PHOTO © DARREN HARBAR PHOTOGRPAHY
Historic Aircraft.qxp_GAB Master LEFT 09/07/2021 14:18 Page 2
Hurricanes), I find myself ‘dabbling’ in Warbirds still today. This time working with two great friends; Richard Grace and Andy Durston.
Warbirds and ‘TASC Vintage’ So how did this piece of editorial come about? This connection to vintage aircraft and in particular ‘Warbirds’ has been, to me, somewhat part of life. I grew up around a Warbird hunter by the name of Jim Pearce. He found, recovered, and researched over 60 WWII aircraft crashed in Northern Siberia. Most of which were untouched, even unseen, for 50+ years. He wondered through the Eastern Front wilderness of Russia himself and brought most of them back via the UK. They were then assessed, identified, and delivered on to museums and private collections around the world.
After several years talking about it we finally knocked ourselves into a team of three and formed ‘TASC Vintage’. A company specialising in vintage aircraft, with a heavy focus on the specialist area of Warbirds. Each of us have a passion for these aircraft.
A number of these aircraft are now on premiere public display or even flying! That man was my grandfather. And from as young as I can remember, that was my aviation ‘norm’. Since then and many aircraft later (including two squadrons of
Next month, if all goes to plan, we’ll be unveiling the 109’s counterpart (ok – so that’s an easy guess!). But it’s not just any one; this is a very special one indeed and is currently off the radar… so tune in to the next issue for more!
The HA-1112 type first took flight from Seville in Spain on 2nd March 1945 as a licence-built Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2, but production struggled due to a lack of supplies from Germany. In May 1951, an armed version nicknamed the ‘Tripala’ (after it’s three bladed prop) went into service with the Spanish forces powered by its Hispano engine. In 1954 the ‘Buchon’ (meaning a male dove) was born following the addition of a roaring Merlin engine and Rotol propeller. The Bouchon carried two 22 mm cannons and two eight-packs of 80 mm rockets and remained in active service until December 1965. The Buchon carries a striking resemblance to the infamous Messerschmitt 109 from which it was conceived, making it a very popular aircraft on the display circuit (worldwide). This particular Buchon also claims its film star status having starred in the critically acclaimed film ‘the Battle of Britain’!
Livery
PHOTO © DARREN HARBAR PHOTOGRPAHY
Background
PHOTO © DARREN HARBAR PHOTOGRPAHY
Aircraft Section
So for the next few issues we would like to share a selection of interesting aircraft we’re associated with. The first of which takes flight in the infamous, perhaps menacing shape of an ME109!
JG52 September 1941 “White 9”. This was the scheme of Luftwaffe Ace UFFZ Edmund “Paule” Roβmann, one of the most respected leaders in JG52. ‘Paule’ flew in the Battle of Britain before transferring to Russia. In July 1943 he landed behind enemy lines in an attempt to rescue a fellow pilot but was captured. By the end of the war he had scored 93 victories and had been awarded the Knight’s Cross.
History Built in Tablada, Seville, in Spain in 1958, S/N 145 served with the Spanish Air Force until 1965 (reg C4K-105).
WIR SPRECHEN DEUTSCH - ASTRID AYLING: +44 (0)208 549 5024 - Astrid@avbuyer.com
In 1968, this aircraft flew in the famous movie ‘the Battle of Britain’. After filming it was sold to a well known collector in the USA and went into storage. In 2015 it finally resurfaced and was sold and shipped to the UK and restored by Air Leasing Ltd. The first flight following restoration took place in June 2018.
More info… Yes you can fly one! Yes you can buy one! Ultimate Warbird Flights, offer flight experiences in their two-seat example. You can genuinely go play ‘tail chase’ with a Spitfire or Mustang for the ultimate warbird experience. For more info on flying experiences contact: www.warbirdflights.com For more info on owning one, contact: www.TASCVintage.co.uk Type: Wingspan: MGW: Powerplant: VNE: Cruise speed: Service ceiling: More info:
HA-1112 (ME109) 9.92 m 3,330 kg 1,600 hp 413 mph 250 mph 33,465 ft www.TASCVintage.co.uk
Also Available Type: Wingspan: MGW: Powerplant: VNE: Cruise speed: Service ceiling: More info:
DHC-1 Chipmunk 10.46 m 914 kg 145 hp 138 mph 103 mph 15,800 ft www.TASCVintage.co.uk
AUGUST 2021 HISTORIC AIRCRAFT EUROPE 23
