Spitfire and Buchons for sale

[Speedy]

I am not positive (Mexican Bob might be able to confirm or correct here) but I think there were three complete airframes that were still in the can from when they were shipped over after the movie, and Connie never removed them. That could account for the other three. The trainer, one assembled airframe, four disassembled airframes, and three in the cans out back. That's nine, right?

[Warbirdnerd]

This is what Goodall’s Warbird Directory V.6 has for info on Connie’s Buchons.

Listed as still in storage in Big Springs (8):
C.4K-61 G-AWHF
C.4K-99 N90604
C.4K-106 N90607
C.4K-111 Not Registered
C.4K-112 N1109G
C.4K-126 N90603
C.4K-152 N4109G
C.4K-154 Not Registered

Others that Connie Edwards owned previously (7):
C.4K-31 Now G-AWHE Sold to England in 2008
C.4K-100 N76GE- Part of the Kalamazoo Air Museum since 1978
C.4K-102 G-BWUE- Sold to Alpine Fighter Collection in 1993 now with HFL
C.4K-105 N6036- Sold to R Hansen 1998
C.4K-127 N90601- Donated to EAA in 1978
C.4K-130 N90602- Sold to Tillamook/Erickson in 1989
C.4K-144 N8575 -To CAF in 1970- Crashed (and buried?) at Harlingen 1987

[Dan Jones]

Must be a Messershmitt thing. Thanks, Mark.

I know of a Lockheed Electra (the turboprop one) that fired up an engine by accident once while up on jacks and sitting in the hangar...

Very exciting!

[Matt Gunsch]

In 33 years of messing about with warbirds, I have never seen anybody swing the gear with the engine running.

Woulda been a lot more entertaining video if it had jumped the jacks. Maybe next time...

Never seen a warbird, but I did see someone do that with a early model 210, it was on jacks with the spinner inches from the hangar door. For those that don't know, on a Cessna to do a gear swing, you have to have them almost 3ft in the air to get clearance for the gear.
Here is a 177RG I did a gear swing on, it has the same type of gear as a 210,


Oh, I carried the jacks and everything else I needed in a trailer behind my Goldwing,

[Nathan]

I see these Bushons have a lot of people worked up about them. Both on wix, facebook, and other forums. But dare I say Im not sure why people are so excited about them. They are not 109's, but Spanish build close copies with merlin engines. But I guess these are as close to a 109 you can get anymore. But still not 100% authentic. Just my 02$

[hurricane_yank]

I think the fact that they are essentially 3/4 of a 109 and as you mentioned as close as you can really get anymore....in addition they came from a legend and super collector topped off with the fact that they sat "hidden" in a barn for 60+ years after staring in probably the best war movie of all-time makes people excited.

[Enemy Ace]

I may be wrong about this but based on my experience working on european and warsaw pact aircraft I think the reason why the plane is running during the gear swing is because the system is Pneumatic instead of Hydraulic. Hydraulic fluid that would not freeze up in winter did not come into widespread use until after the war in Europe. IIRC the Warsaw pact nations did not have hydraulic fluid until they were able to get some from a Sabre shot down in korea and develop their own.
There is probably a small Pneumatic pump/ Air Compressor on the accessory case of the 109 engine that is charging the supply Bottle/ Reservoir until it reaches proper pressure.
The Nanchang CJ-6 I fly has this type of system, actuating the gear uses a lot of air. It was stressed during checkout in the airplane that after lowering the flaps and gear to check the pneumatic pressure gauge to make sure there would be enough p.s.i. left in the system to have braking after landing. Several times I have had to stop after clearing the runway and let the pressure build up so I had enough air to taxi back to the hangar.
-Robert

I don't want to Hijack this thread so will open a new topic on this subject.

[Matt Gunsch]

The gear is hydraulic, not pnuematic

[Mike]

IIRC the Warsaw pact nations did not have hydraulic fluid until they were able to get some from a Sabre shot down in korea and develop their own.

The Soviets had plenty of Lend Lease aircraft from the US and UK which had hydraulic systems.

[Speedy]

I see these Bushons have a lot of people worked up about them. Both on wix, facebook, and other forums. But dare I say Im not sure why people are so excited about them. They are not 109's, but Spanish build close copies with merlin engines. But I guess these are as close to a 109 you can get anymore. But still not 100% authentic. Just my 02$

I know that a lot of people dismiss the Buchon with the same wave-off that they do the planes built for Tora x3, but to say they're not 109's is equivalent to saying that F-86's built by Canadair or CAC aren't 100% authentic F-86's because they were licence-built and modified to accept different engines. Just my .02.

[RobC]

I don't know why people get so wrapped up about The Buchon question, but it is not rational. It is a Buchon, but it is still a Messerschmitt. Putting a Merlin engine in it does not make it not a Messerschmitt.

Did the Beaufighter quit being a Beaufighter when they put Merlin engines in it?

Did the Spitfire quit being a Spitfire when they put the Griffon in it?

How about the DAP Beaufort? American engine and it wasn't even made in England! Yep, still a Beaufort.

[Matt Gunsch]

Did the Spitfire quit being a Spitfire when they put a DB-601 on it ?

[Nathan]

I see what you guys are saying and I agree. But these Bushons will never have history with the Luftwaffe. Yes, they are 109's but are a bit different in design and made by a different country., and Im not trying to criticize anyone for liking them, but they just aren't purebreds. Spanish 109's for the win.

[redvanner]

Did the Spitfire quit being a Spitfire when they put a DB-601 on it ?

No, Matt, she did not IMHO!
But she definitely looks quite a bit more aerodynamic, smoother and more elegant than with the original Merlin.
Will it be at Legends?
(I´ll get my coat, the Brits are after me.....

BTW all pilots that had the chance to fly this hybrid were surprised by the performance, and tried to fly her as often as possible.
(It was a DB 605, not a 601) Interestingly the engine mounts of a Bf 110 only needed very little changes to be fitted onto the Spitfire.

Michael

[Taylor Stevenson]

Speedy, No CASAs in cans. Just other airframes.