Interesting Buchon model…

Amazing pics Roger. The fitting of a Hispano engine in the Buchon looks different than the more ‘usualy’ seen Merlin.

I second that – very nice aircraft indeed. At risk of this having been answered already somewhere/sometime, was the reason behind abandoning the HS engine as Dave H notes above because the Merlin was “better and now available”. Was the HS engine not so good in terms of performance, reliability, serviceability, price, etc.?

Shure Roger. The ‘deal’ is still on. I am planning to come to Holland during the last week of january. 🙂

It’s shure interesting to hear about your visits over there. I’ll write it down, but I can’t make a long term appointment for 2005 yet. But if I don’t need to work during such a event, you may count me in!

Thanks,

J.V.

Hi Jochen,

I’ll go there (the museum, FIO rehearsel/ramp/apron day and FIO show) 2 or 3 times a year, most of the time with some other aviation enthousiasts and photographers, so if you want to join in 2005!

Here are some additional shots taken at both the museum and the FIO.

The “deal” is still on?

BW Roger

Well worth a visit.

Both the Air Museum, and FiO on the other side of the airfield.

I’ll defer to Roger S for the local gen, though!

Amazing pics Roger. The fitting of a Hispano engine in the Buchon looks different than the more ‘usualy’ seen Merlin. After seeing this, I prefer the HS in a Buchon. I think I’m going to need to do a trip to Spain to see that installation of the HS in detail. 😎

J.V.

Hi James,

I PM’ed you my emailadress, making things less complicated. What type(s) are you talking about?

BW Roger

Here are 2 shots of the HS fitted one in Madrid, I shot them a few weeks ago.

I’m gonna need some lovey pics of the collection ‘in action’ for publication… We’ll take this to PM, eh?

Talk about my pics????

BW Roger

Dear Roger S,
Yup! And we need to talk about some of your pics too!
Cheers

I did wonder why it had the original ‘flip-over’ canopy, and not the sliding one like the Czech example.

Daz

You are correct, 25 G-2 airframes were supplied in 1943, engines wern’t supplied due to a deteriorating war situation for Germany. Several hundred were built by Hispano postwar. Many Buchon owners claim that ‘theirs’ is one of the original 25, (adds $$$) but to date no German manufacturing stamps have been discovered in any of the survivors. The Buchon is a separate aircraft in its own right.
On the other hand, the Avia on display at the IAFM is indeed a genuine 109G-14 , wk.nr. 782358, built Messerschmitt- Regensburg in 1944. Re engined postwar.

Dave

I think it was more like 25, Dave, although there may have been some German-built survivors lying around after the Civil War that might have been adapted.

Certainly some of the Czech-built ‘109s were later models – they had the Galland hood and taller tailfins.

(Although I’ve just realised the Czech-painted one has a sliding hood fitted!)

From what I’ve read, the first fifty in the Spanish Air Force were genuine German-built Bf109G models, supplied during the war, minus engines due to neutrality laws. So they stuck Hispano engines in them I think.

They liked them so much they bought the jigs after the war and made many more themselves, converting to the Merlin postwar as it was better and now available. But all were based on the G model design as far as I’m aware, with local adaptations of course.

I wonder if any of the original fifty German built ones survive.

That is what I thought … here’s the website … person by the name of Chuck Hawks talking through a hole …?
http://www.chuckhawks.com/me-109.htm

Nope, it was a licence-built G model, far as I’m aware.

JDK and any others who might know …

Just yesterday, Googling for reviews of Heinz Thingy’s biography “I flew for the Furher” (which I found in a second hand bookstore for NZD20, which I think is steep …but I digress) I came across a website about ME109s and it said that the ME109 (it meant Buchon, hence this being on topic) was manufactured and served in Spain into the 1960’s.

But the interesting thing, and my question, is that it said explicitly this was the 109 K series (which had a number of improvements over the G including removal of the bulges, more powerful engine and Galland Hood). Is that right, the Buchon was a licence manufactured K series 109? And if so, why not the Galland Hood?

So you have been to the FIO I guess?

BW Roger

See JDK, pictures I have seen of blue Buchóns preserved today show them less metallic a shade.

I guess I was wrong, but I learned something new today!!

Ok, it’ll do it in little words…

It’s a model of a Buchon built by Hispano at the time they were producing them, as a presentation desk model. It was painted in the same paint (like the out of the same can) as they were using to paint the real thing. As a model, it’s as real as you can get. For painting your Buchon in Spanish colours (hint…) it’s the colour benchmark, but sadly a photo viewed through a web browsers about as accurate as a government prediction. To see where it’s held, go to www.fio.es (- warning: graphic heavy Spanish language website)

Cheers!

John C Wild Guess time…. Today’s JCWG is:

The model is supposed to represent a Legion Condor aircraft? As these were Bf109C/D/E’s, a Buchon is nowhere near.[1]

Told you it was wild 🙂

JC
[1]My only reason for this guess is the age/style of the flying helmets in the background!