Scale models of the Swiss Air Force

Gallery Article by Bernard Vogt on July 17 2009

 

In August 2009 Switzerland’s  Air Force (SAF) is celebrating its 95 years of existence. While earlier tests took place to use planes for military purposes in 1910 and 1911 it was only at the outbreak of WW I in 1914 that, what is known today as the SAF, became an official and integrated formation in Switzerland’s armed forces.

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In those days names like Bleriot, Morane-Saulnier, LVG “Schneider” and Farman were the king of the sky and Switzerland had a “one-of-each” type of airplane  kind of “air force”  … obviously, over the decades,  Swiss skies have seen many different kind of planes, some more, some less known, some home grown, others built under license , progressively going from a top speed of 78 Km/h  (Dufaux 4)  to Mach 2  (Mirage III). 

Here you have a few of them as scale models (various scales and manufacturers) and I hope you enjoy the pictures of some of my collection of planes (and helos) in Swiss colors. Comments or questions are welcome   (primary reference: “Flugzeuge der schweizerischen Fliegertruppe seit 1914” Verlag Th.Gut & Co.  3rd edition 1979).

Bernard Vogt

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Photos and text © by Bernard Vogt