As indicated elsewhere on this forum a while ago, EADS Military Air Systems held an Families’ Day at their Manching facility north of Munich on July 8.
I felt very privileged to receive an invitation to this non-public event, and was smugly hoping for a brilliant airshow with many interesting aircraft and very few people.
In the event it turned out that EADS has a very large family, as approx. 80,000 people were in attendance 😮
Anyway, with Manching being the site of the German Eurofighter assembly line, the Messerschmitt Foundation (with the aircraft operated by the EADS Heritage Flight) and the Wehrtechnische Dientsstelle 61 (WTD61) test facility, there were lots of interesting things to see.
The photos are not of the best quality as photography was rather difficult (obstacles, people and looking into the sun..)
Static Display
1) The Messerschmitt Foundation’s airworthy all-wooden Me 163 (glider) replica
2) The up until recently most secret Barracuda UAV
3) Messerschmitt M.17 replica from the Messerschmitt Foundation, which unfortunately didn’t fly.
4)-6) How often do you get to see two airworthy Bf 109 parked next to each other? Both are in fine fettle and are very airworthy.
7) Beautiful, airworthy Udet U.12 Flamingo replica built by a vintage glider club in Munich.
8) One of two surviving DASA/Rockwell FanRanger prototypes, an unsuccesful candidate for the USAF trainer competition won by the Raytheon/Pilatus Texan II.
9) Guests were free to stroll up and down the Eurofighter assembly line and take as many pictures as they liked 😮
By: Skyraider3D - 27th August 2006 at 20:39
That’s a large family indeed, but you did get spoilt, you must admit 🙂
By: barrythemod - 26th August 2006 at 15:17
Any pic of a Phantom still where it belongs is good enough for me.Many thanks 😀
By: DazDaMan - 26th August 2006 at 09:29
Great stuff. Good to see the G-10 up and about 🙂
Don’t think I’ve ever seen pics of the ‘163 replica flying, though! 🙂
By: Kenneth - 25th August 2006 at 21:00
Helicopters and more or less modern aircraft
All the Luftwaffe types were aircraft allocated to the WTD61 and displayed by them, except for the Eurofighter which was displayed by EADS and the Eurocopter Tiger which came from Eurocopter at Donauwörth.
19) The aging, but very agile and most impressive Sikorsky CH-53G
20) Eurocopter Tiger which even today is always presented as “… the helicopter from the Golden Eye James Bond Film..” – does anyone still remember that film :rolleyes:
21)-22) The well-worn Transall never ceases to amaze me with its short-field performance and the wonderful rumble of its RR Tyne engines.
23)-25) The Luftwaffe F-4F Phantoms won’t be around for long anymore – see & enjoy them while you can!
26) One of few German Tornadoes still in green camouflage paint
27) If nothing else, the Eurofighter has the most beautiful afterburner flames I’ve ever seen!
That’s all for now!
By: Kenneth - 25th August 2006 at 20:49
Vintage aircraft displays
10)-11) The Me 163 in flight; towed aloft by a Dornier Do 27. A most evocative sight!
12) Elegant aerobatics by a Lycoming-engined Jungmann
13) The Messerschmitt Foundation’s Bf 108 (D-ESBH)
14)-15) The Bf 109G-10 (D-FDME), unfortunately too far away for decent photos
16) The Messerschmitt Foundation’s rarely seen Hispano Saeta (D-IWMS)
17)-18) The Messerschmitt Me 262 replica
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August 25, 2006 at 8:42 pm