Association ‘‘ Anciens Aérodromes’’ 2A Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

n° 019 – juin 2011 *** Site Internet : http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com

Forum (réservé aux membres) : http://www.anciens-aerodromes.org/forum/index.php

Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’ Editorial

http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com New members

May has gone with an encouraging outcome. The Merville exhibition was a great success, and our nd keenly-awaited 2 publication has attracted a lot of interest. The participation by the Communauté de Communes Flandres Lys helped highlight the show through a very professional poster. Exhibits will soon be permanently on show in the Eolys building, thus guaranteeing the survival of the airfield’s history. Our focus will now stretch further afield to consolidate a more national mission. Summer will soon be upon us with breaks and airshows. Please help widen our exposure through contacts and new reports.

Claude Archambault, specialist

1939-1945

crash

site

Henri Wicquart, Nantes.

Activity report May 2011 4 May The Luftwaffe at Lanvéoc-Poulmic. See this page via 2A member Daniel Dahiot’s site http://www.absa3945.com/terrains%20bretagne/lanveoc_poulmic.html 5 May Merville from the air, 1980

Laurent Bailleul

Contents Editorial New members Activity Report This month’s aerodrome Websites, mags This month’s museum DVD/Books Of airfields, planes and men Diary Merville exhibition

page 1 page 1 page 1 page 5 page 6 page 6 page 7 page 8 page 10 page 11

Coll. Alain d’Orgeville 5 May Battle of Britain Monument, The Embankment, London

Olivier Mahieu

Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

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Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’ 7 May Journée Nationale de la Réserve (JNR2011) 2A was present at Le Bourget alongside the ANORAA and the ANSORAA to welcome civilian visitors to the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace.

http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com

8 May A recent flight for the ailes Ancienne’s Lancaster? No, it was only a trolley swap. It is recalled that the Ailes Anciennes are 2A members and are working on the restoration of the Aéronavale’s Lanc.

© Claude Tougard Jean Michel Borde, Thierry Gehan, Joel Févre, Jean François Aniere, Daniel Flahaut, Philippe Morinière and Laurent Bailleul attended.

8 May Lyon-Bron hangars From Pierre Lussignol (SLHADA), a recent photo of the Bron hangars, survivors of 1944 raids. They now house a vehicle auction company

© Pierre Lussignol

Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

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Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’ 15 May Article by the European Federation of Historic Aviation (EFHA) Article on the French Catalina. http://www.efha.eu/emailhtml/nieuwsletter/svoF.html

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17 May Question : Nîmes Courbessac MESSAGE : < Would you have details referring to the use, by the Luftwaffe, of Courbessac airfield between 1943 & 1944 ? In particular the use of former 726 AB? This is destined for a reader of the city’s national archives. Merci d'avance.> [email protected] 18 May Nantes Château-Bougon Story of Château-Bougon airfield Our new member Henri Wicquart, member of « Les Aéroplanes », an association aiming to maintain and restore our historical past. The airfield is described in their bi-annual newsletter, available on demand.

© EFHA 15 May New photos of Ronchin

Remains of a Fairey Battle abandoned in front of a Bellman hangar. © Coll. Onera Centre de Lille via Jean Luc Charles

21 May Nantes Château-Bougon in May 1934. IGN

Four people, of which two better-known : L-R Raymond Marin la Meslée pilot-training (brother of Edmond, national hero); Charly Simoëns, Lille aeroclub chief pilot; Athalstan Marin la Meslée, secretary of the Lille aero-club and father of Edmond; Pruvost, pilot-training.

Three young mechanics

Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

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Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’ 21-22 May Exhibition & meeting, Merville-Calonne

Two days full of exhibition and persentation of our book no.2 on the Merville-Calonne airfield history. Many visitors in the Eolys site hall. An exhibition staged by the Communauté de Communes Flandres Lys, with the association ‘’Les Amis du Vieux Merville’’ and that of the Abbaye de Beaupré presented the history of the 1st Merville a/f and that of La Gorgue. The book was a great success as well as the 3D video animation of one of the surviving German hangars.

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25 May Archives Départementale http://archives.rhone.fr

du

Rhône

sur

A new and stimulating website, Web 2.0 [untranslated]: - un accès direct par un nuage de mots à 10 fonds numérisés (3 millions d'images) - une recherche experte : une base de données de 300 000 descriptions de fonds ou de documents - une recherche guidée (personne, lieu) : des clés pour mener sa recherche et un accès simplifié à la base de données - une recherche guidée par thème : une arborescence conduit progressivement à des résultats ciblés. Un an de travail d'une équipe d'archivistes pour plus de 16 000 résultats organisés thématiquement pour l'internaute ! - une recherche guidée par période : sous la forme d'une frise interactive, visualisez les fonds d'archives conservés pour chaque grande période historique - plus de 1 500 instruments de recherche en ligne - des outils d'aide à la recherche - une indexation collaborative ouverte à tous - un partage des résultats sur les réseaux sociaux et par messagerie. Matthieu Pilorget 25 May Concrete hangar at Nevers

© Guilhem Labeeuw 24 May Boissy-le-Châtel Communal website :

Another hangar ripe for redevelopment.

http://www.boissy-lechatel.fr/index.php?page=histoire-de-boissy By Alain Graton, 2A.

Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

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Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’

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This month’s aerodrome Star-shaped ‘field platform « M. Armengaud Jeune, who witnessed many experiments aloft, came to the conclusion that the takeoff procedure for monoplanes or biplanes could be improved. Nine out of ten times unsticking is not at the right time once takeoff velocity is obtained, i.e. when vertical reaction owed to air pressure is capable of lifting the machine’s weight. The cause for this issue can often be attributed to the nature of the field, namely that of the spot where the aeroplane is positioned at the appropriate time of unsticking. For example, if the ground offers a lateral unevenness, wings will lean either left or right and air pressure would then be destabilised. In other words, the a/c becomes unstable and loses lift. One can thus assume that at takeoff, the a/c wings must be perfectly horizontal. Wing warping or use of ailerons would allow the machine to be levelled, but considerable experience and rapid thinking is required – something yet to be mastered by beginners. Despite Capitaine Ferber’s experience, who is delegated by the Air League to the Savigny-surOrge* flying school, student training is still insufficient in this domain. The aircraft [trainer] has several times been broken, an expensive exercise with so far over 5’000 fr. spent during 3 months. The French method, which does not require a launching device as used by the Wright Bros, is considered more suitable and no doubt in line with future requirements unless an auxiliary, on-board launching device can be devised in future. This is not yet the case and whilst American flyers suffer fewer mishaps and lower costs, French pilots have to suffer aborted takeoffs, often accompanied by accidents and repair costs which mount so far to over 2 million francs. We are aware that such costs suffered by the friendly and stubborn M. Blériot amount to some 700’000 francs. These conclusions led M. Armengaud Jeune to recommend flyers to level their airfields in such a way that their machine can take off in a stable manner against any wind. His related project foresees one or several star-shaped ramps linked to a platform on the field. None would exceed 50cm in height, and each would cover 15m X 50-100m. 8, 10 or 12 ramps could be envisaged to answer take off needs in any wind.

The shallow elevation of the platform and ramps, would ensure laying costs would remain low, particularly if the chosen field is mildly downhill and suitable for such a construction. Levelling and compressing of the ground, accompanied by tarring or concreting would be necessary. This would enable takeoffs to be made easily and cheaply, regardless of weather-related or ground conditions, unless of course winds are too strong. Later, once aircraft have technically evolved and more experience is gained, these platforms could probably be discarded but for now they are essential for safe and economical operations.» * Juvisy Port-Aviation L’Aéronaute, 15 June 1909 Official publication by the Société Française de Navigation Aérienne Thanks to François Paquet, after an un-authored article.

Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

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Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’

http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com

Websites, mags


112 AB in 1944 ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMCsG5 -JiN8


Chinese airbases http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-201101.html#mozTocId85403
A Bessonneau for the Aeroscope http://aircollection.pagespersoorange.fr/bessonneau.htm WWII tower

This months’s museum Open to contribution from all

Liverpool John Lennon Airport Jean-Michel Borde (2A member)

Percival Prince, sole short-nose survivor. Under restoration.

DH Dragon Rapide outside former art-deco terminal entrance (now 4-star hotel)

T7 trainer Hunter

HP Jetstream, former navigational trainer, on former apron

Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

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Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’

http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com

DVD / Books Three books :

Pour mémoire n°9- Winter 2010

112 AB REIMS, behind the scenes By Jean-Pierre Calka & Frédéric Lafarge Preface by Colonel Jean-Michel Meyer, Commandant 112 AB.

POUR MEMOIRE, a news service from the Comité d’Histoire, was created in 2006 to allow ministry officials and the public to access a history of Administrations, of which Environment, Sustainable, Transport and Housing.* This bi-annual publication, sometimes accompanied by a special edition, aims to -illustrate the purpose and work of some administrations, their jobs and professional environments as exposed first hand by professionals. -enable university research on the history of administrative, political and technical viewpoints. -permit reports on studies or conferences. It is available free on request or downloadable from the Secrétariat du Comité d’histoire, Ministère du Développement Durable, Tour Pascal B 92055 La Défense Cedex. *n° 9 features 2 researched articles on air transpo rt in France between 1890 - 2000 (Espérou, Dupaigne, Lalande). http://www.developpementdurable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/pm9.pdf

176 coulour pages, over 200 illustrations ISBN 978-2-87825-497-6 € 28 Order via : http://www.ba112.air.defense.gouv.fr/index.php?opt ion=com_content&view=article&id=459&catid=8

The upcoming closure of 112 AB "Commandant Marin la Meslée", Reims, led Jean-Pierre Calka and Frédéric Lafarge to trace the base’s history through personal anecdotes and insider stories, thus placing a human focus on this Armée de l’Air base. Commissioned in 1928 and bearing the designation 112 since the ‘30s it became host to many air force units. The day-to-day life of men and machines was punctuated with oftern-forgotten events, touching or tragic.

Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

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Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’

A late crown for Guynemer By Luc Vanacker Preface by Colonel Pierre Alain Antoine (membre 2A)

http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com Of airfields, planes and men

A new page which helps discover new areas of interest amongst us. Open to all.

GERIN, man and plane GERIN V – 6 E « VARIVOL » The plane that never flew.

17x24 book 88 pages € 14 + €4 P&P Contact Laurent Bailleul The demise of Georges Guynemer over Flanders on 11 September 1917 remains shrouded in mystery. Who shot down this Frenchman credited with 53 confirmed kills? Probably not pilot Kurt Wissemann to whom this kill was first attributed. Where did Guynemer’ Spad crash ? South of Poelkapelle, where in 1935 an aero engine was unearthed ? Should this be the case, the crashsite can be seen on a photo taken three days after the event. What happened to Guynemer’s body ? Which of the four official German responses is credible ? And how much credit should one attribute to young Belgians’ claim to finding the body of an anonymous French aviator in late summer 1917 ? This book seeks for the first time to reconstruct, using hitherto unpublished material, what happened between 11-14 September 1917.

The first variable geometry aircraft was built at Boulogne Billancourt by Jacques GERIN, engineer at the Compagnie Française d’Aviation, persuaded to overcome conflicting constraints. The idea was to obtain maximum speed in flight, and minimum speed at landing by varying the wingspan. Studies included a variable tailplane on a biplane ; appendixes from which whale zools extend ; « autostable profile» ; and a decrease in wingspan on the second went from 18 m2 to 4,4 m2 wings retracted [apologies original text unclear]. Extending the wing raised the problem of the strength of the modulable surface, often torn under pressure. Windtunnel trials led to the destruction of the first model in 1936. Pylon-mounted windtunnel tests were conducted at Chalais Meudon and at Issy les Moulineaux. During trials at Villacoublay, Jacques GERIN said : « If the wing surface bothers me, I retract it ; if it is unsufficient to land, I extend it…… ». «Technica » review N°44, October 1936 (23-26 rue de Moselle Lyon)

Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

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Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’

http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com

bear the ‘20’ designation. Thus the ‘SFCA Lignel 16’ became the ‘Lignel 20’ and ‘20S’ ; the ‘Capra RR’ became ‘Capra R20’. Amongst the contestants were also the Max-Holste MH20 and the Payen PA22. Since many years the Caudron-Renaults were picking up the Deutsch prizes amongst others. Noteworthy is that Caudron did not change their designation for 1939, retaining type numbers C460, C530 & C770. The Bugatti 100P and Dewoitine D590 were allowed to participate so long as their engine capacity remained under 8 litres. Unfortunately the race was not staged, and France would soon need new military aircraft. The extended wing reveals the assembly between wing and fuselage, which was to be protected by a shroud strong enough to resist wind pressure. It also had to ensure lift without creating undue drag due to airflow and pressure. Turbulence is considered a viscous dynamics; [following untranslated – I’m not an aero engineer, sorry, RC] le tenseur de Reynolds est alors relié linéairement au tenseur de déformation moyennée, si l’on en croit les équations de Navier-Stokes et l’approximation de Boussinesq. Il faut également tenir compte de la densité du flux turbulent de chaleur qui est relié à la température moyennée et inclure le coefficient de conductivité turbulent. An error of 1% on the total drag of a long-haul aircraft equates to 800 Kg kerosene over 10 000 km, or 5 passengers.

The stubborn Gerin readied for the cup. Sure, his first experiment failed – his concept had its share of problems, his biplane’s tailplane was unsustainable; but he remained confident that contrary to the Makhonine process (see Mak 10. 1931) the reduction of vortex through reduction of wing surface would be compensated by the increase in induced drag. He studied the brand new V-6E. 1940 War put an end to Gerin’s work, and the « Varivol » was taken from Meudon to Toulouse to be hidden ; it was unfortunately destroyed at the end of the war.

COUPE DEUTSCH DE LA MEURTHE The aircraft was part of its time’s wild aeronautical projects, to which the State participated with enthusiastic support, financial or material. Such aircraft were encouraged to take part in races or meetings, and to gain prizes often sponsored by billionaires; this permitted further aircraft development, both in terms of performance and reliability. Each participant was aware of the trophies’ significance – money of course but also the filling of order books by the military ; therefore the possibility to pursue a quest for perfection and performance. The State ordered 12 engines from the Société Mécanique du Béarn (SMB), comprising two engines per completed airframe. The engines were Béarn 12 A 350 / 400 HP flat-twin verticals to equip aircraft participating in the Deutsch Cup to be held on 1st October 1939. The 1938 cup was never raced as no airframe was ready on time, and foreign companies shunned the race. It has been said that the 1939 contestants were required to

Unabated, Gerin re-started work in 1946 using the Chalais-Meudon windtunnel. The V-6 E prototype remained unregistered, and was to be equipped with a 240 HP 4-cylinder in-line Renault engine boosted to 275 HP. Gerin estimated a max cruising speed of 455 kph at 2,000m, and a landing speed of 90 kph. J Bardel wrote in « Air Sport » N° 24, 1 June 1944, presenting « tomorrow’s aircraft », namely Gerin’s « Varivol » model featuring on the cover. Nothing more was to be heard of this adventurous aircraft.

Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

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Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’ Jacques Gerin was not to be defeated and was already thinging of a transatlantic transport, the « Arbalète ». Paris to New-York at 530 kph. The streamlined fuselage was flattened at the rear as a fishtail featured a 26-m2 flying surface, obtained by four small winglets of 12 m x 0,30 m fitted to a 200-m2 fuselage; total area was 285 m2 fuselage included. The « Arbalète » weighed out at 21 000 Kg with four 860 HP engines and 20 passengers, capable of 6,000 km flights.

http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com Diary

18-17 Jun Airshow incl. Battle of Britain Flight - StDizier AFB 30 Jun Disbandment ceremony, 112 AFB Reims 2A will be there. 17 Jul - Battle of Britain museum visit, Hawkinge a/f, Kent. Contact Nicolas Grebert.

An abandoned wreck The GPPA Angers regional air museum discovered 50 years later an engineless aircraft out in the open, taken out of a barn by a new owner. The engine has not been found. The notion of variable geometry was revived by the military in the 50s, such as Bell X5 (very similar to the Messerschmitt P 1101 ?) (it could have been called ‘Paper-clip’). Variable geometry only found its real bearings in the 60s with the Général Dynamics F111, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat and the XF-10F Jaguar designed for the Navy. Many countries became involved, examples including the Sukhoi 17 and MIG 23, Dassault’s Mirage IIIG, or Panavia’s Tornado. It would appear that new contruction techniques allowing delta-winged stealth aircraft have put an end to the variable geometry notion

8 Sep Monument unveiling to Remy ‘’Mony’’ Van Lierde 609 Squadron pilot, unit stationed in 1944 at Merville-Calonne. 30 Sep - 16 Oct Henry Potez exhibition in Albert, by the Histoire de Meaulte association. 4 Nov Saran airfield conference (dept 45, Loiret), by the Groupe d’Histoire Locale de Saran and JeanClaude Carpentier (2A).

- « Depuis que l’avion s’est envolé sans la permission des théoriciens, les techniciens se moquent des théoriciens. » Emile Auguste CHARTIER aka « Alain » Jean Claude Carpentier (membre 2A) Sources : Les avions à « géométrie variable » ; ailes à envergure et surface variables. http://www.aerophile.overblog.com/article-les-p http://www.sportaviation.skynetblog.be/ http://www.musee-aviationangers.fr/index.ph http://www.fandavion.free.fr/Deutsch-de-la-Meurthe.htm

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Association ‘’Anciens Aérodromes’’

http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com

Exhibition

21-22 May Merville-Calonne nd

Upon release of our 2 publication, a 12-poster exhibition was staged at our airfield HQ, outlining the ‘drome’s history.

Exhibits will soon be permanently on show in the Eolys building, thus guaranteeing the survival of the airfield’s history.

Editorial team Monthly newsletter of Anciens Aérodromes Group. Edited by members of the group, available to members and by registration upon request. Editorial team: Laurent Bailleul, François Paquet, Alain Graton, Jean-Valery Masset, Jean-Claude Carpentier. English text : Robert Copson Photos and articles are under group or owner copyright. Part or total reproduction via written request. Newsletter available via: http://www.anciensaerodromes.com 2A Editorial Committee – June 2011

Site Eolys- Aérodrome de Merville-Calonne LFQT Rue de l’Epinette, 62136 LESTREM-France

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