Hi Jochen,

Got the tickets for the FIO. I mailed you. BW Roger

Thanks James. BW Roger

Great job done. Nice to see that at least some TBMs will be staying in their tanker configuration. If it wasn’t for their post war tanker role, I doubt if many should have survived today. I’ll rather see a tanker configurated TBM, or a TBM in a military post war (COD, 3W2, observation, target tug) variant, than just another all WW2 reconfigurated one with a turret. The TBM had, unlike many other WW2 types, a very active and interesting post WW2 career being flown in a variety of roles, for many military and civil operators. And apart from that, pilots operating the tanker Avengers on fire fighting missions were doing one of the most dangerous jobs in aviation, which costed many their lives. So for me, a flying bogus military TBM isn’t “much better” than a static aerial tanker example. BW Roger

Without doubt the one of the Messerschmitt Stiftung will be seen at the ILA Berlin in coming May, most probably together with their 109 and 108. BW Roger

My entire collection (pics, slides,paper,memorabilia,uniforms, medals etc) will become part of a large national museum in Holland. They already know this, and arrangements have been made. BW Roger

The 100-400 is a fine lens, but it has some disadvantages. The way it is constructed, it is a push/pull one, it blows/moves dust around inside the camerahousing. I had to clean the camera’s sensor almost every time I used it. A second weakness is its construction, many have had problems with the lens locking up (so you couldn’t zoom anymore). I used it for 2 years, and overall the image quality was fine. Sold it in January this year, and I am back on primes which give a far better quality, but are less handy. BW Roger

Sorry, for some personal reasons, not an Allied pilot but Hauptmann Werner Lucas, who died on 19-9-1942 not far from my home. BW Roger

Hasn’t the Messerschmitt Stiftung a website or so? Can’t find one so far. BW Roger