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NC6695K (s/n 978)
with French colors and roundels in Indochina.
Photo: via Tailly Thierry |
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Approximately thirteen Seabees were
exported from manufacturer Republic Aviation Corp. to French customers
or customers related to France or French colonies. Most of
them were operated outside France, in French colonies and French protectorates. Three of the Seabees were operated by TRAPAS in
Nouvelle-Calédonie. Others were operated in French West Africa, French
Guiana and Indochina.
Nouvelle-Calédonie
(New Caledonia) is a French overseas territory in the South
Pacific Ocean, east of Australia. The French possession consists
of the main island New Caledonia, the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and
numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls. Société
Francaise des Transports Aériens du Pacific Sud - TRAPAS, was
established in the capital Nouméa on 16 October 1946 by the French
government to run air services in New Caledonia. The fleet of
aircraft included 3 Consolidated PBY-5A, 1 Canso A and 3 Republic Seabee
amphibians; F-BDRK (s/n 198), F-BDRL (s/n 525) and F-BDRM (s/n
526). The Seabees were given individual names. Two of the
Seabees were sadly destroyed on 14 March 1948, when a cyclone hit the
Caledonian islands. TRAPAS was laid down in September 1950.
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F-BEDQ (s/n 961)
French Indochina
Photo: via Tailly Thierry
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French
Indochina: In 1947 the French government in
Indochina acquired 3 Republic Seabees amphibians to equip an utility air unit
named 'Section de Liaison du Haut-Commissariat de France' (SLHCF), based
at Tan Son Nhut (Saigon). The 3 Seabees were; s/n 961 NC6678K, s/n
978 NC6695K and possibly s/n 997.
They were piloted by pilots from Escadrille de
Liaisons Aériennes 52 (French Air Force) and Escadrille 8S
(Naval Aviation). Escadrille 8S also operated Supermarine Otter.
NC6695K was overall silver paint and had a French roundel on and under
every wing, one French roundel and two forest green stripes on each
fuselage side, registration number in forest green paint on the right
wing end under left wing and green hull and wing floats bottoms.
The fates of the French Seabees are unknown, except
for two reported to be destroyed in a cyclone in New Caledonia in 1948.
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Thank you Chris
Chatfield, Steve Darke, David Legg, Ralph Lunt, Peter Quade, Tailly
Thierry, Peter Watson
for your kind help!
If you can help with any information or photos of the French Republic Seabees, please
e-mail Webmaster (Steinar Saevdal)! |
| S |
Reg.
Mk: |
S/N: |
Date: |
Remarks: |
| U |
F-BCJF |
160 |
1947-07-22 |
Union
Coloniale Agricole et Sarrestiere. Ex NC87591. |
| U |
F-BCJU |
677 |
1947-07-22 |
Cie.
Generale des Voitures a Paris; Paris. |
| U |
F-BDRK |
198 |
1947-07-07 |
Mr.
Henry Dewez, Societe
Francaise de Transports; Nouméa, New Caledonia. Operated by TRAPAS.
Named 'Koumac'. |
| D |
F-BDRL |
525 |
1947-07-07 |
Mr.
Henry Dewez, Societe
Francaise de Transports; Nouméa, New Caledonia. Operated by TRAPAS.
Named 'Nouméa'. |
| 1948-03-14 |
Destroyed
by gale in New Caledonia.
To N65214 ?? |
| D |
F-BDRM |
526 |
1947-07-07 |
Mr.
Henry Dewez, Societe
Francaise de Transports; Nouméa, New Caledonia. Operated by TRAPAS.
Named 'Poindimié'. |
| 1948-03-14 |
Destroyed
by gale in New Caledonia. |
| U |
F-BEDQ |
961 |
1947-09-?? |
Ex
N6678K.
Messageries-Fluviales;
Cochine, Saigon, French Indochina.
To F-VNAQ. |
| F |
F-HYSB |
421 |
2016-01-20 |
Ex
N6218K.
Aquitaine Hydravions - Aéroclub Régional Henri Guillaumet, 633 Avenue
Jodel, Aérodrome de Biscarrosse - Parentis, F-40 600 Biscarrosse,
France. |
| U |
F-OAAL |
1055 |
1949-03-05 |
Ex
N6765K.
American French Co. for Overseas Development; French West Africa.
Destroyed? |
| U |
F-OASQ |
997 |
1948-??-?? |
Ex
N6714K. To F-VNAB. |
| U |
F-VNAQ |
961 |
1948-02-11 |
Ex
F-BEDQ. |
| U |
F-VNAB |
997 |
1949-12-23 |
Ex
N6714K, F-OASQ. |
| U |
F-???? |
966 |
1947-10-?? |
Ex
N6683K. American French Co. for Overseas Development; French Guiana. |
| U |
VR-HDV |
976 |
1947-10-?? |
Ex
(N6693K). To
PI-C320.
American French Co. for Overseas Development; Hong Kong. |
| U |
F-OABR? |
977 |
1947-10-?? |
Ex
NC6694K.
American French Co. for Overseas Development; French Indochina. |
| U |
F-???? |
978 |
1947-10-?? |
Ex
NC6695K.
American French Co. for Overseas Development; French Indochina. |
| U |
F-???? |
979 |
1947-10-?? |
Ex
NC6696K.
American French Co. for Overseas Development; French Indochina. |
| U |
F-???? |
995 |
1947-??-?? |
Ex
N6712K.
American French Co. for Overseas Development; French West
Africa. |
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Crashed
(C) / Scrapped/Destroyed (D) |
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Confirmed flying
(F) |
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Unknown
(U)/ Restoration (R) / Stored (S) / Exported (E). |
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