July 2018 News NEWS EDITOR: TONY HARMSWORTH E-MAIL TO: [email protected] TELEPHONE: +44 (0)7791 808044 Buchón ‘Yellow 7’ airborne WRITE TO: Aeroplane, Key Publishing Ltd, ispano HA-1112-M1L PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1XQ, UK Buchón C4K-99/ Looking like a still from Spanish location G-AWHM ‘Yellow 7’ shooting during production of the Battle News made its first flight of Britain film, Buchón ‘Yellow 7’ gets Hfor nearly 50 years at Sywell, airborne from Sywell with Richard Grace at the controls on 3 May. ASHLEY STEPHENSON Northamptonshire, on 3 May with Richard Grace at the controls. The ex-Spanish Air Force and Battle of Britain film fighter has been restored over PR Spitfire flies at Duxford the past year or so by Air Leasing at Sywell, and is now based alongside the two-seat HA-1112-M4L Buchón, C.4K-112/G-AWHC ‘Red 11’, which took to the air following restoration by Air Leasing at the same location on 24 November last year. The two aircraft are part of the famous haul of former Battle of Britain film Buchóns that were given to film pilot Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards as part-payment for his work on the movie, and were stored on his ranch in Big Spring, Texas from early 1969 until they were finally put up for sale John Romain brings Spitfire XI PL983 in during 2014. to land at Duxford after the first flight on Richard Grace, the 18 May. Note the outsize serial number, manager/chief engineer at Air painted on with reference to a picture taken Leasing said of the first flight, at Eastleigh in January 1948. COL POPE “It flew beautifully. There were no problems at all, which aircraft is well designed, it is good reference point to Uffz Edmund Rossmann during doesn’t normally happen. The relatively easy to restore. replicate the film colours.” September 1941. It is upermarine Spitfire MkIX. The deep chin cowling repairs went on to serve in was killed in PL983 during an aircraft was in good condition, When they painted it for the The next Buchón to emerge expected to make its maiden PRXI PL983 flew again particular to the PRXI has not occupied Germany in airshow at Rouen on 4 June so it didn’t require a rebuild, film, they didn’t prepare the from Air Leasing will be flight during June, and it is from Duxford during been refitted. September 1945. 2001. The remains were just a restoration. Restoring surfaces underneath, which C.4K-145, which will fly in the hoped it will appear alongside the evening of 18 May Reference for the markings After use with the US subsequently acquired by something so original is one made paint-stripping easy. But markings of a Luftwaffe III./JG ‘Yellow 7’ and ‘Red 11’ at the withS John Romain at the came from a photograph of Embassy Flight, PL983 was Propshop Ltd at Duxford and it of the delights. The Buchón is the original scheme, which had 52 Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4, Flying Legends show at controls following a long-term PL983 taken at Eastleigh donated to the Shuttleworth was re-registered G-PRXI easy to work on: when an survived since 1968, gave us a ‘White 9’, flown by 80-kill ace Duxford on 14-15 July. rebuild with Historic Flying shortly before it was presented Collection and ferried to Old during February 2003. Ltd. After landing, Romain on loan to the US civil air Warden in 1950. Having spent The project was progressed reported that PL983 is very attaché to the many years at Duxford on an ‘as and fast, has light handling and a UK, sitting outside, when’ basis, when manpower high stalling speed. Livingstone After landing from a rebuild to fly was available. A new fuselage OPEN DAY CELEBRATES The machine is fitted with a Satterthwaite, the first flight, John was started in was built by Airframe Rolls-Royce Merlin 70, the in January Romain reported that 1975, but Assemblies on the Isle of HISTORIC HELICOPTERS correct mark of engine for the 1948. The financial Wight, incorporating as many On 19 May, visitors to the second Historic Helicopters Open XI — the powerplant having machine was PL983 is very fast, has difficulties saw parts as was practicable from Day at Higher Purtington Showground in Somerset saw a been rebuilt by Retro Track originally light handling and a the aircraft the remains of the original. unique formation as the world’s sole surviving airworthy and Air in Gloucestershire — delivered to high stalling speed sold during The wings and tail were built Westland Whirlwind HAR10, XJ729/G-BVGE, and former and has a newly constructed, No 1 Pilots’ April 1983 to by Historic Flying. South African Air Force Westland Wasp HAS1 92/G-BYCX unarmoured PRXI-style Pool at the French former It is hoped that PL983 will flew together. windscreen, the frame of RAF photo-reconnaissance HQ fighter pilot Roland Fraissinet. return to Old Warden for a Located outside Crewkerne, Higher Purtington is home to which was built using an at Benson in November 1944, It was acquired by Doug Shuttleworth show at some the Navy Wessex Restoration Project, manned by a team of original PRXI windscreen for and was transferred to No 34 Arnold and moved to Biggin time in the future, but in the dedicated engineers under the leadership of Whirlwind reference. The leading-edge Wing, Second Tactical Air Hill in 1987, before being meantime it was due to have owner/pilot Andrew Whitehouse. They are working towards fuel and wing tanks fitted to Force in January 1945. While bought during early 2000 by made its display debut in the The wonderful sight of the ambitious goal of restoring another Westland product, the PRXI have not been operating with No 4 Squadron Justin Fleming and operated static park at the RAF Cosford Whirlwind HAR10 XJ729 and Wessex HU5 XT761/G-WSEX, to flying condition. Both XT761 installed, the machine just in April 1945 from Mill in the thereafter by Rolls-Royce and Air Show on 10 June, Wasp HAS1 ‘92’ airborne over and a second example, XT771, were purchased by having the standard 85-gallon Netherlands, PL983 sustained Bentley motor engineer Martin exhibited with a selection of Somerset on 19 May. LEE HOWARD Whitehouse in 2017 following disposal by the MoD. tank in the fuselage as on the battle damage, and following Sergeant. Tragically, Martin wartime PR cameras. 6 www.aeroplanemonthly.com AEROPLANE JULY 2018 AEROPLANE JULY 2018 www.aeroplanemonthly.com 7 News July 2018 July 2018 News La Ferté Corsair back in the air NEWS IN BRIEF TEICHMAN TO HANG UP orean War veteran Ralph Parker of Wichita Falls, DISPLAY HELMET Chance Vought Texas. The latter painted the North Weald-based Hangar 11 F4U-5NL Corsair BuNo Corsair back into its VC-3 Collection owner Peter Teichman 124724/F-AZEG, colours, which it still wore when has announced that he will retire Kowned by the Salis family’s bought by Jean Salis. In April from display flying at the end of the Casques de Cuir (Leather 1986 the fighter was shipped 2018 season, his last show being Helmets) collection, made its to Amsterdam and flown from the Shuttleworth Race Day on 7 maiden post-restoration flight there to its new home at La October, when he will fly his P-51D. at La Ferté-Alais south-west of Ferté-Alais. It continued to be BOBSLEIGH FLIES Paris on 9 May. Baptiste Salis a regular airshow performer The one-off Reid and Sigrist RS4 was at the controls. The aircraft there and elsewhere in Europe Bobsleigh, VZ728/G-AGOS, flew at had last flown in 2003 and had until the early 2000s. Spanhoe in early May following been under active restoration The markings of VC-3 have restoration by Windmill Aviation. since 2008. been reapplied in the course of The experimental prone pilot This night-fighter was taken the F4U’s recent restoration, research machine — which first flew on charge by the US Navy on albeit with the codes and titles Baptiste Salis getting airborne from La Ferté-Alais in newly restored on 9 July 1945 as the RS3 Desford 26 September 1951 and F4U-5NL Corsair F-AZEG. BEN DUNNELL in blue rather than white. — is owned by Leicester County assigned to composite Baptiste Salis piloted the The newly repainted Avro XIX G-AHKX, showing Council and was previously stored squadron VC-3 ‘Blue Nemesis’, Corsair on its return to display the Coningsby Station Flight markings in public for in an old miners’ washroom at the home-based at Moffett Field, Corsairs — a mixture of F4U-5, ground sorties against flying at the La Ferté-Alais the first time at Old Warden on 6 May. ADRIAN M. BALCH now defunct Snibston Discovery California, the following April. F4U-5N and F4U-5NL models, Salvadoran forces. show on 19-20 May (see report INSET: The real TX176, on display at Odiham in Museum near Coalville. With that unit, BuNo 124724 the latter distinguished from The Honduran F4Us were on pages 104-105), and it is September 1964. ADRIAN M. BALCH was sent to the Korean theatre the standard -5N by virtue of retired in favour of North hoped to be present at several ANOTHER VIGGEN FOR SWAFHF in December 1952 aboard the added winterisation equipment American F-86 Sabres during other major shows this summer. The Swedish Air Force Historic Flight USS Valley Forge for an initial — were supplied by the US 1970. Eight of the nine It is now the sole airworthy (SwAFHF) Saab SK 37 Viggen, six-month operational tour, the government to the Honduran airworthy survivors, which had Corsair in France.