Issue No 21 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN 21
several miles through the dunes to Nouakchott
airfield, where repair work began. While there,
the Ensign received the provisional French civil
registration F-AFZV, a French “F” prefix simply
replacing the British “G”.
A NEW OWNER
In early March 1942 F-AFZV was offered to Air
France, the airline’s board designating M Larcher
to determine how best the aircraft could be used.
A new registration, F-BAHD, was accordingly
assigned (although some sources, including some
official records, mark it erroneously as F-BAHO).
The availability of spare parts would be a major
consideration, however, the Ensign having
accrued about 800 airframe hours and 60 engine
hours by this time. A particular obstacle seemed
to be the tyres, which had been damaged by the
towing operation. As the Ensign had previously
served on the IAL/BOAC London—Paris and
London—Marseille routes, Air France initiated a
hunt for these precious tyres at Le Bourget and
Marignane in May 1942. It appears that tyres and
spare parts had been found at Le Bourget by June,
but the approval of the German authorities for
their disposal had yet to be acquired.
The Ensign was finally officially handed over to
Air France in July 1942, performing a 15min test
flight from Nouakchott on the 15th, followed by
a 55min flight on the 21st. It was then transferred
to Dakar in French West Africa (now Senegal) on
a 1hr 45min flight on July 27. The British camou-
flage was removed and the French pseudo-
registration F-AFZV was replaced with the official
F-BAHD. It was also renamed Nouakchott and
received regulatory tricolour bands, with “Air
France” painted on the forward fuselage. Accor-
ding to some sources, it then performed a number
of flights between Port Étienne in Mauritania,
ding to some sources, it then performed a number
of flights between Port Étienne in Mauritania,
ding to some sources, it then performed a number
Dakar in French West Africa and Bamako and
Gao in French Sudan (now Mali). These are
unconfirmed reports, however, and these flights
seem rather unlikely.
In September 1942 the Ensign was ready to be
returned to the French mainland by Air France
crew members Fulachier and Merelard. The
General Government of French West Africa
proposed taking the opportunity to send food
back to France, but authorisation to do so was
refused by the Vichy government. The FrenchABOVE Stripped of its British camouflage down to a bare-metal finish, the Ensign is seen here having its engines
run up at Ouakam in French West Africa (now Senegal) in 1942. The aircraft’s official registration, F-BAHD, has
been applied and tricolour stripes added to the rudder, wings and aft fuselage, along with a large “F” on the fin.
Powerplant 4 x 1,100 h.p. Wright GR-1820-G102A
Cyclone radial piston engines driving Hamilton
Standard 23E50 107 metal propellers
Dimensions
Span 123ft 0in (37·5m)
Length 114ft 0in (33·8m)
Height 23ft 0in (7·0m)
Wing area 2,450ft² (227·6m²)
Weights
Empty 36,590lb (16,597kg)
Loaded 55,500lb (25,174kg)
Wing loading 22·6lb/ft² (110kg/m²)
Performance
Maximum speed
at 7,200ft (2,200m) 208 m.p.h. (338km/h)
Cruise speed
at 5,000ft (1,500m) 180 m.p.h. (290km/h)
Climb 900ft/min (4·5m/sec)
Service ceiling 24,000ft (7,300m)
Normal range 1,370 miles (2,200km
at 170 m.p.h. at 274km/h
at 5,000ft at 1,500m)ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH AW.27
ENSIGN Mk II DATA