Charles Nungesser was a French Fighter ace in World War One
with 45 victories. He flew the Nieuport 17.
Charles Nungesser
(1883-1927)
The aircraft he flew bore prominent tricolour markings on the
upper surfaces of the wings and fuselage. Charles was an impetuous
character. His first kill, an albatros, was earned when he took
off from his base without permission. Nungesser lead a distinguished career,
fighting even after being wounded in combat or crashes. There was a
great rivalry between Charles Nungesser and René
Fonck, perhaps fuelling his determination to get back into the cockpit,
despite injuries that would have brought the war to an end for most other men. He was injured
several times, and even took to the air in May 1916 having crashed that
January, breaking both his legs and suffering a fractured skull and internal
bleeding. His
ground crew carried him to his plane, strapped him in, and when he came home, lifted most of him out of the cockpit and carried him off to hospital
again. Charles Nungesser scored 45 confirmed victories, ranking him
third amongst French Fighter Aces after Fonck and
Gunmeyer. Charles
Nungesser lost his life in 1927 in a failed attempt to cross the Atlantic
Ocean. Like so many of the brave men of all nations during that
conflict, he lived fast and died young.
The DCM kit faithfully reproduces the livery of the aircraft
that Nungesser flew in the spring of 1916. It is available for download
today for the price of $4.99.
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