WesWorld

OOC: It's why I put the smiley face in. It's all flavor. From an IC perspective, Minerva "The Goddess of Automobiles" is their Rolls-Royce (heck Rolls sold Minervas in England) and was known for quality, so they would be a bit put out.

Edited to reflect the GPV's four-wheel drive and the Minerva's diesel engine.

June 20
Officials of the Armee de Terre and the Marine Nationale inspected the new Societe Francaise Du Gyroplane SH.20 Cigale helicopter today at Dijon Air Base. The SH.20, designed at SFG with Atlantean and Russian cooperation, is a substantial improvement on the groundbreaking but mechanically complex Dorand G.II, which has been manufactured by SFG since 1937. Although the Cigale has not been seen by the private press, it has reportedly dispensed with the contra-rotating propellers of the G.II, instead using a Sikorsky-designed tail rotor to deal with torque issues. Reportedly, Monsieur Sikorsky worked quite closely with Monsieur Dorand and his design team, although at the present time it is not known if the Cigale will be adopted by any other FAR members.

Both the Marine Nationale and the Armee de Terre have shown growing interest in helicopters over the past few years. Although the Dorand G.II was known to be very complex and never lived up to the high performance expectations, it has proven to be a crucial stepping stone in the development of the helicopter. The SH.20, if accepted for service, may see production orders as early as December, although individuals within SFG have indicated that 1942 is a more likely date.

June 21
Preparations are underway for the next Tour de France, which begins on July 3rd. The world's most prestigious bicycling race will see the participation of individuals and teams from around the world.

June 23
With Air France's opening of Paris-to-New York service in the next week, the French Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (better know to travelers as "the French Line") has started a new advertising campaign emphasizing the safety, comfort and reliability of sea travel over the speed of the airliner. Their newest poster, released for use over the weekend, shows a CGT ocean liner as a solid, safe and imposing edifice, drawing a contrast to the fragility of the airliner.



June 24
The Armee de Terre has begun issuing, on a test bases, the new "Modele 1941" infantryman's boots. The new boots will replace footwear designed during the Great War, specifically the "Trench Boot". The new Modele 1941s have both the laces for the main part of the boot and a double-buckle system for the leggings. The design is reported to provide better comfort and support for the arches and ankles, and improves waterproofing while still maintaining a good airflow.

Note: as the French news thread was getting quite long, I decided to split the thread into news by quarter for easier access.

June 27
The Fédération du Scoutisme Français was founded today as a merger of several smaller scouting associations.

June 30
The battlecruisers Dunkerque and Strasbourg departed Toulon today on their planned goodwill cruise to the South Atlantic. Their first port call will be at Casablanca.