Warbird Information Exchange

After a "restoration", the world's only surviving 2 seat Buchon (Spanish built Me-109), sold from the great Connie Edwards Auction, flew today.

Pictures and video here:

https://www.facebook.com/SywellAerodrome/

Wow, watch the 2nd takeoff video. That looks like a LOT of crosswind as the plane appears to be flying sideways quite a bit towards the camera. It could just be an optical illusion, though.

In any case, that pilot has big ones to take off with that much crosswind, in a Buchon, on a hard surfaced runway. My hats off to him - that's not something I would ever want to do. Everybody I've ever talked to who flew the Buchon has mentioned how "squirrelly" the aircraft is in a crosswind. There are some Buchon pilots who have said they will never fly one off of a hard surface due to the aircraft being so difficult to control.

I thought Connie's bird had a bubble sliding canopy?

It did, but as shown, not anymore. This new setup will provide paying passengers the closest experience possible (riding in the back) of flying in a wartime Bf-109, by looking out through a stock '109' canopy at a Spitfire or Mustang flying on your wing, rather than just looking through the unrestricted plexiglass of the sliding bubble (it also, previously, had a taller, non-stock windscreen). With regard to passenger flights, they'll be the only ones in England providing such an experience, but they already have European-based competition with the Hangar10 two-seat Bf-109/Buchon operating in Germany, which has a very authentic wartime-era two-seat configuration/canopy.

They've also replaced the tail with the taller G-10/K-4 type/era unit.

Some before and after photos:





Photos by Ian Leech (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ianl2/).

Is the fuselage longer aft of the wing compared to a standard 109/Buchon, or is it just the second cockpit that throws off the "look" of the aircraft?

SN

It's a lovely airplane for sure, congrats to the new owners. I am still holding out hope that we will one day see a flyable Buchon restored into authentic Spanish colors though. This one, with the bubble type canopy, would have been a spectacular candidate in my opinion. Maybe some day!

Nope. Well sort of. She was built with the “tall tail”, I believe both examples were. I think it had a standard tail fitted during its exhumation from Connie Edwards, as there’s pics of it from earlier with the tall tail still on. Iirc. I’m pretty sure that this example at least was also built with stock wings, i.e. without the wing fences. I could be wrong on that but I’ve never seen pics of either with the fences.

They’ve done a nice job on that, and quickly too. I’m stoked to see it out of hibernation and back in the air. Personally I feel that due to its rarity that at some point it should be returned to its stock canopy configuration as well as its in-service livery, but that’s small peanuts in comparison to what’s been accomplished. Congrats to all involved.

Cheers

GV

Edit: pic from the ‘net:

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/attachmen ... pg.225410/

It looks fantastic. On the video of the takeoff, the wind is minimal. The pilot is tracking the centerline by stomping on the right rudder , wings level. The Buchons have a ferocious amount of torque and pilots have been known to surrender to it by using aileron or drifting off the left side of runway. He’s flying it “like a boss” . Expertly and far better than the other way!

Anyone know who currently own's G-AWHC?

Thanks,
Stephen

Air Leasing Ltd., Sywell Aerodrome.

"restoration"?

Yes, I wrote that because it was likely more of an IRAN and repaint. The airframe, from what I was told, was more or less in very, very good condition. I was implying that the aircraft was already in excellent shape and only needed minor work. Somewhere on the internet there is a video of one of Connie's Buchon's engines being started and running at his ranch - with virtually no work having been done to it. The engine was started on the first attempt, as well. It was the first time since 1970 or so the engine had been run. How many airplanes do you know that can start their engines with a 45 year break with no work done to them, except perhaps an oil change, spark plug change and perhaps a few other minor things, but no overhaul or major work done to it? My point is that the aircraft were stored inside and were still in fantastic condition after all that time. Yes, the paint was faded and yes they were all dusty, but their excellent inside storage in the dry West Texas climate is a testament to Connie's excellent care for these machines.

I read that, over a drink at the hangar, one of the guys from Platinum Fighters bet Connie that he couldn't just wheel a Buchon out and start it. He soon lost that bet! I think that engine run may be the one in the video.

_________________
Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22