Fuerza Aérea Mexicana / Mexican Air Force

[wireandpaper]

Originally Posted by tigertony100

Corsairs are little known in the history of the FAM even in my country, Mexico; They were the backbone of the FAM for 20 years. The Corsairs were bought in a hurry in early 1929, given the impending nationwide armed rebellion led by General José Gonzalo Escobar. The Corsair was a biplane recently introduced by the United States Navy just two years earlier, from initial versions O2U-1 to O2U-4. After participating in this uprising, they would also see action to combat the last redoubts of the Cristero War. The 12 O2U-2M built in the United States would be joined by 31 units built under license in our country in 1932 by the company Juan F. Azcárate, SC, located in Mexico City. These aircraft built entirely in Mexico except for their engine, were called Corsairs Azcárate and were based on the O2U-4A version but had small differences in dimensions with the US version. One way to identify the original American Corsair of the Mexican Corsairs is, in addition to the registration, Mexicans from number 13, because in the empennage it carried an airplane-shaped emblem, instead of the Vought Corsair titles.
All the Corsairs would be used again on two important occasions, during the rebellion of General Saturnino Cedillo during the administration of President Lázaro Cárdenas and at the beginning of the WWII, on patrol missions, when Mexico declared war on the Axis countries. The last Corsair was decommissioned around 1946, outnumbered in technology and quantity when the new aircraft arrived through the Loan and Lease program in WWII. 10 Corsairs would also be operated with the cabin closed.
In 1979 I personally saw 6 Corsarios in a hangar at the Colegio del Aire, three were lined up and the other three were packed in boxes.
I build this Scissorsandplanes Vought O2-M3 at 1/100 Scale with 95 gr/m Opalina Paper. I modified the tail to be more accord with the Mexican version. Best Regards, Tony.

No we ve tan check / doesn't look that crooked!

[lorenzomartinez07]

Originally Posted by tigertony100

Thank You all!! Nice F-5 Lorenzo!! Seems that you're going to build three more liveries for the F-5 Tiger. Do you have the Acrobatic Scheme as well? Meanwhile, I'm aligning the teeths for the Mexican Vampire. Regards, Tony.

I have some more versions but I don't have that acrobatic version, I hope to build them soon.

[tigertony100]

Aarrrgh! I was wrong! instead of uploading an image of the WIP with the Vampires nose , German Robles picture went out. Actually he was Spaniard by born but came to Mexico due to Spanish Civil War and make his entire career as actor in Mexico. El Vampiro y El Ataúd del Vampiro (The Vampire and The Vampire´s Coffin) were among his top masterpieces. So. I'm aligning the Sharkmouth decoration. I finnished the 1/100 F-5 test build, which I wasn´t able to put together in the first attempt. When the F-5 turn comes around I'm going to upload the Free 1/300 version of the Acrobatic Scheme. I find out another Mexican Vintage film about the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana, Alas Doradas (Golden Wings) with Valentín Trujillo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXIAD91XaGk. There you can see a lot of North American T-6 Texans. Another which can't find is the second part of Aguilas de Acero although I have it in VHS format. Best Regards, Tony.

[wireandpaper]

Aguilas de acero
/ steel wings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...ature=emb_logo

[tigertony100]

a).- The Vampire Chronicles.

English-made jet trainer De Havilland T.11 Vampire of the Mexican Air Force Fighting Squadron 200. Machine 15.

The T.11 was the two-seater training version of the famous De Havilland Vampire, which is why the front of the fuselage has a different shape than the Mk.III single-seaters operated by the FAM, to give space for two pilots who sat side by side, on Martin-Baker Mark 3B ejection seats (which did not have the single-seaters).
The two trainers acquired in 1962 were registered 15 and 16 (consecutive number taking into account single-seaters from 1 to 14). They operated together with the Vampire fighters within the 200th Aerial Fighting Squadron, whose emblem can be seen on the side. The T.11 always operated in this silver scheme with stripes and tailbooms in cherry color.
Subsequently, their numerals would be painted in yellow on the empennages, the upper part of the right wing and on the front door of the landing gear. These trainers, like their combat brothers, carried four 20mm Hispano Mk.V cannons.
With room for two pilots, it was powered by a Havilland Goblin 3 turbojet engine with 3,350 pounds of thrust giving it a top speed of 476 knots (880 km / h), an operating ceiling of 42,800 feet (13,045 m) and a range of 1,060 nautical miles (1,960 km), although they used to have external fuel tanks installed under the wings.
Fortunately for those who did not know it when it was operational, this specimen is kept in the Military Aviation Museum at Military Base 1 in Santa Lucía, State of Mexico.
I build this S&P model of the T.11 at 1/100 scale and 125 gr/m Opalina paper and the entire model builds and get together without problems. The other kit available of this T.11 version is from Geli which I constructed as well.
How the Vampires arrive to FAM? That will be explained in the next post which will be extensive and a lot verbose. Best Regards, Tony.

[Vinalssergio155]

Beautiful Vampire Tony.Very good job, nice colors, interesting information, a complete combo!

[gomidefilho]

Beautiful recolor, good historical information, is thread like to watch! Many thank's my friend!

[tigertony100]

In late 1958, Guatemalan fishermen reported that Mexican shrimp boats were fishing within territorial waters in the Pacific. On December 28, 1958, a FAG C-47 flying a reconnaissance mission observed the boats and confirmed the claims of the fishermen. Guatemalan President Miguel Ydígoras commissioned Colonel Luis Urrutia, head of the FAG, to stop the abuse of Mexicans. Thus emerging Operation Drake; to locate and destroy Mexican ships within Guatemalan waters. The next day, eight P-51D Mustangs took off and found the Mexican ships, destroying them after three passes at low altitude and high speed. Three ships were sunk and the rest were intercepted by patrol boats from the Guatemalan Navy. The Mexican fishermen were arrested and imprisoned. The Mexican Government alleged that they were in Mexican waters. The only Mexican armed arm capable of effectively returning the blow was the FAM, but this was at one of the lowest points in its history. Mexican President López Mateos convened a military junta, there the FAM chief General Alberto Vieytes declared that he did not have the necessary resources for it, since there were few operational planes, which earned him his dismissal. He was replaced by General Roberto Fierro, who immediately ordered all P-47 Thunderbolts operational, as well as the T-28 Trojan, Beech AT-11, and AT-6 Texan. General Fierro (a veteran of the Pacific war) was concerned about the threat of the Guatemalan Mustangs, the next day $ 100,000 dollars was assigned to the FAM to gain some response capacity. A contingent is created with the planes that were available and Operation Gaviota arises: the destruction of the Aurora Air Base in Guatemala City.

[tigertony100]

It should be clarified that the Thunderbolts were already unsubscribed and even one of a monument was downloaded; and that the FAM mechanics left them in flight conditions. Operation Gaviota began with a high-altitude reconnaissance flight over La Aurora air base by a Beech AT-11. A couple of hours later, a flight of armed T-6s and T-28s departed from BAM No.4 heading south, trying to reach Guatemala City. 20 minutes later the P-47s took off following the first flight giving them time to hit their target. The T-28s were loaded with two napalm bombs each while the T-6s and P-47s were armed with machine guns, since their main task was to provide protection to the T-28s. Finally, a Douglas C-47, played the role of command and communications post, took off from Tuxtla later that morning, and headed for Guatemala as well.
For their part, the T-28s made a quick pass over La Aurora to locate their targets and headed west to prepare to attack from that direction.
The planes broke formation, armed their bombs, and began their descent toward the target. However, when the first T-28 was targeting one of the La Aurora hangars, the radio silence was broken with an urgent message to all the units involved in the operation: abort the mission. The T-28s just made another pass at low altitude above the hangars, almost ripping the roofs off, then regrouped and headed south trying to win the shoreline. The rest of the planes also made a quick escape from the area a couple of minutes later. On their way back, the T-28s carrying bombs had to eject them over the sea to decrease fuel consumption and be able to reach BAM No.4. An old general said, "We all know the facts well, but no one talks about them. And if someone breaks the silence, then it is necessary to deny it." The events around operations Drake and Gaviota fell into that kind of event, and became almost an urban legend. Mainly because there is no verifiable documentation or statement to support these operations.

[wireandpaper]

Quien te dio el chisme / where did you learned about it?
This is a facinating story!