Characteristics:

Format, hard cover, 184 pages, 3 pictures in color, 259 in b/w, 1/72 drawings, 5 pages from the tech notice, 18 color profiles, 2 “A-4” format 3D cutaways. French text.

 Considered as the little DC –3 or the big Beech –18, the Caudron GOELAND (Gull), played a major role in the French skies. Studied by the well known Marcel Riffard (father of the blue Caudron racers engaged in the Deutsch de la Meurthe races in the 30’s), the airplane was considered as a low cost airplane, built mainly in wood. With a 17.60m wingspan and a 13.35m length, it could carry 6 passengers and the crew, plus 120kg of freight. Used by civil companies in and outside France before the second world war, it wore the military livery during the second conflict, under French, Spanish, Polish, German, Slovak colors. Built in many samples, it obviously took service after VE-Day, in its home forces (Air Force and and Aeronavale (Navy). Lela Presse publish here a clear study on a forgotten workhorse of the sky. It cover the different types, C441- 444 – 445 - 445M – 446 – 447 - 449. The story is chronological from the birth to the end of the story, in France and elsewhere. The quality of the pictures go from rather good (remember wartime)to excellent (for details). They illustrate the “listing “ of the individual aircraft stories. Aside the French typical roundels, good shots from the civil peace time, and foreign force could give ideas for modellers (1/72 eurokit c-445 model), and why not a scratchbuilt model with the help of the 1/72 drawings (bulkheads) .

The interior lay out is well display via pictures ,3D views, and tech arrangement files (commercial, sanitary, post..), as the gear and pilot cabin. Finally the 18 profiles give us a good idea of the finished birds in silver, blue, and camouflage dress (amazing Luftwaffe desert camo , which used it extensively).

All in all an other good solid research on an uncommon freighter.JPP

Available at:

http://www.avionsbateaux.com/

December 2005

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