Yak-1b - GC III "Normandie"
March 1943
Pilot : Cdt Jean Tulasnes
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Jean Tulasnes was in command of GC I/7 when WWII began. His unit was sent to Rayak in Lebanon. After the armistice, it became too obvious that Tulasnes had no sympathy fot the Vichy government. During a patrol flight in october 1940, he pretended his Morane-Saulnier 406 had technical problems, and then dived and disappeared in the clouds...
Tulasnes was then a Free French pilot, in Cairo, joining the RAF as a Flight Lieutnant.
His 274 squadron, flying Hurricanes Mk.I was sent to Tobruk area.
De Gaulle gave him the rank of Commandant, and Tulasnes took command of all the Free French Air Forces in the Middle East.
CG I "Alsace" was soon after created, based in Rayak, and using the MS406 of his former unit.
CG III "Normandie" was created in september 1943 and Tulasnes took command of this unit, which was to be sent to the russian front. There, Tulasne was given the choice of the fighter, he choose the Yak-1. In March 1943, Normandie, based in the central part of the front, flew its first war mission. Jean Tulasnes was known for his courage and for his extraordinary pilot skils. He disappeared the 17th of July 1943.

GC III Normandie was made up of Free French pilots, who all volunteered to fight alongside the Red Army from 1943 to 1945.
It was the first French fighter unit with 273 air kills in 5,240 missions and 869 fights. 
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Credits :
3DZ :	- Tailspin
	- Claudio Wilches
	- Hynkel
	- Anteater
	- Captain Kurt
 	- Patrick Grand-Chavin : Cockpit bars, radio antenna and wires, non-mirrored marking, new wings, new rudder).

Wingview : Claudio Wilches.
I unfortunately lost the track of who did what exactly and hope no one is forgotten.
Skin : FreddyB using parts of a skin made by Avirex for the game IL-2 (special thanks to him).

For EAW user :
Simply unzip the *.tpc and 3dz-files into your EAW-folder.
ECApanel : P-51B slot.

July 2002

FreddyB
fbotto@free.fr
