20 http://www.aeroplanemonthly.com AEROPLANE SEPTEMBER 2017The Merlin’s French
connection
Aeroplane reader Bruno
Muller has kindly been in
touch with some more
information about French
Rolls-Royce Merlin
applications. The Dewoitine
D521 and the Amiot 356 were
Merlin-powered derivatives of
existing designs; with these in
mind, the French Air Ministry
considered an order for 463
Merlins to be built in Britain.
The D521 was based on the
D520, replacing the Hispano-
Suiza powerplant with a Merlin
III. The conversion was mooted
in October 1939, and
modifi cation of production
airframe c/n 41 was completed
in early 1940. Seven test fl ights
were made starting on 9
February, clearly showing that
the D521 had better
performance than the D520.
Despite the Merlin being more
than 100kg heavier than the
Hispano-Suiza, with a
maximum recorded speed of
352mph the D521 was
15-20mph faster than the
D520, and had a better rate of
climb. Unfortunately the
Merlin’s thrust line was 20cm
lower than the Hispano-Suiza’s,
which meant the propeller had
to be cropped to avoid
damage on take-off. Either the
engine bearers would have had
to have been moved on
production aircraft, or a
modifi ed undercarriage used.
Without a more refi ned
engine installation the aircraft
was diffi cult to handle. The
test pilots concluded that in its
current state it was “too
dangerous”, not helped by the
fact that the Merlin’s rotation
was in the opposite direction
to the Hispano-Suiza.
However, by November 1939
it was becoming clear that
Fordair was unlikely to
undertake French Merlin
licence-manufacture, and so
the D521, at one point
envisaged as a successor toSkywriters
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putting ‘Skywriters’ in the headerIn association with...Paris ‘67’s fatal fi nale
While the 1967 Paris Salon was memorable
for Denis Calvert and Richard Waller (see
Flight Line in the June issue and Skywriters in
July’s), it was also a show I remember
particularly well for the event mentioned by
Richard, the Fouga Magister crash on the
Sunday.
That afternoon I was one of a small number
of press photographers who made their way
across the grass to within a few feet of the
main show runway, as was permitted in those
days. Being the last event on the last day,
most of the ‘snappers’ had gone by the time
the Patrouille de France took off to close the
show. The climax was a fi nal ‘bomb burst’,
with the aircraft scattering to the four points
of the compass across the airfi eld. My camera
on this occasion was a clunky Mamiya C
twin-lens refl ex, company-owned and
accountable to those who had the temerity to
ask for it from the less than amiable head of
IPC Transport Press.
Looking down into the refl ected image, I
gauged that the aircraft heading down and
planning to cross the runway and the
crowdline would be exactly in front of me
when it fl attened out, looking good for a
highly dramatic shot. Following it down in the
viewfi nder it was suddenly head-on and at my
height. I was about to drop to my knees when
there was a huge thump, and a yellow and
black fi reball shot into the air and headed
directly for me.Never have I moved so fast on my hands and
knees as I sought to avoid the fi reball. I could
feel the heat coming rapidly towards me and,
now bent double to avoid being burned
alive, ran towards the crowd. I looked round
and the fi re appeared to stop on the other
side of the runway. I looked down... no
camera! It had fallen out of its leather case
during my frantic dash. Panic and fear
gripped me for a second time — what was I
going to say to the head honcho as I handed
him the lanyard and empty case the following
day? “Sorry, your camera is at Le Bourget, in
the grass about 30ft from the main runway.”
What could I do but retrace my exhausting
dash back to what I thought would be the
centre of the burning remains of the Magister.
Another chap not far away shouted, “What
are you doing? Run or the police will grab
you!” I ignored him and crawled towards the
fi re, my one dread being that I would come
across the body of the poor pilot. Suddenly,
there in the longish grass was the Mamiya. I
grabbed it, took three shots and ran.
By that time the fi re crews were heading
towards the burning aircraft and I high-tailed
it to the safety of anonymity in the crowd. At
the press centre, the Flight group had
assembled for the Beech Baron fl ight back to
Gatwick, and away we went.
“Good trip?” “Yes, thanks”. “Camera OK?”
“Fine...”
Barry WheelerIn every issue, the writer of our Letter of the Month wins a £25 book voucher £25 book voucher £25 book voucher to spend to spend
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The fi ery aftermath of
the Patrouille de France
Magister crash at Le Bourget
40 years ago.20-21_AM_SKYWRITERS_Sept17_cc C.indd 20 31/07/2017 16: