- Joined
- 11 March 2006
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I have often bugged here with a lot of question with regards to this company. Feel reassured, quite probably this
won’t happen again. Got my copy of the book on Wednesday and principally all types and projects, I’ve ever asked
for are included and even lots more, I never heard before. The book starts with the very first types designed by Léon
and Robert Morane and Raymond Saulnier and ends with those types, that actually were produced under the name of
SOCATA. 432 pages with over 400 illustrations (haven’t checked, how many are photos and how many are drawings)
are illustrating every built types and nearly all variants and actually LOTS of projects. Those twin engined transports, I was
searching for for years, a surprinsing number of VTOL projects (apart from the known Statodyne designs !) and many single
engined light aircraft, both civil and military.
Quality of printing is good, the layout sometimes reminded me more of a magazine, than of a book, but that’s a matter of
taste. Better known types like the MS.406, MS.500 or 470 series are shown with large high quality 3-views, drawings of
projects sometimes are a bit small and sketchy, the same often applies for drawings of different variants, e.g. the different
engines of the Criquets (MS.500 to 506). But it's generally enough to get a fair idea, what they would have look like.
During the three I have the book now, Ididn't read it completely, of course, but got a general overview. And still yet I’ve found
only two errors: The side view of the MS.760C Paris III (at least I'm pretty sure about it !) and the TRK bomber prototype,
where the same error as in the much better drawing from Davilla/Soltan „French Aircraft of the First World War” was repeated.
And for one error I actually have to blame myself ! On page 349 I found a drawing, said to depict the MS 753, or maybe the
MS. 790 (??) early jet trainer design. It’s a drawing, I’ve made some years ago, based just on the descriptions of the MS.752
in Jean Cunys “Les Avions De Combat Francaise” and known to be wrong, since I got the Trait d’Union article. Well, somehow
it made its way into this book without my knowledge (would have warned otherwise !), but honestly I’m not really angry not to
have been credited. Who ? ME ?? Nevertheless this book will be the “bible” for all those interested in this old French aviation
company and very worthwhile reading for other aviation enthusiasts, well worth of dusting the maybe long forgotten knowledge
of the French language.
won’t happen again. Got my copy of the book on Wednesday and principally all types and projects, I’ve ever asked
for are included and even lots more, I never heard before. The book starts with the very first types designed by Léon
and Robert Morane and Raymond Saulnier and ends with those types, that actually were produced under the name of
SOCATA. 432 pages with over 400 illustrations (haven’t checked, how many are photos and how many are drawings)
are illustrating every built types and nearly all variants and actually LOTS of projects. Those twin engined transports, I was
searching for for years, a surprinsing number of VTOL projects (apart from the known Statodyne designs !) and many single
engined light aircraft, both civil and military.
Quality of printing is good, the layout sometimes reminded me more of a magazine, than of a book, but that’s a matter of
taste. Better known types like the MS.406, MS.500 or 470 series are shown with large high quality 3-views, drawings of
projects sometimes are a bit small and sketchy, the same often applies for drawings of different variants, e.g. the different
engines of the Criquets (MS.500 to 506). But it's generally enough to get a fair idea, what they would have look like.
During the three I have the book now, Ididn't read it completely, of course, but got a general overview. And still yet I’ve found
only two errors: The side view of the MS.760C Paris III (at least I'm pretty sure about it !) and the TRK bomber prototype,
where the same error as in the much better drawing from Davilla/Soltan „French Aircraft of the First World War” was repeated.
And for one error I actually have to blame myself ! On page 349 I found a drawing, said to depict the MS 753, or maybe the
MS. 790 (??) early jet trainer design. It’s a drawing, I’ve made some years ago, based just on the descriptions of the MS.752
in Jean Cunys “Les Avions De Combat Francaise” and known to be wrong, since I got the Trait d’Union article. Well, somehow
it made its way into this book without my knowledge (would have warned otherwise !), but honestly I’m not really angry not to
have been credited. Who ? ME ?? Nevertheless this book will be the “bible” for all those interested in this old French aviation
company and very worthwhile reading for other aviation enthusiasts, well worth of dusting the maybe long forgotten knowledge
of the French language.
