North Vietnam put leftovers on the menu

[Spinners 15,986]

Republic Aviation P-47N Tiếng sấm sét - North Vietnam Air Force, 1955

 

The Viet Minh artillery attacks against the French airbase at Dien Bien Phu on March 16th, 1954  resulted in the destruction of six French F8F Bearcats , five MS.500's and two helicopters. In addition, several French P-47N Thunderbolts, F6F Hellcats, SB2C Helldivers and PB4Y Privateers were damaged and could not be flown out. This setback was immediately compound by a failed air-drop to help sustain the besieged French garrison and before long the Viet Minh insurgents had overrun the garrison despite a very brave defence by the French forces.

 

Immediately following the Geneva Conference of July 1954, which recognised the 17th parallel as being a provisional military demarcation line dividing the country into two zones, North Vietnam soon started the development of military aviation in the new Communist state by sending a number of trainees to the USSR and China for pilot training and aircraft maintenance training. In September 1954, Vice-Premier Phạm Văn Đồng ordered the immediate formation of the North Vietnam Air Force mainly using aircraft left behind by the retreating French forces but soon bolstered by equipment from the Soviet Union. Sufficient P-47N's were scraped together to form the 921st Fighter Regiment based at Thanh Hoá Air Base who were declared operational in February 1955.

 

 

 

 

 

Russo's sweet P-47N!

[+ext 52]

Very nice !!!  Any chance of uploading this one?

[Spinners 15,986]

Can't see a problem with that. Look out for it during the week ahead.

[+Nyghtfall 2,154]

That camouflage really fits the plane! Nice work.

[+Stary 2,427]

damn that looks good Spinners

[Spinners 15,986]

[+Stary 2,427]

also just an idea, akin to later period IJA camo, remove the grey-blue and show bare metal underneath? Would come closer to the Nam period Mig camo that way

[+dtmdragon 2,704]

Love that camo