Caproni Ca.310, part three, domestic users

 

The Caproni Ca.310 'Libeccio' (South-Western wind in Italian) was a low-wing monoplane reconnaissance-bomber. Its design was basically a developed version of the previous Ca.309 with retractable landing gear and better engines. The fuselage was of welded steel tube construction, covered with light alloys fabrics and panels, with the empennage and tail unit being made out of wood with plywood skin on its fixed portions and fabric covering on control surfaces.

Above the fuselage, mounted in line with the trailing edges, was a manually operated dorsal turret equipped with a single 7,7mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun. 

Most of the Libeccios were meant to be exported but, as most orders were either cancelled and many of the delivered aircraft were returned to Italy, the Regia Aeronautica (Royal Italian Air Force) received most of the produced ones, 193 of a total of 312 exemplars (though, according to other sources, the total number of manufactured Libeccios was circa 250. Regia Aeronautica did not equip entire units with the Libeccio, but assigned one aircraft per squadron for auxiliary duties. In total, the Regia Aeronautica operated 193 Ca.310 and Ca.310bis. They were used as squadron hacks, training aircraft and light passenger and cargo airplanes, mainly in the North African Theatre.

The only unit that was almost fully equipped with the Libeccio was the 12º Gruppo/50º Stormo Assalto (12th Squadron/50th Assault Wing) which received the ex-Hungarian machines as an interim replacement for the Breda Ba.65 in 1940. In this squadron, together with other types, they served until 1941 when they were replaced by the ground attack variant of the Fiat Cr.42. 

There was also an Idro (Italian word for "Hydro") version, equipped with floaters. This was intended to be used for naval reconnaissance purposes and had reduced bow glazing and no weapons. In August 1940 when the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) was looking for a replacement for the IMAM Ro.43 observation biplane, Caproni presented the Ca.310 Idro. There was a single prototype of this variant, which was converted later into the Ca.316. It seems that the Kingdom of Yugoslavia showed interest on this variant, after a demonstration flight was made at hydroplane station in Divulje, as they ordered six Ca.310bis Idro machines to serve with the Royal Yugoslav Navy in February 1939. These aircraft were intended to perform reconnaissance and target towing duties and their delivery deadline was 30th June 1941. However, by April 1941, when Yugoslavia was invaded by the Axis, only two Piaggio engines had been delivered. We drawn a hypothetical version of this aircraft serving with Yugoslavia. The Italian one should be regarded as speculative.

After the Italian Armistice in September 1943, some machines served with the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force which, after the end of the war, were kept on active service with the Aeronautica Militare (Post-War Italian Air Force) until 1948. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caproni_Ca.310

2. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235096763-caproni-ca310/

3. https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/16154/Caproni-Ca-310-Libeccio

4. https://comandosupremo.com/caproni-ca-310/

Morane-Saulnier Ms.406, foreign users, part two

 

The Morane-Saulnier Ms.406 was a French fighter aircraft designed, developed and manufactured by Morane-Saulnier from 1938 onwards. With more than 1.000 aircraft having been manufactured, it was France's most manufactured fighter of the time and it was exported to many countries, or it was going to be exported:

• Belgium: The Ms.406 had attracted considerable foreign attention during the late 1930s and was showing signs of commercial promise. In fact, during 1937, when the prototype was shown at the Brussels Aeronautical Exhibition, negotiations were underway to undertake the licensed production of the type by Belgian aircraft manufacturer Avions Fairey for both the Belgian and French Air Forces. Those negotiations, however, came to nothing. Anyway, we decided to draw a hypothetical Belgian variant of the fighter.
• Independent State of Croatia: In July 1943 the Luftwaffe sold 36 Ms.406 to the Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia. Those machines were acquired to increase combat effectiveness against the increasing Allied air raids over the Balkans. They were assigned to the 21st, 22nd and 23rd Jato (Squadrons) of the 11th Group of the Croat Air Force. Ten more machines were incorporated in December 1943. Most of them were either destroyed or captured during late stages of the war.
• Poland: The Polish Air Force ordered 160 aircraft in September 1939. An initial batch of 30 machines was already shipped via the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and Romania, but as Poland fell, they were diverted to Turkey. We've drawn an hypothetical version of the Ms.406 serving with the Polish Air Force in 1939.
• Turkey: The initial batch of 30 fighters originally planned for Poland was diverted to Istanbul, and later to Yesïlkoy (Turkey) where they were assembled, under the supervision of French technicians and put into service with the Turkish Undersecretariat of Military Aviation (the forerunner of the Turkish Air Force). They were followed by 45 additional machines in March 1940, just before the fall of France. They were assigned to the 43rd and 48th Companies of the 11th Battalion of the 4th Regiment, based at Kütahya. 
  In 1943 the Ms.406 was already been withdrawn from the active duty as a fighter and they were used as advanced trainers in the Flying School at Eskisehir. In 1945 they were definitely retired from service.
• Yugoslavia & Yugoslav partisans: The Royal Yugoslav Air Force, ordered 25 fighters, however, the fall of France prevented their delivery. That's not excuse for us to draw an hypothetical-looking version in Yugoslav colours. 
  Anyway, during the closing stages of the War, in 1945, Yugoslav partisans managed to capture some of them. They were not used by the subsequent SFR Yugoslav Air Force so they were either destroyed, scrapped or withdrawn from use early after the end of the War.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_M.S.406

2. https://world-war-2.wikia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_M.S.406#Croatia

3. http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/1923ve50/ms406.asp

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Avia S-92 - Never were users

This is some atypical post as we cover the intended foreign users of this airplane.

The first country to show interest on this airplane was Yugoslavia, as in 1947 a Yugoslav pilot was trained in Czechoslovakia on the type.
The Yugoslav were very interested on improving their fighter fleet with some jets in order to support their mixed propeller fighters. After reconsidering it, they decided to stick to propeller fighters until the more modern jets like the American F-84 Thunderjet was available. Their other concern was that Avia maybe could cancel the S-92 project as it wasn't economically profitable.

Israel on it's part, showed some interest on the type during 1948 and 1949 in order to fly them or buying the already completed few ones for cash. Apparently, in 1950 there are reports from Egyptian intelligence of an Israeli jet fighter crashing into Ekron airbase, when the whole Israeli Air Force at the time was still piston-powered. According to that report the type that crashed was most likely an Avia S-92. Some time later, an Egyptian transport airplane reported that was harassed by an Israeli jet airplane that looked like a German Me.262.
Actually, the S-92 was never flown by the IAF even if they started negotiations to buy it. It seems that the origin of the urban legend is on the British intentional leaks to Egyptian intelligence in order to cover-up the fact that, in 1950, Israel had already jet fighters, some of the earlier version of the Gloster Meteor and some De Havilland Vampires, even if it wasn't until 1953 that they oficially recognized their existance.
The IAF has stated many times, the last one in 2005 that they have never flown the Avia S-92.

Sources:
1. https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2015/08/12/the-s-92-czechoslovakias-me-262/
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of FIghters

Aero A.102 - Fictional users

Now we cover some fictional users for this elegant airplane.

• Republican Spain: There was a report of a high winged monoplane fighter that was being used by the Republicans, that didn't fit in the description of other confirmed ones. By a process of elimination it has been suggested that it could be one of the two prototypes of the A.102, however it's very unlikely.
• Kingdom of Egypt: If the A.102 had been successful, maybe some British company, Gloster, in this case, could have bought the production license and would have started manufacturing, and selling them to some commonwealth countries, at an affordable price. Kingdom of Egypt could have been one of those countries.
• Kingdom of Yugoslavia: Looking for affordable airplane fighters to equip their squadrons, it wouldn't be absurd to think that they could've been interested on the A.102 given the currency exchange rate, it was cheaper to buy in Czech Korunas, than in British Pounds, American Dollars, German Reichmarks or French Francs.

AERFER Sagittario II - Fictional Users

This is just a quick entry to show you some fictional camouflage schemes for various possible users for the Sagittario II if it had gone into mass production.

The countries are:

• Austria
• Finland
• Greece
• Mexico
• Sweden
• Turkey
• Yugoslavia