Quoted: OKey dokey.
Is this the one that was pulled out of a swamp in Russia and rebuilt? Just asking because I was pretty sure the only remaining Bf109s were in museums. No?
G
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From a webpage written by a German:
"Bf 109 G-6 "FM + BB" (Messerschmitt-Stiftung/Germany)
www.adlertag.de/heute/airworthy.htmAt the beginning of the seventies, the Messerschmitt AG decided to bring a Bf 109 back in the skies with Daimler-Benz engine. therefore, the Spanish HA-1112 M-1L serial number 195, built in 1959 and later displayed as "black 8" of the I./JG 27 in an US museum.
When the restoration begun in 1976, the workers discovered, that the fuselage came from German production, being an "original" Bf 109 fuselage. The engine came from Sweden in 1978, being a licence built DB 605. It was checked in Germany and installed to the Bf 109. A huge number of problems threatend to destroy the project, but on 4th April 1982 the Bf109 took of for its maiden flight.
Until summer 1983 it flew 49 times and was a highlight at many air-shows.
On June the 3rd 1983, the plane broke out during the takeoff and ended as a wreck.
The MBB decided to repare the plane another time. Another Ha 1112 fuselage was bought in France (serial number 156) and in Spain suddenly original construction documents were discovered, that enabled the restorateurs to reconstruct nearly every part of the "Gustav".
The engine survived nearly undamaged and was used for the new plane, after it was carefully reviewed. More spare parts were organized and so the Bf 109 got a more realistic view, than before. Also the handling was better than that of the first restored Bf 109.
The first takeoff was in June 1986, three years after the crash. Since that time, the "FM+BB" travelled from air-show to air-show, now belonging to the "Messerschmitt Foundation" and based in an EADS hangar at the Manching airbase.
On the ILA 2002 in Berlin, there it cames nearly to a desaster. During a show-flight, the "FM+BB" suddenly got a smoke trail and Walter Eichorn had to land the warbird with a standing propeller. Because it is even difficult to fly a functional Bf 109, the achievement of the pilot is very honorable. The landing was okay, but the engine wasn´t. What had happened? During the time coal dust deposited on the crankshaft. This caused a connecting rod to knock through the engine and leaving a hole, with the seize of a fist! The repair - the changeing of the engine - was planned to be completed in early 2003, but it was late 2004, until the FM+BB was able to fly again. It´s first presentation in flying display was at Hahnweide on September 2nd 2005."