Siebel si 204 in postwar period

Is it possible for the si 204 to be modified for a COIN aircraft in postwar period ?
Preferably carrying a decent amount of rockets and bombs
 
I don't see any technical reason why not- it actually kind of reminds me of the Dassault Flamant which the French used as a COIN aircraft in Algeria, just slightly earlier and lighter.

That leads us to practicality: who would turn it into a COIN aircraft, and why would they pick the SI 204 rather than something else? There appear to have been three operators postwar: the Czechs, the West Germans, and the French. The Czechs and the West Germans weren't involved in COIN operations, but the Czechs were willing to sell anything to anybody (a lot of the early Israeli combat aircraft were bought from the Czechs) so maybe they could find a buyer?

Our third option is France. With a lot of COIN operations going on around this time, they're our obvious potential user. The problem is that they have too many alternatives: JU-52s, various light aircraft, and DC-3s, all of which they converted into COIN aircraft OTL; plus their various ex-American WW2 warbirds- P-47 and B-26s are a lot more attractive as ground attack aircraft than improvisations, especially if you intend to be flying low enough to risk ground fire. (I presume from the mention of rockets that this isn't an attempt to make an AC-47, with its high-altitude, pylon turn tactics).

So, why would France turn to the Siebel? To start with, I'm going to assume an ATL where the US is more aggressive about preventing the French from pulling their lend-lease equipment away from Europe. This was an issue IOTL as well- the US wanted the planes they built ready to stop the Russkies if they tried to cross the Rhine, not being sent off to Asia and Africa to let the French play conquistador. So, the US is more hardline about this issue and the French can't send warbirds.

We're now competing with the JU-52 and the DC-3 (secondary POD alert: I'm either sending more French aircraft to Vietnam or moving up the Algerian War to late 40s rather than early 50s, doesn't matter which). So why the slightly smaller Siebel? Presumably not for capabilities: it carries less than either without being significantly more maneuverable. I posit two reasons why it might still be a reasonable decision: Firstly, because it's a less capable transport it might be more attractive to use as an attack aircraft, in the sense that you're not trading away as much transport capacity for your strike. Secondly: I don't know anything about the French immediate post-war aircraft industry but presumably the factory making the SI 204 could have had more political clout and fewer new projects available than they did OTL; it certainly wouldn't have been the first time an Air Forces purchasing decisions were made on a basis other than strict technical efficiency.

TL;DR: there's no technical reason why not, it was just outcompeted OTL- easy to fix that in an ATL by assassinating all its competitors.
 
It's possible but why? I mean, the Luftwaffe did that anyway with it for anti-partisan duties. And post war, it only used by the French and the Czechs as a light transport. Only the former was fighting the type of war that needed a COIN aircraft and they had plenty of aircraft that could do a better job.

Oh, the RAF used them post war too, using lots of captured ones as communications aircraft in occupied Germany.
 
Why ? As it will look cool
But seriously more as it was widespread and probably a easy docile aircraft to operate ( citation needed)

Can it carry 8× 60 lb rockets or two 550 lb bombs ?
 
Last edited:
Actually Czechoslovakia did use Aero C3A/B (Siebel 204) in COIN operations in 1947 against so called “bandera’s groups” - UPA groups retreating from Poland. Most of the operations involved ground units from various armed parts (Army, Police and border protection) and Airforce played only supporting role - mostly observations. Attack against groups by non s or MG fire was forbidden due to presence of many workers and tourists in Slovak mountains.
Anyway - 1x C3A and 3x C3Bs among other aircraft’s were moved to airport Kosice, Slovakia 6/27/47 - aircrafts didn’t perform any bombing run, only recon flights 200 PCs of German SD70 bombs and ammo for 10 combat flights were moved to Kosice. These were later moved to Malacky as they seemed to be not necessary and were kept there to support ground troops on 5 hour notice. By November 1947 app 85 % of UPA groups were killed or captured (61/ 289). Some managed to reach western Germany. And this was postwar end of Siebel in this kind of operations.
Among other aircrafts used were Fi-156s, Il-2s, La-5FN and 7s as well as at least one Dakota.
 
Isn't the issue that the Allies already have aircraft that would be more readily available and easier to adapt?
Yes essentially but in some back waters it’s quite possible like Israeli Air Force in 1948 or some Latin American conflict
 
Top