Hi Guys,
no, the current flying FMBB is not the one that crashed. They wrote it off and returned it in damaged condition to the original owner who was an elderly man. He basically gave it to them for flying on the condition that if it crashed, it would be returned to him.
It was to stay in Germany and be placed on static display, however it was sold to an private owner in Florida 20 years ago. It was in storage, and now is under airworthy restoration.
The problem is all paperwork from EADS shows this as being the aircraft. EADS also has confirmed it. however...the structural damage at time of crash is NOT on this aircraft. So we think the original owner may have swapped out Section 1-2.
The fuselage is German, as are the wings...the only thing Buchon is the cockpit area.
What we believe is that after the crash, the owner (who was a large collector) re-built it for static using original parts from W.Nr 164636. Which would explain why everything is marked as such (he kept the G2 tailcone installed).
Another interesting thing, is a fan-site claims the one which crashed in the 1980's (which we are restoring), was believed to be Buchon...but after careful examination, it ended up being German afterall...
Personally think the information is wrong, as I can clearly ID the Buchon parts...but this is from Adlertag.de
"At 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 license built DB 605. It was checked in Germany and installed to the Bf 109. A huge number of problems threatened 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."
What I need to confirm is:
1) was there a 164636 (my limited resourced show a gap between 164000 and 165000).
2) if it did exist, was it an AS?
Thanks again guys!
mike