fighting tri pacer

Fighting
Tri-Pacer

Dédié à tous les pilotes de liaison et équipages en patrouille éternelle.
(Dedicated to all liaison pilots and crews on eternal patrol)

KAG

N2650A restored by Pilot and Owner, Doug Kulick of Reno NV as an exact duplicate of the French Marine Corps aircraft “KAG”. KAG supported the French Foreign Legion in the African and Algerian combat areas of operation during the 1950’s and 1960’s.
kag

History

France’s Algerian war to preserve their colonial world was fought from 1 November 1954 – 19 March 1962

French Army Paratroopers and French Foreign Legion troops suffered over 10,000 casualties with a total war causality count of over 400,000 from all sides including civilian French Nationals. The French troops won. In 1962 President Charles De Gaulle under cut the army and gave Algeria up. This ended France’s Colonial history in Algeria.

Piper Tri Pacer N2650A has been historically and painstakingly researched. It has been recreated as an exact aircraft flown by the French Marine Corps in support of the Foreign Legion, as a forward air controller (FAC) and artillery spotter in Africa.

Five Nations used the Piper Tri Pacers in military action. This writer chose the French aircraft to construct. More historical and technical data remained in the French Air Force Museum as compared to the other country’s Tri Pacers. Their aircraft simply disappeared from history in the jungles of Cuba or the deserts of Africa. “KAG” was chosen for she flew in support of the French ForeignLegion. 12 Pa 22‘s were flown by French Marine Corps crews within the North African area of operations.

Israel, South Africa, Kenya, Cuba (Batista fighting Castro) and France all were provided Pa -22’s in civilian livery and then militarized by the respective militaries. The French Air Force Museum in Dax France and the French Marines enthusiastically supported and guided this project. The only two Fighting Tri Pacers left in the world reside in the French Museum.

LEARN ABOUT PA-22's
unit insignia

Unit Insignia

12 Pa 22 aircraft were flown by the French Marine Corps. To the left is the their unit insignia which is on the front cowl of N2650A.

The Naval Anchor and rope signify the Marines ship to shore mission, the blue of North Africa has a Pa 22 in flight and unit 1 of the First Air Group.

“GALTOM” translated from the French Military acronym is: Light ground attack aircraft, observation.

The english translation of “PLUS EST EN NOUS”
“WE ARE THE ADDED PLUS”
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Weapons & Mission Options

All armies after WW2 looked like the US ARMY from weapons and uniforms to helmets. As a result 30 cal. Browning Light Machine Guns and Grand 30 Cal Paratrooper Carbines flew along side Pa 22 aircrews. Hand grenades in mason glass jars, M-18 smoke and the South Africans dropped external 50 kilo smoke and fragmentation bombs.

This writer used actual GI vehicle 30 Cal MG mount and ammo cans that flew as ground suppression weapons on Pa 22’s.

The French Marine Corps crews liked the high wing for sun shade and observation doors for terrain scanning.