Identity of this post-war Buchon?

I’m no helicopter expert, but perhaps somebody can ID the one in the background of photo #2 and then a possible location?

The helicopter is a Bristol Sycamore, one is listed as being present at Uetersen.

Richard

I always thought they could be displayed on museum aircraft, but not on flyable ones (such as the Messerschmitt Foundation aircraft, for example, or the current stable of German fighters maintained by Meier Motors).

Just what are the rules regarding swastikas in Germany? This aircraft seems to have sported it for most of its time in Germany, although it lacks it in the scan from Leslie Hunt’s book.

T J

🙂 Fantastic works chaps… the power of the internet strikes again! For those interested, here are two images of her today:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21532948@N04/5146988678
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21532948@N04/5146982594

Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

From Les Hunt’s ‘Vintage and Veteren Aircraft – Fourth Revised Edition’ of the early 1970’s.

Mark

….scan of a postcard from the Uetersen museum..described on the back as a ‘Ha 1109’

Yes I believe that this is an HA-1109-K1L built in Spain in 1948. It is one of two that were sent from Spain to Germany in mid 1968 where this one was put on display at the Luftwaffenmuseum Uetersen wearing markings of a Gruppenkommandeur of JG2 ‘Richtofen’ for a time. It is now at Berlin-Gatow but you wouldn’t recognize it any more. I don’t have any record of it doing film work in any of its configurations. I believe these pictures are from 1969 or 1970. I’m looking through my files for similar pics that are from 1970.

Looks to me like the HA-1109 KIL when it was displayed at Uetersen near Hamburg. In 1988 it was rebuilt to G-2 standard using a DB recovered off Sardinia. Now on display at the Luftwaffen Museum Gatow.

Dave

The Bf109G mock-up sounds quite reasonable to me too Daz… I’m hoping that the distinctive JG2 emblem and Gruppen Kommandeur chevron markings might jog one of our older members grey matter and they may recognise it from film work or static display? Also, I’m no helicopter expert, but perhaps somebody can ID the one in the background of photo #2 and then a possible location?

Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

Only thing I can think of is that the lower cowlings, not to mention the prop, have been mocked up so as to more closely(!) resemble a ‘109G.

Everything else about that, though, screams Hispano engined ‘109.

:confused:

Yep, I’d noticed the lack of an intake in the same position too! I’m looking at a photo of a HS-404 cannon equipped HA-1112K.1L in flight in “Les Messerchmitt Espagnols” [Avions Hors Serie No.5, 1997] and these pronounced intakes are clearly visible on the lower port and starboard lower chin! Definitely one to sleep on…

Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

Not to mention the prop appears to turn the other way?!

The cowlings had me flummoxed – the starboard side one at least doesn’t appear to have the small intake lower down that the one in the Spanish museum has. Either that, or it’s not easily discernible in the eBay pics.

Thanks for the input thus far Daz… its the shape of chin and air intake set back that are confusing the bu**er out of me Daz. I agree that there is some resemblance to the HA-1112K.1L, like this example, but even compared to that, the chin cowling is certainly different on the example in the first post… very intriguing! 🙂

Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

Scratch that. The ‘109G conversion I was thinking of was originally a Buchon, according to the Preserved Axis Aircraft website.

Perhaps the one at the Luftwaffe Museum in Gatow? The PAA website lists this one as a HA-1109-K1L originally…?

Is it not a Hispano-engined version? Therefore technically not a Buchon? (I’d always thought the name referred only to the Merlin-engined versions??)

Something tells me it’s one that has been rebuilt as a Bf109G somewhere in Germany – the “Richthofen” unit badge is jumping out at me, so perhaps it’s the one on display in the unit’s museum?