What's in the middle of nowhere? (Big Spring, TX)

[Robbo]

Thanks for sharing these photos, Gary. What a fantastic collection!

[ALAN.L]

Great pictures Gary, thanks for posting them!

Is Connie's place an old air base or does he have a strip on his land?

Am I alone in thinking that when / if the collection is dispersed,one of those Buchons would look great with the dust blown off and put in museum with the film paint and markings left in place? And if it was at Duxford,, North Weald or Biggin, then even better.....
Cheers, Alan.

[Warbird Kid]

Amazing! Simply Amazing! I've never heard of this place before, untill now. I always wondered what happened to the majority of the Hispano 109's after filming BoB, and now I know!! I never imagined that 4 would still be around like that!

How many are actually there at Big Springs? It would be a dream come true to own of those beauties!

Also, could anybody put a list of all the aircraft that are there?

[Steve T]

Gary--

Echoing everybody else's thanks for posting these. Fantastic stuff...

WK--

Mr Edwards' airfield is on his ranch; the airport at Big Spring is quite an impressive bit of real estate in its own right, having once been Webb AFB, a sizeable training base (T-37s/T-38s). My dad and I dropped by there in 1992 during a visit to TX to see old airplanes...saw the CAF C-46 "Tinker Belle" inside a vast ex-USAF hangar there, and the mini-museum in the airport manager's office nearby, and made a pretty good try at getting in touch with Mr Edwards in hope of a visit there too but no dice that day!

S.

[marine air]

Sorry Mr. Soplata, you are now number two. Mr Edwards you're number ONE! Most impresive collection of "diamonds in the rough". Thank GOd they are all indoors and in a dry climate. Many of them will fly again someday.

[retroaviation]

I never imagined that 4 would still be around like that!

How many are actually there at Big Springs?

Also, could anybody put a list of all the aircraft that are there?

Well, he started out with 15 Mustangs and 13 Buchons, along with many other things. But he is "down" to the following......

10 Buchons (including the two seat, dual control one)
1 Mustang
1 Spitfire
2 HU-16's (Albatross)
3 Widgeons
1 (or 2) Mallard
2 PBY's
4 Piaggios
1 Beech 18
1 Sherman tank
A gazillion Merlins
A gazillion more Merlin overhaul tools
Did I mention the Buchons?
2 AT-6's
1 TBM Avenger
2 Super Cubs

And probably some other stuff that I just can't recall.

I do need to repeat, however, that he WILL NOT entertain selling bits and pieces to anyone. He just told me last week that, even though there might be exceptions for one or two aircraft at a time, if anyone wants anything, they'll have to buy up everything he's got, except for the Twin Beech (he said he's hoping that then he'll have enough money to paint it).

I'm glad that everyone has enjoyed the photos. I wasn't expecting such a reaction from y'all. If I get back out there anytime soon (which is possible), I'll see about taking more detailed photos of some of each aircraft.

Gary

[Fouga23]

If only I won the lottery. You could put me down for 2 buchons(1single, 1 dual) and that Mercedes engine

[B25PBYGUY]

I was suprised to see these pictures here. "Connie" and his family are fine folks and he has been very gracious to allow me the opportunity to fly one of the PBY's, his Albatross, and made me a welcome guest in his home. Connies' a true flying boat man with a great passion for them. He has done much on behalf of aviation and vintage aircraft, and has wonderful tales of his adventures. He's been slowly depleting the collection for some years. There was a time when he really had a lot of hardware.
He sometimes is very much a renaissance man and creates excellent stone carvings of figures.

[Ztex]

The Edwards Field is a private airstrip...I think he built it.

[Bill Greenwood]

Fouga, If you really want a 109,Buchon, the CAF has one for sale. It looks fairly intact, is on its gear assembled with engine and I think the price might be negotiable. It needs a good home and some care to fly again. It's great to see Connie has preserve all these plains, I just wish they could have closed the canopys and maybe covered them in plastic sheets so that dust which is abundant in W. Texas would not be all inside the cockpits.

[Ztex]

covered them in plastic sheets so that dust which is abundant in W. Texas would not be all inside the cockpits

HA! Obviously you have not lived in West Texas....the only way to keep that dust out is to put them under water...

[JDK]

Great pics, Gary, and a first to see the cockpit of the two-seater Buchon. Don't recall ever seeing another photo of the interior...

Thanks to you and Connie for sharing.

3 Widgeons

I couldn't see any Widgeons in those pics, but there was the Royal Navy(?) painted Grumman Goose inside in the two greys red spinner scheme, plus two more Geese (Gooses ? ) outside, quite stripped down. Would that mean there's three Geese and no Widgeons, perhaps?

[Fouga23]

Fouga, If you really want a 109,Buchon, the CAF has one for sale. It looks fairly intact, is on its gear assembled with engine and I think the price might be negotiable. It needs a good home and some care to fly again. It's great to see Connie has preserve all these plains, I just wish they could have closed the canopys and maybe covered them in plastic sheets so that dust which is abundant in W. Texas would not be all inside the cockpits.

Bill, Like I said, IF I win the lottery I can only dream of having one of those

[lotus49]

what an unbelievable collection, it is so out of character in this world of polished and sterile warbirds to find such a group of aircraft, just quietly gathering dust!

I imagine if he sells it as a complete package the Beech 18 paint job will not be an issue.

I am curious though, how would one put a value on this as a whole?
The warbirds are undoubtably qauntifiable, but the balance of the items may be harder, as some cross over into commercial, some light aircraft, and to be honest what would you do with 10 Buchons! sure sell them on.

I guess to the right guy with BIG pockets this collection will just end up being parted out on purchase. Probably in the end, whoever buys it all may end up with a free spitfire, and Buchon, and a few spare engines, the sales of the balance paying for the rebuilt of the two.

Then again, I imagine that the one who knows better than anyone both exactly what is there, and what it is worth is Mr Edwards himself, and it will not be leaving at bargain basement prices.

Anyone far more warbird connected than me care to guess what the complete collection could be worth?

[marine air]

What would be awesome would be for Mr. Big Bucks to buy the ten Buchons and work out a partnership with flug werks, or Aero Trader, or (?) and set up a production line.
OPtion A, you can have one refurbished for static display in it's Bof B movie scheme or fresh paint.
Option B, you have have one restored to flying condition OSMOH evereything as the HA-1112 Buchon that they are. YOur choice of paint.
Option C, Keep the Merlin, retrofit with the three bladed prop and other mods to give it the near Me-109 look.
Option D, OSMOH everything to Me-109G standards including the DB 601 engine, etc. Not cheap!
Option E, my choice, OSMOH everything to Me-109 standards except keep the Merlin, modern instruments in front cockpit, and convert to a two seat dual control. Add all the late factory mods like the tall tail and extended tail wheel strut to make it a better flyer.
Unlike the FW-190's, Me-262, and Oscars, these could be available to the customer in 6 to 24 months !
what do you guys think?!!