A red-nosed Buchon undergoes an engine test with its cowling removed.
(photo by Peter Sargent via Tony Overill, appearing in FlyPast magazine October 2007)
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN
Bf-109s
The Messerschmidt Bf-109 fighters used in the movie were actually Spanish-built Buchons, built under license by the Spanish and being very similar to the Me-109 (Bf-109). The main difference was that a Merlin engine was used instead of the Daimler-Benz engine used in the German WWII fighters. In order for the aircraft to better represent a 1940 Bf-109E fake cannon barrels were added to the wings and fake machine guns were added to the upper engine cowling. Tailplane struts were also added, and the rounded wingtips were removed. The movie production company was fortunate in that as they started their search for available German fighters the Spanish air force had just retired their entire fleet of Buchons. A large pile of scrapped Buchons was purchased at auction, and 19 aircraft were reconstructed from the salvage to be used in the movie.
A red-nosed
Buchon undergoes an engine test with its cowling removed.
(photo by Peter Sargent via
Tony Overill, appearing in FlyPast magazine October 2007)
A line-up of yellow-nosed
Buchons in the summer of 1968.
(photo by Peter Sargent via
Tony Overill, appearing in FlyPast magazine October 2007)
Buchon
C4K/G-AWHK arrived
at Duxford airfield in 1968.
(photo by Mike Springett via
Aircraft Magazine)
UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
more pics to come!
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