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Takka takka takka

mike_cyul

mike_cyul

SOH-CM-2025
If you've seen the 1968 film "Battle of Britain" then you know what the subject means. :)

Anyway, while the Halifax waits for its final adjustments, here are a couple of early screenshots of other projects in the mill. Early days, as the BoB version of the Buchon needs the 'pretend' diagonal supports for the stabiliser that were installed for the film (and may have the antenna removed, as many in the film didn't have one). There will also be a more standard present day Buchon, with smaller spinner, etc..

(When the movie first came out, we were staying in Hastings, UK, and being an enthusiastic kid I saw it eight times the first week - the first was paid for, the next two were by standing in the lobby and peering through the crack between the doors that lead into the theatre, the last after the theatre Manager said to the staff to just let the lad anytime he wanted in as I didn't seem to be going anywhere else.)

The Messerschmitt Bf-109G6 is coming along, too, being seen here with early textures to help plot where rivets, etc. will need to go.

109-G6 VC is well on its way, while the Buchon will wait for the 109 VC to be done first, as the Spanish version is a derivative of that.

C'est tout! :)

Mike




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Looking great Mike ! Excited about The G6 model myself , have logged substantial time in your K variant .... awesome news ! Mike :applause:
 
Awesome to see a Buchon!! It would be great to see one in Spanish colours. And the G-6 too! I notice the morane antenna under the G-6's wing...did some G-6's have them in the late stages of WW2?
 
Wow!

Really looking forward to the Buchon Mike, and of course the G model!

:jump:

Also can't wait for your Halifax either.

Cheers

Paul
 
Very excited for both of these, Mike! There are currently more 109's/Buchons flying today than there has been since the 1960's, with the current number at 9 (not including the EADS 109's, which all three are out of service for the time being). In England, there are now four Buchons flying (G-AWHC, G-AWHH, G-AWHK and G-AWHM), all of which were used in the Battle of Britain movie in the 1960's (one which is the original two-seater) - three of those have all come to completion of restoration within just the last 7-8 months, having been part of the Connie Edwards stash of Buchons sold just a couple years ago. All four of the UK-based Buchons will be flying at the Duxford Flying Legends airshow this weekend. In Germany, there is D-FMGS, a new-build and flying DB 605-powered Bf-109G-6 (using some original parts and original identity), and D-FMGZ, which was a stock, single-seat Buchon that has been converted to the Bf-109G-12 two-seat configuration and canopy (this particular aircraft has been setup so that, in a few day's time, the Merlin/Buchon QEC can be swapped with a DB 605/Bf-109G QEC, and vice versa). Also in Germany, although it hasn't flown yet (though likely soon), there is also a DB 605-powered "Bf-109G-14" (converted from a Buchon with an original G-14 identity attached), registered D-FMGV - all three of those (D-FMGS, D-FMGZ and D-FMGV) are owned by the Air Fighter Academy/Hangar10. In the US, besides the Bf-109E N342FH, there is Jerry Yagen's DB 605-powered Bf-109G-4 N109GY (original G-4 identity, but with a good amount of Buchon airframe involved) and the Erickson Aircraft Collection's "Bf-109G-10", which is a converted Buchon running an up-right Allison engine, keeping the same prop location and thrust line as if a DB 605 were installed, all within the stock-mounted original G-10 cowlings and late canopy.

My favorite '109 of all time is the Bf-109G-2 "Black 6", and there is this wonderful Facebook page, hosted by one of the guys originally involved in the restorations and maintenance. If you look through the photo albums, there are some real gems and insights, including cockpit details: https://www.facebook.com/Me109-Black-6-352717801421301/

A couple of the UK-based Buchons are listed for sale here, with some good photos:
http://www.platinumfighters.com/buchon187
http://www.platinumfighters.com/buchon402

All three of the Air Fighter Academy/Hangar10 flying/flyable Bf-109G's/Buchons are listed for sale here, with some great photos:
https://www.trade-a-plane.com/searc...=BF-109G-6&listing_id=2323924&s-type=aircraft
https://www.trade-a-plane.com/searc...BF-109G-12&listing_id=2323870&s-type=aircraft
https://www.trade-a-plane.com/searc...BF-109G-14&listing_id=2323874&s-type=aircraft

G-AWHH is the latest of three Buchons that have been completed by Air Leasing, taking flight for the first time again just a few weeks ago. It looks very striking in its chosen color scheme of a Bf-109F flown by Edmund Rossmann of 7/JG52. https://www.flickr.com/photos/85383837@N04/28479705127/in/photolist-KoDW7K-KoDVKc-28Y3zJq-26hqBgU-KetmaR-27vwWn6-Ketm5R-KetkXr-28NWrSE-28TeU8B-LKvvRy-27vjW9e-28TcKiX-27vjVKi-27vjVGn-LKvuwj-27MJdho-27MFfoy-27v4bNB-28NzvPu-K4BxWa-28FuDSz-JZSmjB-25TJiHQ-25TJhRQ-25TJfqs-25TJf5s-25THh99-LvVYcA-LvVW6b-LuKmcL-28y6KiU-28y6Kcb-LuKkZS-28y6JZs-LuKkN9-27wLLLh-28xPGxf-28xQftQ-28xQdju-27dnKdx-271Mwjk-LePvAY-25BH2KA-25BH2Ef-25Bftt3-27d3Cds-YwzJJX-ZtutMq-yGdrWn


In regard to Buchon props and spinners, they originally used R12/4F5 Dowty four-blade metal propellers, and some used Rotol R116/4F5 four-blade wooden propellers. A couple of the Buchons flying today have re-profiled Hamilton Standard DC-3 props that look closer to the original German three-blade units, fitted with I believe CFF Hurricane spinners (though some have had special, larger and rounded spinners to look more like original Messerschmitt G-series spinners). The cannon-nose spinner used on the Buchons in the BoB movie, and can be seen on a couple of the Buchons flying today, were made by riveting a separate cone to a standard Spitfire spinner.
 
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Drat, was just thinking of getting the fs2004 Gustav. Now I'll have to wait for the FSX version! Thank you for doing these they look great!
 
Bomber_12th said:

In regard to Buchon props and spinners, they originally used R12/4F5 Dowty four-blade metal propellers, and some used Rotol R116/4F5 four-blade wooden propellers. A couple of the Buchons flying today have re-profiled Hamilton Standard DC-3 props that look closer to the original German three-blade units, fitted with I believe CFF Hurricane spinners (though some have had special, larger and rounded spinners to look more like original Messerschmitt G-series spinners). The cannon-nose spinner used on the Buchons in the BoB movie, and can be seen on a couple of the Buchons flying today, were made by riveting a separate cone to a standard Spitfire spinner.
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All great info, John - thanks! It has always amazed me that they went to all the trouble of making the diagonal stabilizer supports to simulate the Emil, whereas the rest of the Buchon has a lot that doesn't look Messerschmitt-ish at all. And do you know anything about the squared off (well, sort of) wingtips on some of the Buchons? Was that a Spanish mod or was that also done for the film?
 
Mike, the squared-off wing tips was also part of the movie modifications - the whole aim being to try and depict them as Battle of Britain-era Bf-109E's. There were 27 Buchons that were purchased for the making of the movie, 17 of which were airworthy/flown. The modifications included the wing tips, the tail struts, dummy guns, and nose cones/spinners. 11 of these were provided to Connie Edwards as payment for all of his flying time in the movie - 10 of which he still had, stored in hangars, up until selling them a couple years ago. All four of the Buchons currently flying in the UK were used in the movie, and all had been owned by Connie Edwards (though G-AWHK, with Spitfire Ltd., was sold in the mid 90's). With three of the ten Buchons that were sold by Connie Edwards a couple years ago already fully restored and flying again, there are still several more that are also under restoration to fly - including another in the UK and a few in California.

With regard to the struts added to them for the movie, I seem to recall hearing at some point that they didn't like to always stay attached to the airframes, especially when the aircraft were flown in a spirited manner.

G-AWHK has sported several different paint schemes over the last decade or so (a few with temporary "movie" paint). I was always a big fan of Harold Kindsvater's Buchon, when he owned/operated it here in the US until selling it several years ago (it becoming the "Bf-109G-12" conversion in Germany). When Kindsvater owned it, it had a fantastic paint scheme I feel: http://www.warbirdregistry.org/luftregistry/images/buchon-c4k169-5.jpg

All three of the "Bf-109G's" (Bf-109G-4, G-6 and G-10) owned by the Messesrchmitt Foundation/EADS/Airbus Group in Germany, currently out of service (but are flown when healthy/not broken), are all converted Buchons.

The Halifax looks absolutely superb, Mike! I love how realistically busy the cockpit is, with all of the wiring harnesses, and the structure of the windscreen/canopy sections looks phenomenal!
 
There were 27 Buchons that were purchased for the making of the movie
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The CASA 2-111s on the other hand were only leased, because they were still wanted by the Spanish Air Force.
 
Great photos, Ferry! That Buchon (G-AWHK) has gone back to those film colors, temporarily, again this year (same scheme, but appearing a bit different now).

Here are all four of the Buchons currently flying in England (which are all at Duxford for this weekend's airshow):

G-AWHH "White 9": https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/42524311494
G-AWHM "Yellow 7" in its recreated original BoB movie scheme: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/41304653400
G-AWHK "Black 2" (temporary paint for this year - permanent paint below is its recreated "Yellow 10" BoB movie scheme): https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/43095073281
G-AWHC "Red 11" the two-seater (used in the BoB movie for shooting scenes from, and also painted today in its BoB movie scheme): https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/40950872020

The two-seat Buchon, G-AWHC, originally had a more/less clear-vision bubble canopy unit, which there still is and can be fitted, but it was decided that for safety sake (carrying paid passengers) in the event of a nose-over, they would have to devise the setup it currently as, which incorporates two stock '109/Buchon canopies. As a paying passenger riding in back, it also offers much more of a Messerschmitt 109 experience being confined and looking through the braced canopy than it would if it were still fitted with the clear-vision canopy.
 
mike_cyul said:
The Halifax is still on track, having now finished testing. There are one or two things that still have to be done, but it shouldn't be long now.

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Wow :applause: ! Looks REALLY good! Good choice! Not many on the market (the last for FS9?), the next (after the "takka takka takka" :biggrin-new:) maybe Liberator :D !
Thx Mike for this shots. Skin idea "Beer is Best":

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