Managed to complete my Flying Zucchini in time for the ORIGINAL "Best before..." date.
France had obtained a certain number of Piasecki H-21 in the early fifties. They were much used in Algeria both as assault troop transports, and as gunships.
After the first tests, France obtained a license to produce them , in the SNCASO (Societé Nationale de Constructions Aeronautiques du Sud-Ouest) group of industries. The shape and arrangement of the H-21 didn't appear practical to the french technicians, so they developed a special version, much simplified, that was called H-21F.
The helicopters were property of the Navy (painted in dark blue) and the Air Force (natural metal). But soon in Algeria they were given in charge to the ALAT (Aviation Legère de l'Armée de Terre) as a close cooperation with ground troops was obviously necessary. ALAT repainted the copters in olive drab, and armed some of them. The most common gun used was the german 20 mm MG 151/20, as the french army had found a considerable stock.
My model (Hobbycraft) is quite clean, just repainte by ALAT workshops. A side door has been cut down for the gun position, but the gun has not yet been installed. (I had built a photo-etch Oerlikon long ago, but I cannot find it at the moment
)
The red codes are fom 30 years old Letraset, and the roundels from a famous french detail parts brand: Boite à Rabiot.
I had to rob the stencils from the Italeri kit, so many of them
till I got tired of it.
