Kindsvater Me 109 /Buchon sold

[Jackdaw]

I've just read in the latest Aeroplane magazine that Harold Kindsvater has sold his Spanish built Me 109 and by now it should already be in Germany with its new owner/s.

Does anyone know why Harald has let his beloved Me109 go or is he giving the vintage aircraft scene entirely.

Jackdaw

[Mike]

It has been advertised for sale for quite a number of years now, and hasn't flown for the last three years or so that I know of.

[Obergrafeter]

Thats OK the Storch he traded for it hasn't flown for 10 years euther.

[Race 22 Crew]

Too bad it left the states.

It's been a number of years, but I had the privilege of working with Harold on the 109 during one summer I was going to A&P school and on occasion after that. I believe Skip Holm did most of the 109 flying for him after the completion of the restoration, and Harold would fly a P-51 to the shows. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to see it fly. One of the few years I missed at Reno, he had it there.

Along with the Storch, he also had a ME108 and ME208. Sold the 208 years back to help finance the 109 engine overhaul, etc. Helped him while he was getting the 208 ready for the new owner. That reminds me, he owes me a ride in the back of the P-51 for that help!!!! I moved before I could collect One day maybe.

Harold is a great guy, and that was a great summer. Have talked with him a couple times at Reno the last few years and it was great to see him again.

I wish him the best and doubt he will be leaving vintage aircraft. Maybe has his sights on a -51 or ???

Any reason the Storch isn't being flown? He used to fly it at the Warbird shows in CA. Still remember the first time I saw Harold fly the Storch, 360 degree turn with the wings absolutely flat. Pretty wild, but very slow

Warren

[Warbird Kid]

Who owns the aircraft now? Any known plans for her?

[Boghopper]

Meier Motors have purchased the HA-1112 along with a dash 7 corsair from france.

[Obergrafeter]

The Storch had a wing spar problem which when the CAF had it assigned to us was fixed. Try finding a spar cap for a Storch at your local five and dime. Anyway it took awhile but we fixed it but ran out of time and money (plus I had a heart attack) so headquarters re-assigned it to New Jersey and they have been working on it for seven years. Don't know its status now.

[Dan K]

The Storch had a wing spar problem which when the CAF had it assigned to us was fixed. Try finding a spar cap for a Storch at your local five and dime. Anyway it took awhile but we fixed it but ran out of time and money (plus I had a heart attack) so headquarters re-assigned it to New Jersey and they have been working on it for seven years. Don't know its status now.

http://home.comcast.net/~dvwweb/newsletter/nov%2009.pdf

[Bill Greenwood]

"Meier Motors", eh? That reminds me of what Herman Goering said, "If you ever see Allied bombers over Berlin, you can call me "Meyer".

[Obergrafeter]

Dan K thanks for the update on the Storch. Funny I haven't heard a word from those people on the Storch. Don't know who they are talking to, but I was the last to fly it, work on it, pay bills on it down here, laid all these things out for the one person they sent to pick it up, spent three days helping load it gave him all the books and poof it was gone.

[Bill Greenwood]

If this was the same Storch that was in California some years back, then it may be the one that Jay Cullum picked up and flew back to Texas for the CAF. I think he said it took him about 20 hours or some such, and that the old cliche of being so slow that he was being passed by trucks on the freeway was really true.

I was never all that impressed by the Storch until I saw one fly at Kermits museum down in Florida.I was so slow that as it flew over you really felt that you could reach out and touch it. My Cub can go pretty slow, but this thing can just about hover! It was pretty neat, and at the end of the demo flight it landed right there on the ramp. Seemed to have rolled about 50 feet. I wish I had thought to ask Kermit for the ride he still owes me. I'd like to go in one, just not Ca. to Texas.

Is there any estimate of the time/money needed to get it flying?

[wls3]

Obergrafeter,
Update on Storch with photos from Nov. 09.

After reading, they maybe very interested in hearing from you.

http://home.comcast.net/~dvwweb/newsletter/nov%2009.pdf

[Neal Nurmi]

I saw this airplane at one of the legendary Chandler Field shows in the mid-1970s. Would this be the one being discussed here? Does anybody know the name of the owner at that time?

Yes, it was amazingly slow...

[Randy Wilson]

N40FS is the Storch that Jay Cullum flew from California to Lancaster, Texas (Dallas/Ft. Worth Wing base) just south of Dallas in the late 1980s when it was aquired by the CAF. I think he said it took him 19+ hours. In December 1990, I ferried it from Lancaster to Midland logging 4.5 hours - I can drive it in that and have! I got very familiar with several big rigs, too. I think I have some video of it flying at a little show at Stinson Field. If I can find it, I'll try and post it. I think the last time I flew it was in March of 1998 when I returned it to Boerne from a stay in Midland.

After hearing some of the problems with locking one wing and other issues from the Deleware Valley Wing guys, I called Jim Fry, who was part of the maintenance team that worked on the plane in Boerne, when it was assigned there. Jim said he had been contacted by someone with the DVW some time ago but his attempts to call them back were never returned. If someone with the DVW will PM me, I'll be happy to share Jim's contact info. I think he could help.

Randy

[BenG]

The Buchon has been delivered to Bremgarten in Germany last friday.