Showing posts with label Bolivia 1919-1929. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bolivia 1919-1929. Show all posts

Friday, 13 October 2017

Morane-Saulnier L - South American users

We're back with another French aircraft... but this time from the early World War I era and covering the Southern American users of them.
The Morane-Saulnier L was a French parasol one or two-seater that was used as a scout and even as a fighter. In South America it was used by the next countries:

  • Argentina: The Morane-Saulnier L nicknamed "Mendoza" made history there as it was the first airplane to cross the Andean mountains by taking off from Neuquen, in Argentina and landing in Cunco, Chile on 13th April 1918. The airplane was part of the flying school of the Argentinean Aviación Militar (Military Aviation) that served from 1915 until 1923.
  • Brazil: The Brazilian Army's Serviço de Aviaçao Naval adquired at least one armed Morane-Saulnier L in 1916. However we couldn't find more information about its usage and fate.
  • Bolivia: Somehow Bolivian Cuerpo de Aviación got a type L, however as we couldn't find neither graphical nor text evidence of it, the drawing should be considered as speculative. 
  • Peru: Peru was another user of the type L. Most probably it was adquired during late World War I when the type L was already outdated and it served with the Peruvian Aviación Militar. However, as we couldn't find graphical or text evidence about it, the drawing should be considered as speculative.









Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_L
2. https://aerospotter.blogspot.com.es/2014/04/el-morane-saulnier-l-parasol-y-el.html (translated)
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Friday, 21 April 2017

Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard - Part one

The Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard was a powerful and fast biplane fighter that was developed for the Royal Air Force, but as the World War I ended, its mass production was cancelled. No more than 400 of them were produced and most of them were exported.
After the Great War, Belgium bought at least two of them to equip their Aviation Militaire (Military Aviation). They tested it at the Evere airfield but it was rejected for service.
The airplane was among of the few that founded the Bolivian Cuerpo de Aviación (Bolivian Aviation Corps) as nine of them served there from 1925 until 1929 when they were replaced by more modern types, most probably the Curtiss Hawk IA.
With its native users, only 57 of them were put into service with the Royal Air Force, but they weren't put into operational use. In the inmediate postwar, two of them were used as high speed transports during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and some others served in the Central Flying School. As the post-war RAF didn't want the type, it never served as a fighter.
The Finnish Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Corps) bought a single airplane for testing purposes in April 1923 with 14 more of them being purchased in 1927. They initally served in the Maalentsoskadeer Ut until 1929 and since they served as trainers in the Kauhava School of Aviation until 1939. Nowadays, the Aviation Museum of Central Finland has the only remaining one in exhibition.










Sources:
1. http://www.belgian-wings.be/Webpages/Navigator/Belgian_Aviation_History/BAFAircraft/Bafallaircraft_1919_1945.htm
2. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/americas/bolivia/Bolivia-af-CMA.htm
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinsyde_Buzzard
4. https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinsyde_F.4_Buzzard (translated)

Friday, 7 October 2016

Avro 504K - Latin American users, part one

Now it comes the turn for the various latin-American users of this trainer airplane.


  • Argentina: The government of the Argentinean president Hipólito Yrigoyen authorised on 31st July 1920 the purchase of various airplanes, among them there were twenty-two Avro 504K powered by a LeRhône 9J engine. They served in the trainer role until 1928 when they were being replaced by the domestically produced FMA version of the 504R Gosport airplane.
  • Bolivia: Apparently, Bolivia had some 504 in their Air Corps during the 1920s, however we couldn't find graphical info and the drawing should be considered as speculative.
  • Brazil: In 1920 the Brasilian authorities adquired 17 Avro 504k, five of them powered with the Gnome engine and the rest with the LeRhône engine. It was the first airplane adquired by the Brasilian navy destined to operate from land airfields. They were retired in the year 1928 when the government bought the newer N/O version.
  • Guatemala: Guatemala funded their Escuela Militar de Aviación (Military Aviation School) back in 1913 and, on 1st May 1920 they renewed their airplane fleet by adquiring some 504Ks.
  • Paraguay: There it seems that at least one Avro 504K served with the Paraguayan flying school and some sources claim that it crashed. Anyway we couldn't find any graphical evidence of how it looked like, so the drawing should be considered as speculative.









Sources:
1. http://www.amilarg.com.ar/avro-504.html (translated)
2. https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504 (translated)
3. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escuela_Militar_de_Aviación_(Guatemala) (translated)
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504
5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters