-duquel-pouyade-s-est-fait-la-malle

https://www.aviafrance.com/potez-25-g-r--aviation-france-10155.htm

http://aviateurs.e-monsite.com/pages/de-1939-a-1945/longue-marche.html

http://aviateurs.e-monsite.com/pages/de-1939-a-1945/le-mamelon-des-aviateurs.html

https://www.parcsetjardins.fr/data/associations/30/files/gazette-appj-26-03-2015.pdf   (yes, I found informtions on this plane in this document).

https://loudandclearisnotenought.blogspot.com/2010/06/f-ajdy-potez-25-a2-2555-cn-1521.html

http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_F-6.html

https://www.traditions-air.fr/texte/eom82.htm

Edited January 13, 2022 by Atomeur
Deleted red font

[leroyonly 4,310]

Open for discussion. 

[Milocat 4,848]

Definite +1 if we get a tier 0.

[Z3r0_ 4,127]

I'd say this plane deserves a place in the game, seeing as it was one of the first truly successful "utility" aircraft ever made, since, as the OP stated, you could use it for damned near anything you might need in a civilian or military role.

[Abaddon75 460]

a french PO2 why not for people who didn't have the chance to get its soviet counter-part

[Atomeur 529]

Yeah I agree with @Abaddon75 and @Z3r0_.

I did more researches of the Potez 25. I discovered a fight of a Potez 25 against two Ki 27 in 1940 during the Pacific War and I discovered an other thing very very interresting.

I discovered that the Potez 25 took, at their manner, a part in the fight of France against Japan in 1945 in fighting on the ground ! I explained it under the conclusion. But we can say that it is a Pacific War French plane.

 

I am sure I missed things about this plane because it exists tons and tons of stories about it.

I also discovered that this plane can maybe have a 20mm HS 9 or HS 404 !! Just imagine this very small biplane Potez 25 with a 20mm gun ! It can pass a s a serious plane of rank 1 maybe.

 

More in coming later

Edited March 25, 2021 by Atomeur

[leCoucouDodu 114]

I was first afraid of it being a WW1 plane but i'm now convinced.

+1

[Kasukaru 2,164]

Absolutely mythical pre-war plane. It was engaged in the Spanish Civil War, the Franco-Thai War and Second World War. It's better than a Po2 or a Swordfish, so it has its place in the game, imho. +1000

Edited April 3, 2021 by Kasukaru

[Nicholas_Concu 2,634]

+1 Sure! 

Hopefully more countries get pre-war planes. 

[Atomeur 529]

I have found the quote of the gunner who had fighted, in his Potez 25, the Japanese KI 27 in september 1940. Here it is :

 

 

"SCHERTZER (Pierre), commander, Mixed Air Group 595: remarkable group commander, dynamic, tenacious, courageous. Has formed in few months a perfectly trained unit, who has fully responded to what we could hope for. On September 25th 1940, surprised during a liaison mission by several enemy fighters, has accepted an unbalanced fight, fiercely defending and attacking. Deadly wounded, he continued to shoot, forcing the enemy to break off the fight, allowing his pilot to join our lines."

The gunner Pierre Schertzer had continued to fight even if his plane was landed, and he continued to open the fire on the ennemies.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Atomeur

[Atomeur 529]

You know, with this plane, we're always surprised.

I do some researches, recently. Even if we thought we had discovered eveything about this plane, I was wrong.  I have found some very interresting stories about this plane.

The first one is the career of the plane after the war. I wrote a lot of things in the "After the war" paragraph. The last Potez 25 in service in French army was in 1946. It crashed on a Britain plane.

The second story is abour the crash of Guillaumet. I discovered that after the crash, even if the plane was outside on the back in hard weath conditions, the plane was repaired and flew again during several years, which prove the solidity and reliability of the plane. I wrote details in the new "A very robust plane" paragraph.

The third sory is on the last plane in service in the world. I wrote some details about the last Potez 25 in service in Argentina in 1967.

The last thing on the plane is also a thing I have NEVER expected before : a plant (a shrub more precisely, not a factory) is called "avion Potez" (or "Potez plane", or jet-plane plant) IT IS NOT A JOKE ! (you can have more details in the section "After the war", where I explain why this name is mainly due to Potez planes).

You know now why I say this plane is everything.

 

 

I am searching informations about the Potez 25 in service in RAF. They were used for training and spotting purposes. (Yes, Even the RAF used some Potez 25, and the USAF has tested him). If someone have details or pictures please ?

I am also searching some informations about the bombings some Potez 25 did in Thailand during second world war.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Atomeur

[Cpt_Bel_V 4,789]

@Atomeur: red is for moderators,... put it in blue.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Cpt_Bel_V

[Samsmotzzz 7]

+1 here I'm a total advocate. They should also add the Potez 25 (Lorraine) and Potez 25 (Hispano).

 

I knew the Potez 25 for its remarkable service in Ethiopia. One of the pilots who flew the Potez was an African-American volunteer named John C. Robinson. He's widely known as "The Father of the Tuskegee Airmen" for creating the famous Tuskegee Aviation Program. Before starting this, though, he volunteered to fight for Ethiopia, for the country was Africa's last independent nation, soon to be overrun. 

 

He shot down x1 Italian Caproni C.101 Bomber, along with another probable. The Italians would send entire fighter squadrons after this man, yet they failed to down him. Additionally, there were 6+ incidents where Robinson outran and evaded Italian CR.20's and Ro. 37s, despite being in an ultimately slower aircraft. If that wasn't badass enough, he jumped Mussolini's son on his way to Dessie, who happened to be flying a Caproni C.101. Despite Vittorio Mussolini being escorted by two other aircraft, Robinson didn't hesitate to shoot the leading aircraft and got away to safety. Vittorio never flew in Ethiopia again ever since that incident. 

 

The sturdiness of the Potez 25 allowed the Ethiopian Air Corps to fulfill its role till the end. The best part about it is that it's the first (and only) plane under "True African Colors" to have scored a kill on a European aircraft during the colonial era. It's ironic as the Italians managed air supremacy, yet they never claimed an air-to-air kill while the Ethiopians held one or two. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AgQ67kw5gk

https://youtu.be/-gp9XWXd-GA

https://youtu.be/PdqQvBQA3Y8?t=43

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Samsmotzzz

[DieJagdente 1,400]

OP got 24 hours to change the red Font to another color.

[MiG17_Is_My_Life 1,402]

7 minutes ago, JagdEnte said:

OP got 24 hours to change the red Font to another color.

He seems not active in forum... Can you change these red font to another colors?

[DieJagdente 1,400]

11 hours ago, ReleaseTheMiG17 said:

He seems not active in forum... Can you change these red font to another colors?

Alright... Keep in mind usually OP needs to do that though.

[Atomeur 529]

In 9 months, it caused problems to nobody but ok, I corrected and I putted blue instead.

 

21 hours ago, Samsmotzzz said:

+1 here I'm a total advocate. They should also add the Potez 25 (Lorraine) and Potez 25 (Hispano).

 

I knew the Potez 25 for its remarkable service in Ethiopia. One of the pilots who flew the Potez was an African-American volunteer named John C. Robinson. He's widely known as "The Father of the Tuskegee Airmen" for creating the famous Tuskegee Aviation Program. Before starting this, though, he volunteered to fight for Ethiopia, for the country was Africa's last independent nation, soon to be overrun. 

 

He shot down x1 Italian Caproni C.101 Bomber, along with another probable. The Italians would send entire fighter squadrons after this man, yet they failed to down him. Additionally, there were 6+ incidents where Robinson outran and evaded Italian CR.20's and Ro. 37s, despite being in an ultimately slower aircraft. If that wasn't badass enough, he jumped Mussolini's son on his way to Dessie, who happened to be flying a Caproni C.101. Despite Vittorio Mussolini being escorted by two other aircraft, Robinson didn't hesitate to shoot the leading aircraft and got away to safety. Vittorio never flew in Ethiopia again ever since that incident. 

 

The sturdiness of the Potez 25 allowed the Ethiopian Air Corps to fulfill its role till the end. The best part about it is that it's the first (and only) plane under "True African Colors" to have scored a kill on a European aircraft during the colonial era. It's ironic as the Italians managed air supremacy, yet they never claimed an air-to-air kill while the Ethiopians held one or two. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AgQ67kw5gk

https://youtu.be/-gp9XWXd-GA

https://youtu.be/PdqQvBQA3Y8?t=43

 

 

The story of this guy is very interresting. We can consider it as an other famous pilot at the controls of this plane. Nice !

[DieJagdente 1,400]

2 hours ago, Atomeur said:

In 9 months, it caused problems to nobody but ok, I corrected and I putted blue instead.

 

 

The story of this guy is very interresting. We can consider it as an other famous pilot at the controls of this plane. Nice !

It is a written rule that red is moderation only, just because noone noticed it doesnt mean its not a problem. . Thanks btw

[hienapunk 1,064]

It's like the swordfish or po2. Pretty much useless but needs to be in game for historical importance alone.