Spanish Civil War: Nationalist Air Force

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The Fairchild 91, later redesignated A-942, was a small flying boat airliner developed in the United states in the mid-1930s. Fairchild designed the aircraft in response to a Pan Am request for a small flying boat to operate on their river routes along the Amazon and Yangtze. The result was a conventional high-wing cantilever monoplane with its radial engine mounted above the wing in a streamlined nacelle. Before construction of the prototype was complete, however, Pan Am no longer required the aircraft to operate in China, and Fairchild modified the design to optimise it for the tropical conditions of Brazil.

After the first two aircraft were delivered, Pan Am cancelled the remaining four aircraft on its order, discovering that the two aircraft they had already purchased were capable of handling their entire Amazon River demand; the Model 91 had become a victim of its own success. Fairchild completed the other four airframes under the designation A-942, selling two to private owners, and exporting the other two to Japan. One of the private owners was naturalist Richard Archbold, who used it on his second expedition to New Guinea in 1936-37. The prototype was sold to the Spanish Republican Air Force, but was captured by the Spanish Nationalists and was used by them until 1938. One of the privately-owned A-942s served with the RAF in Egypt for a time.

The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. The aircraft gained considerable fame as it was flown by Amelia Earhart on her ill-fated around-the-world expedition in 1937. The Electra was Lockheed's first all-metal and twin-engine design by Hall Hibbard. (However, some of Lockheed's wooden designs, such as the Orion had been built by Detroit Aircraft Corporation with metal fuselages.) Most of the structure is 7075 Aluminum alloy with 2024 Aluminum alloy used for skin panels and bulkhead webs subjected to tension loads through pressurization. The name Electra came from a star in the Pleiades. The prototype made its first flight on 23 February, 1934 with Marshall Headle at the controls.

Wind tunnel work on the Electra was undertaken at the University of Michigan. Much of the work was performed by a student assistant, Clarence Johnson. He suggested two changes be made to the design: changing the single tail to double tails (later a Lockheed trademark), and deleting oversized wing fillets. Both of these suggestions were incorporated into production aircraft. Upon receiving his master's degree, Johnson joined Lockheed as a regular employee, ultimately leading the Skunk Works in developing advanced aircraft such as the SR-71 Blackbird.

Several L-10 Electras served in Spain during the Civil War, but only a single aircraft flew with the Nationalist; the merchant ship "Mar Cantabrico" was going to deliver a great amount of military supplies to the Republic acquired at the EEUU when it was captured by the nationalist cruiser "Canarias". The ship was driven to the Ferrol base in Galicia, where the nationalist officers found many modern airships, like the Lockheed Orion, Vega and the Electra. This one was destinated to be the personal aircraft of General Kindenlán, chief of the Nationalist Air Force.

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The Northrop Delta was an American single engined passenger transport aircraft of the 1930s. Closely related to Northrop's Gamma mail plane, 13 were produced by the Northrop Corporation, followed by 19 aircraft built under license by Canadian Vickers Limited. When Jack Northrop set up the Northrop Corporation as a joint venture with the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1932, he set out to design two closely related single engined aircraft as the new company's first products, a mailplane/record breaking aircraft, which was designated the Gamma and a passenger transport, the Delta. The Delta was a low winged monoplane, with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. It was of all-metal stressed skin construction, with streamlining spats covering the main landing gear. While the Delta's wings were common with those of the Gamma, it had a new, wider fuselage, which seated the pilot in an enclosed cockpit immediately behind the engine, and had accommodation for eight passengers in a cabin behind the pilot. The first Delta was flown in May 1933, and received an airworthiness certificate in August that year.

Seven aircraft were built as executive transports for private owners. Of these, three were purchased by the Spanish Republicans for use in the Spanish Civil War. Two of these aircraft were captured by the Nationalists when the ship carrying them (along with four Vultee V-1s, a Fairchild 91 and a Lockheed Electra) was captured at sea. These two Deltas were used as Transports by Franco's forces, while the third Delta was used by the Republican airline Lineas Aéreas Postales Españolas (LAPE) until the end of the civil war when it was handed over to Franco's air force.

The aircraft was designed by Kreider-Reisner during negotiations by Sherman Fairchild to take a major share in the company. Marketed as the Fairchild 22 Model C7 the aircraft was certified in March 1931. The Fairchild 22 was a mixed-construction braced parasol-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and a braced tail unit. It had two tandem open cockpits and was initially powered by a 80hp (60kW) Armstrong Siddeley Genet radial engine. After test flying the prototype the first production aircraft were re-engined with a 75hp (56kW) Michigan Rover inverted inline engine. The aircraft was fitted with both inline and radial piston engines. At the beginning of Spanish Civil War several these sport-trainers operated in Andalucian aeroclub.

One of the most famous aircraft engineers of the era, Gerard "Jerry" Vultee, designed the V1, a single-engine, all-metal, high-speed transport design accepted for production in 1932 by the Airplane Development Corporation, which was financed by automobile manufacturer Errett Cord. Construction began at United Airport in Burbank California, and was later moved to Grand Central Airport in Glendale, where most of the V1s would be assembled.

The V1 prototype took one year to build. Its elliptical monocoque fuselage was made from narrow strips of flat Alclad sheets, overlapped like shingles. Repairs on such a structure would be simple-drill out the rivets and replace the damaged surface with flat Alclad stock. The wing was built in three sections using the same technique. Wing and tail surfaces were completely faired to the fuselage. A fully retractable landing gear and split flaps were operated by a single electric motor. This first Vultee, with a 650hp Wright SR-1820-F2 and three-blade propeller, was test-flown for more than a year, proving to be very efficient for its time by carrying a pilot and eight passengers for 750 miles at 195 mph.

Initial orders for the V1 were placed by American Airways in 1933. Working with airline pilots and engineers, the production model incorporated several improvements. The cockpit was rearranged to accommodate both a pilot and copilot, the fuselage and wings were slightly lengthened, and other modifications were made to the engine cowling, tail assembly, landing gear, and flaps. As V1-A, it was certified in July 1934 by Approval Type Certificate #545.

American Airlines began taking delivery in July 1934 and was operating eight V1-As between St. Louis and Chicago by Sept 1934, and eventually bought a total of 11 V1-As. Government concerns over single-engine safety (and the advent of the twin engine Douglas DC-2 and Boeing 247) brought the V1-A's commercial airline career to a halt. Despite this setback, V1-As and V1-ADs with deluxe interiors were sold as high-speed executive transports to corporate customers and helped promote the growth of aviation around the world. On Jan 14, 1935, Jimmy Doolittle, with his wife, Josephine, along with Robert Adams of Shell Petroleum, and three large California oranges, flew NC13770 non-stop across the USA in record time. Despite being forced 300 miles off-course by bad weather, Doolittle completed the trip in 11 hours and 59 minutes. A few hours later, the three oranges were delivered to Mayor Ellenstein of Newark. Six weeks later, Doolittle's brother-in-law, Leland Andrews, flew the same plane over nearly the same route, shaving 25 minutes off the record despite stopping in Washington to deliver some orchids to Eleanor Roosevelt. Later Andrews set a new time record in a V1-A between Los Angeles and Mexico City - 1,620 miles in 8 hours and 8 minutes.

Many Vultees found their way to the Spanish Civil War. At least 16 V1-As and V1-ADs were shipped to Spain and used by both sides. The republicans made conversions in five of these aircrafts, with dorsal gun positions and internal racks for eight 75kg bombs. Lady Peace was captured by the rebel Nationalists (as well as 3 more V-1) and rechristened the Capitan Haya in memory of a famous Nationalist pilot. Despite the nationalist tought to use the V-1 as bombers, this concept was finally rulled out, being used only as transports. Several Vultees survived the war, including Capitan Haya, which served in the Spanish Air Force until 1953, when the record-breaking plane was unceremoniously sold for scrap.

The Douglas DC-1 was the first model of the famous United States DC (Douglas Commercial) commercial transport aircraft series. Although only one example of the DC-1 was produced, the design was the basis for the DC-2 and DC-3. Development of the DC-1 can be traced back to the 1931 crash of TWA Flight 599, due to the failure of a wooden strut, which in turn was caused by water which had over time seeped between the layers of the wood laminate and dissolved the glue holding the layers together.

Following the accident, the Civil Aeronautics Board ruled passenger aircraft could no longer contain wings or structural members (such as struts and spars) made of wood. Boeing developed an answer, the 247, but their production capacity was limited and they could only supply their primary contract, United Airlines. TWA wanted a similar aircraft, and asked four manufacturers to bid for construction of a three-engine, 12-seat aircraft to meet the specifications stipulated by the CAB. Donald Douglas was initially reluctant to participate in the invitation from TWA. He doubted there would be a market for 100 aircraft, the number of sales necessary to cover development costs. Nevertheless, he submitted a design consisting of an all-metal, low-wing, twin-engine aircraft seating 12 passengers, a crew of two and a flight attendant. The aircraft exceeded the specifications of TWA even with two engines. It was insulated against noise, heated, and fully capable of both flying and performing a controlled takeoff or landing on one engine.

Only one aircraft was produced, the prototype.The DC-1 was sold to Lord Forbes in the United Kingdom in May 1938, who operated it for a few months before selling it in France in October 1938. It was then sold to Líneas Aéreas Postales Españolas (L.A.P.E.) in Spain in November 1938. Later operated by Iberia Airlines from July 1939 with the name Negron it force-landed at Malaga, Spain in December 1940 and was damaged beyond repair.

Concerning the DC-2, four of these modern aircrats were serving in Spain as mail planes when the Civil War broke out; three of them fell in hands of the republicans and the other one was captured by the nationalist, that was used to supply the soldiers that were under siege at Santa Maria de la Cabeza Monastery. This aircraft was nicknamed "Vara del Rey" in honor of the man who captured the plane; this DC-2 was at Sevilla at the moment of the uprising, preparing to take off and bombing the nationalist ships that were trying to cross the Strait of Gibraltar. Captain Vara del Rey managed himself to shot the plane and prevent the attack. The republicans used their DC-2s as bombers and VIP Transport. Two of them were lost during the war; one was destroyed on the ground and the other one was lost due to an accident. The remaining DC-2 was used by the menbers of the goverment to scape to France when the war ended.

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The history of these fighters in Spain begins in August 1929, when a dozen of Bulldog fighters with Jupiter VI were acquired by Estonia. In 1940,
when the invasion of the URSS, Estonia planes suffered most original destination: eight of them were sold, along with a handful of Potez 25, to the
Spanish Republic, operating during the Civil War in Northern Front. His performance is not well known and certainly as fighters could do little against the Fiat CR-32 or the HE-51. A single Bulldog was caught and exhibited at the exhibition of the Kursaal in San Sebastian.

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The first I-16 to be seized by the frankists, was a type 5, in March 1938. It received the enemy lettering code, 1W-1 and was flown by a frankist pilot over Seville-Tablada. Then on July 15th of the same year, pilot Hose Luis Aresti who had just arrived back in Spain after passage of a curriculum in Kirovobad aviation school, had taken a "donkey" to the frankists. One more I-16 got to the nationionalists on September 13th 1938, when sergeant Andres Fierro Mena from the 3rd squadron lost his way and by mistake landed his plane on an enemy air station (the plane probably carried the code CM-141).

After the Franco's victory in 1939, 22 captured "donkeys" were assigned to Grupo 28 at an air station in Mayorca and later had their number increased to 52. The I-16's had designations from 1W-1 up to 1W-52. The first 22 captured I-16's, that arrived acted as group 1W, then the designation of group changed to Grupo 28 de Caza. The group was based at air station, San-Juan on the island of Majorca. All the I-16's had, by the autumn of 1940, been transferred to Sevilla where they joined Grupo 26 (22-nd mixed fighter group, 22 Regimiento Mixto de Caza, also flying "Fiats"). In 1945 the Spanish Air Force started on new system of designation. "Rata" then received an index C.8. The colour scheme was changed, a light blue bottom with lateral surfaces of sand color with green camouflage spots of irregular shape. Recognition symbols of red and yellow cocardes were added to the sides of the fuselage plus both the top and bottom surfaces of the wing. The identification code of "C. 8" with the original '1W' plane number beside it. The code was painted on the tail. At about this time, Grupo 26 was renamed to Grupo 22.

In 1947, the last of the I-16's were sent for refitting. (there were 15 still flying and others in various states of repair.) Work was carried out by captain Tordesillas from the aircraft-repair workshops in Seville. Here is how he described the situation:

" First we collected all the I-16's on Maestranza Aerea airbase. What were capable of flying, went by air and the rest sent on the river. I flew fighter "8-43", this machine, from the technical point of view was considered as one of the best. The fuselage of the plane has been painted in blue color, the cowl - bare metal. On takeoff, the engine was running hot and it was running very rich, evident by the black smoke left behind after doing a loop. So, first of all, it is required to improve the cooling of the engine. On one occassion, while attempting a take-off from a wet and grassy airfield at Tablada, the plane started to drop the left wing. I struggled with the controls, changing power setting. The plane did it three times. I found, I could only take-off with full power and full right rudder and was lucky the right wing didn't bury itself. Controllability of the plane on the ground is another area to be addressed.

After a series of flights, I organized a meeting with the participating comandante Garcia Perez, commands of 22nd group and the pilots having experience with the I-16. Together we have developed directions for modernization:

- The bad view forward: the view forward can be improved by replacing the original bent visor with another, as used by the CR.32. A telescopic sight will replace the ring and bead sight.

- Overheating of the engine: to establish on the fighter an oil radiator from the Alfa-Romeo 126 engine, off the SM.79 bomber.

- The undercarriage: the basic mechanism of the undercarriage is wound manually, for raising the undercarriage it is required to execute 30-40 full revolutions of the control wheel, mounted on the right side of the cockpit. Cases of difficult winding of the mechanism while raising the undercarriage and the rack 'hanging' in the intermediate position after release has been identified as worn/stretched cables and pulleys. These need to be replaced and checked prior to each flight.

- Brakes: Brakes as a whole are efficient, it is necessary to keep an identical tension on the two cables as they travel through the undercarriage mechanism. Different tension of the cables provokes nosing over with brake application.

- Stability: the plane has no trim tabs, therefore if the fighter is inclined to spontaneous movement concerning one of the axis, the pilot needs to counter this with control inputs. It is necessary to establish plates - equalisers on rudders and ailerons, allowing ground adjustment for flight stability. In flight, at high speed, there is a lot of physical effort required to maintain the control handle and pedals.

- Taxiing: To taxi the plane can be extremely difficult because of the rigid shock-absorbers and narrow tyres at high pressure. Difficulties are caused also while lifting the tail. Before this it is usual for the right hand to be on the control stick and the left hand on the throttle. After rotation, the throttle is fixed with a 'latch' and the left hand takes over the control stick while the right starts turning the undercarriage wheel, 30 or 40 times. But after lifting the wheels, "Rata" flies like an angel.

- Risk of overturning on the nose: Desire of the plane to rise on it's nose on landing or on taxiing - probably the biggest problem which this plane is capable of. The probability of the pilot being badly injured or killed during a 'nose-over' remains high. Installation of 'anti-nose-over' frames made from three steel pipes welded into a triangle, except for the inclusion of a high armouring seat of the armchair type included in the construction, is desirable. The top part of the frame should be 12 cm (5 inches) above the head of the pilot.

All modifications have been carried out on the plane with serial number 8-4, I have test flown it in the middle of August. During flight at low altitude I was surprised to find the fine view forward, oil temperature within the normal limits, the engine runs well and the dark sooty trail doesn't last behind the plane. The plane has easily executed all aerobatic figures. Landing has passed normally. I have transferred the plane to flight comandante Paez and his pilots from the 22nd group. All have being pleased. The group has received 13 "Ratas" and one two-seater and again has found their fighting capacity. Pilots began taking time to carry out aerobatics and formation flying, pending visits by honoured guests. The group of "Rata " planes took part in the parades in honour of the Day of victory over civil war and the anniversary of the Navies. In the history of the I-16 fighter in the Spanish Air Forces, I had no more dealings. "
In the early 1950's, I-16's were used at a flight school in Morona. The last serviceable I-16, with the code C.8-25, was flown by the most skilled instructors of the school. In August 1953, Spain signed a military assistance contract with the USA, which included delivery of modern fighters. On August 15th 1953, Miguel Entrena, for the last time, lifted into the sky in an I-16. So the career and fighting service of the "Rata" in Spain had finished.