This is the place where the majority of the warbird (aircraft that have survived military service) discussions will take place. Specialized forums may be added in the new future
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Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:27 am

LAHarve is correct! His photo taken at Duxford shows the same aircraft as that shown in David Pride's undated picture taken at the Lorain, Ohio Airshow "some years ago". I am pretty sure the trailer it is sitting on in LAHarve's shot is the same one it travelled around on while based in Michigan with the CAF. PeterA is correct also. It did not have a RR Merlin engine installed when these photos were taken. In fact it didn't have any engine installed! It is my understanding that the complete engine cowling, wing tips and possibly even the propellor blades were made out of fiberglass. I don't know how far from home they ventured with this plane on the trailer.

Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:08 am

Twenty years or more back there was a CAF bird on a trailer at Oshkosh. It was a Buchon and was assigned to one of their wings. I was thinking it was from Ohio but maybe it was Michigan. I just remember it didn't travel too far to get there. It had been heavily damaged in a ground accident and they had made up a fibreglass nose (DB 605) from the firewall forward . They were panhandling for donations and the wings had also been heavily damaged although that's just from conversation, I do not remember them being in the tent.
The cockpit looked dusty, but complete and original. I think the CAF started with several Buchon's and these were whittled down by various accidents. Some of these still had the light gray/blue on the undersides, etc. from the "Battle of Britain" filming. They weren't restored per se, but were flown military surplus.

Re: Identity of aircraft shown in photo

Fri Dec 30, 2005 3:00 pm

Todd Hackbarth wrote:The aircraft in this photo: http://www.davidpride.com/Aviation/Oth_LC_01.htm is definately an ex-Confederate/Commerative Air Force Hispano HA-1112 Buchon. I don't know its exact identity offhand. At the old CAF Airsho in the mid to late 1970's, (1975 or '76?), this aircraft was basically flown into the ground during a low level flyby. It was with the Motor City Squadron of the CAF as a static display during the 1980's and early '90s. The Detroit group of CAF members did their best to make this aircraft look like an actual German bf-109. The engine cowling was made from fiberglass as were the wingtips I believe. It is my understand that this plane was traded to someone in England and that it was being restored to fly once again.


That sounds more like Harold Kindsvater's ex-CAF machine, N109W. Not sure if he still owns here, though. Here's a photo:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/779134/L/
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