RON DUPAS COLLECTION
No. 2679. Curtiss 77 (NX-C5)
Aeroplane Photo Supply (APS) Photo No. 153

Curtiss 77

12/19/2003. Remarks by Charles Mac Kay: "This is a nice shot of the French scout-bomber before delivery. Fifty were ordered by the French Navy and on June 8, 1940 they were diverted from the US Navy to the USAAC for delivery to France. US Navy BuNo were 1307 to 1311, 1474 to 1477, 1479 to 487, 1489 to 1496, 1500, 1503, 1810, 1811, 1813 to 1815, 1820 to 1822, 1825 to 1828 and 1832 to 1841.

They were loaded on the French carrier Berne and shipped to Martinique, there they were off loaded and as France fell in late June 1940 they languished away till the wars end.

However, five of these aircraft reached the UK and were designated Cleveland Mk.I and received serials AS467 to AS471. One (AS467) was tested by the RN at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, in August 1940. AS467, AS469 and AS470 were marked M for instructional airframes and became 2668M, 2669M and 2785M. They were flown right into 1944 and were seen regularly flying in the south of England."

Read the type remarks on page 11712.


Created June 5, 2003