There is a photo of a yellow nosed Buchon here:
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=35686&highlight=Buchon&page=2
Please see the 9th Dec 2004 post by ‘Swiss Mustangs’.
What struck me in particular is that in one of the photos in the above post, there is an odd looking starboard exhaust on one of the yellow nosed Buchons.
Unlike the normal 6 port stack, this aircraft seems to be fitted with a starboard exhaust more appropriate to an early Spit or Hurricane.
Above the exhaust, there seems to be some sort of device fitted. Whether it is mounted directly on the upper side of the starboard exhaust, or whether it is bolted onto the upper cowling, I can’t say for sure, but could this be a smoke discharger and the reason for the different exhaust fit ?
Is it likely that just the starboard exhaust was changed, or would both have been done?
Could anyone comment please?
Can anyone possibly identify the G- registration, the C4K- serial and the movie codes carried by this particular aircraft?
Does anyone know where she is now, or if she is still flying?
Does anyone have any further info on the smoke dischargers used in the BoB film? I understand white smoke was produced, (then), by introducing a quantity of diesel into the exhaust & that the modern equivalent for the diesel is more akin to baby oil !
Can anyone please offer any further info on the operation & fit of these devices, as used on the Buchons, Casas and Spits during the making of the film? I would be grateful also, if anyone can point me at any clear images of the devices, as they seem to vary in the not to clear photos that I have managed to find so far.
Thanks all, in advance, for any responses and thanks also, everyone, for a great forum.
By: oldgit - 9th October 2012 at 20:14
Thank you for those great photos. The black and white ones are so atmospheric and the one showing G-AWHI dismantled is so sad.
Am I right in thinking, that she initially flew for the film with cropped wing tips and then later with the regular Buchon rounded tips?
By: Septic - 7th October 2012 at 19:13
Hi Daz,
It did indeed have the strobe lights. You can just about make them out in the photo with the CASA.
I’m just guessing that the full wing tips were refitted to help its controllability during the filming of these attack sequences!
Septic.
By: DazDaMan - 7th October 2012 at 18:40
Am I going daft, or is this the one that was fitted with strobe lights on the cannons? The one that was, apparently, never seen in the final cut, yet it is there in one shot!
By: Septic - 7th October 2012 at 10:01
Try this shot of Yellow 4 taken at Duxford.
At one time Yellow 4 also flew with full wingtips. As Roobard mentioned Yellow four is stored at Big Spring complete with its smoke generator mounts attached.
As for identity G-AWHI (Sn. 166) but for real confirmation, maybe Roobard could ask Connie to have a look inside the canopy next time he’s in the hangar!
Septic.
By: DazDaMan - 3rd October 2012 at 21:50
The Buchon IDs are not as easy to pin down as, say, the Spitfires, since the film crew changed the markings after most sorties, and none of the Buchons had any particular “giveaways” like the Spitfires had (save for one which was fitted with rounded wingtips (which were unpainted) and strobe lights in its cannons).
By: DazDaMan - 3rd October 2012 at 21:50
The Buchon IDs are not as easy to pin down as, say, the Spitfires, since the film crew changed the markings after most sorties, and none of the Buchons had any particular “giveaways” like the Spitfires had (save for one which was fitted with rounded wingtips (which were unpainted) and strobe lights in its cannons).
By: oldgit - 3rd October 2012 at 18:56
Thank you all for the great response.
After studying the group of photos in the link, it would appear that the Yellow nosed Buchon with the smoke generator fitted over the triple twin type starboard exhaust, has in fact, got an assymetrical exhaust setup, with the ‘six singles’ remaining on the port side.
Unfortunately I can’t confirm the fuselage number, just a horizontal yellow dash aft of the fuselage cross…
In lieu of any other evidence, it will have to be a trawl through every BoB Buchon photo I come across, to eliminate as many yellow codes as possible.
But this isn’t an infallible method, as we all know that each aircraft carried several movie codes…
And the aeroplane apparently still exists at Big Springs, so I think she’s most likely to be C4K-75/G-AWHG, C4K-99/G-AWHM or C4K-106/G-AWHI. I think…
Can anyone make a more precise identification please?
Can anyone say what fuselage codes she wore during the film?
Thanks again.
By: oldgit - 3rd October 2012 at 18:56
Thank you all for the great response.
After studying the group of photos in the link, it would appear that the Yellow nosed Buchon with the smoke generator fitted over the triple twin type starboard exhaust, has in fact, got an assymetrical exhaust setup, with the ‘six singles’ remaining on the port side.
Unfortunately I can’t confirm the fuselage number, just a horizontal yellow dash aft of the fuselage cross…
In lieu of any other evidence, it will have to be a trawl through every BoB Buchon photo I come across, to eliminate as many yellow codes as possible.
But this isn’t an infallible method, as we all know that each aircraft carried several movie codes…
And the aeroplane apparently still exists at Big Springs, so I think she’s most likely to be C4K-75/G-AWHG, C4K-99/G-AWHM or C4K-106/G-AWHI. I think…
Can anyone make a more precise identification please?
Can anyone say what fuselage codes she wore during the film?
Thanks again.
By: DazDaMan - 2nd October 2012 at 22:05
We have two Buchons flying around in this country – that’s better than nowt!
Wasn’t Connie’s collection all up for sale at one point? I seem to recall reading somewhere that the Spitfire was (erroneously) sold elsewhere in the US.
By: DazDaMan - 2nd October 2012 at 22:05
We have two Buchons flying around in this country – that’s better than nowt!
Wasn’t Connie’s collection all up for sale at one point? I seem to recall reading somewhere that the Spitfire was (erroneously) sold elsewhere in the US.
By: Rob.Brindley - 2nd October 2012 at 21:21
Well I first met him two years ago and had the pleasure of showing him our Buchon in its film colours as Yellow 10 shortly after I’d overseen the application and done all the research for it. He said it was just like those he has back at Big Spring and confirmed that all the colours were correct. We’d just finished the other Buchon as well and he looked round that at the same time. It was indeed good to see him again and he is everything you have ever heard about him. Quite a character to say the least. If you do a search theres a link to the WIX website and some great pictures posted a couple of years ago from his hangars. He still has 9 Buchons, including the two seater and a couple of ground looped fuselages. The Spitfire IX and his last P51 are there as well as a couple of Catalinas, an Avenger, T6’s, Goose, I think I saw an Albatross as well. Great guy 🙂
Thanks, Roobarb, that’s quite a collection!
I have a soft spot for the Buchons – I’d love to see a few more out and about in the U.K. It seems such a shame to have 9 sitting in a hangar not doing anything but, I suppose the silver lining is, atleast they’re safe. Do any of his aircraft actively fly or are they all in a stored state at the minute? That 2 seater Buchon must be restored to flight someday – Just so we could parachute a dummy out of it at Legends :diablo:
By: Rob.Brindley - 2nd October 2012 at 21:21
Well I first met him two years ago and had the pleasure of showing him our Buchon in its film colours as Yellow 10 shortly after I’d overseen the application and done all the research for it. He said it was just like those he has back at Big Spring and confirmed that all the colours were correct. We’d just finished the other Buchon as well and he looked round that at the same time. It was indeed good to see him again and he is everything you have ever heard about him. Quite a character to say the least. If you do a search theres a link to the WIX website and some great pictures posted a couple of years ago from his hangars. He still has 9 Buchons, including the two seater and a couple of ground looped fuselages. The Spitfire IX and his last P51 are there as well as a couple of Catalinas, an Avenger, T6’s, Goose, I think I saw an Albatross as well. Great guy 🙂
Thanks, Roobarb, that’s quite a collection!
I have a soft spot for the Buchons – I’d love to see a few more out and about in the U.K. It seems such a shame to have 9 sitting in a hangar not doing anything but, I suppose the silver lining is, atleast they’re safe. Do any of his aircraft actively fly or are they all in a stored state at the minute? That 2 seater Buchon must be restored to flight someday – Just so we could parachute a dummy out of it at Legends :diablo:
By: Duxman - 2nd October 2012 at 20:51
Well I first met him two years ago and had the pleasure of showing him our Buchon in its film colours as Yellow 10 shortly after I’d overseen the application and done all the research for it. He said it was just like those he has back at Big Spring and confirmed that all the colours were correct. We’d just finished the other Buchon as well and he looked round that at the same time. It was indeed good to see him again and he is everything you have ever heard about him. Quite a character to say the least. If you do a search theres a link to the WIX website and some great pictures posted a couple of years ago from his hangars. He still has 9 Buchons, including the two seater and a couple of ground looped fuselages. The Spitfire IX and his last P51 are there as well as a couple of Catalinas, an Avenger, T6’s, Goose, I think I saw an Albatross as well. Great guy 🙂
He was saying yesterday he had 2 Catalinas,2 Goose and 2 Albatross at present— just to name the Amphibians.
By: Duxman - 2nd October 2012 at 20:51
Well I first met him two years ago and had the pleasure of showing him our Buchon in its film colours as Yellow 10 shortly after I’d overseen the application and done all the research for it. He said it was just like those he has back at Big Spring and confirmed that all the colours were correct. We’d just finished the other Buchon as well and he looked round that at the same time. It was indeed good to see him again and he is everything you have ever heard about him. Quite a character to say the least. If you do a search theres a link to the WIX website and some great pictures posted a couple of years ago from his hangars. He still has 9 Buchons, including the two seater and a couple of ground looped fuselages. The Spitfire IX and his last P51 are there as well as a couple of Catalinas, an Avenger, T6’s, Goose, I think I saw an Albatross as well. Great guy 🙂
He was saying yesterday he had 2 Catalinas,2 Goose and 2 Albatross at present— just to name the Amphibians.
By: Roobarb - 2nd October 2012 at 19:48
Well I first met him two years ago and had the pleasure of showing him our Buchon in its film colours as Yellow 10 shortly after I’d overseen the application and done all the research for it. He said it was just like those he has back at Big Spring and confirmed that all the colours were correct. We’d just finished the other Buchon as well and he looked round that at the same time. It was indeed good to see him again and he is everything you have ever heard about him. Quite a character to say the least. If you do a search theres a link to the WIX website and some great pictures posted a couple of years ago from his hangars. He still has 9 Buchons, including the two seater and a couple of ground looped fuselages. The Spitfire IX and his last P51 are there as well as a couple of Catalinas, an Avenger, T6’s, Goose, I think I saw an Albatross as well. Great guy 🙂
By: Roobarb - 2nd October 2012 at 19:48
Well I first met him two years ago and had the pleasure of showing him our Buchon in its film colours as Yellow 10 shortly after I’d overseen the application and done all the research for it. He said it was just like those he has back at Big Spring and confirmed that all the colours were correct. We’d just finished the other Buchon as well and he looked round that at the same time. It was indeed good to see him again and he is everything you have ever heard about him. Quite a character to say the least. If you do a search theres a link to the WIX website and some great pictures posted a couple of years ago from his hangars. He still has 9 Buchons, including the two seater and a couple of ground looped fuselages. The Spitfire IX and his last P51 are there as well as a couple of Catalinas, an Avenger, T6’s, Goose, I think I saw an Albatross as well. Great guy 🙂
By: Rob.Brindley - 2nd October 2012 at 09:42
Wow, Roobarb, that must have been quite a conversation!
How many Buchons does he actually own?
Any other aircraft in that hangar?
By: Rob.Brindley - 2nd October 2012 at 09:42
Wow, Roobarb, that must have been quite a conversation!
How many Buchons does he actually own?
Any other aircraft in that hangar?
By: Roobarb - 1st October 2012 at 20:54
The aircraft with the siamese exhausts sits in Connie Edwards hangar on his ranch at Big Spring, Texas. It’s still there, it hasn’t been sold with all the others and “heading for Germany”, and all the others are still there too. How do I know? Well, he showed me them on his camera today when I was chatting with him at Duxford:D:D:D
By: Roobarb - 1st October 2012 at 20:54
The aircraft with the siamese exhausts sits in Connie Edwards hangar on his ranch at Big Spring, Texas. It’s still there, it hasn’t been sold with all the others and “heading for Germany”, and all the others are still there too. How do I know? Well, he showed me them on his camera today when I was chatting with him at Duxford:D:D:D
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October 1, 2012 at 7:39 pm