Restoring The Messerschmitt Bf109: Black 6 | The Restoration Classics: Messershmitt | On The Move 

Rank hath it's privilidges...

This is an "official version " of what happened. But what I can"t undestand is the apparent lack of interest by the Germans concerning this iconic aircraft. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/542302aeed915d1371000bdb/dft_avsafety_pdf_501760.pdf

As revealed by the maker's plate, this airframe was started as a late F variant, but finished as a G-2, with the engine, equipment and radio mods up to that standard. When restored over many years, the intent was always to remain a G-2, and so it did. Of this variant, this is the only one that flies.

Wings and center of nose depending on the variant

Usually two above the nose in front of the cockpit, usually two in the wings, some had one in the centre of the propeller, some in 'gondolas' under the wings.

in the armoury

It was a new aircraft when 450 sqn and 3 sqn handed over for evaluation by the RAF. Less than ten hours in the air. Just fyi ...the aircraft was handed over in 1942. It was the first "G" model captured and that's the reason the pommies said they wanted it. So it could be sent straight back to England for evaluation. This was 1942 The evaluation process didn't commence until three years later. WTF? LIKE SERIOUSLY. pommies didn't start the evaluation process It was initailly hidden from the pommies and its existence denied. They were threatened with being court marshalled by the pommies if they didn't hand BLACK 6 over !! FOR THE UNINITIATED court marshalling in North Africa During WW2 By the pommies meant being marched out of sight and shot like a mongrel dog by a pommie firing squad !!!

+bergermeister It was always planned for "Black 6" to permanently retire. I think the accident was on the final flight unfortunately.

Useless pilot🤬

It was a difficult plane to handle.

@ Rob Miller The Germans had a lack of appropriate alloys, particularly nickel which compromised compression ratios. They went for chemical enhancements instead to boost performance. That said, 100 octane was available in Germany, albeit in small quantities.

@@DannyBoy777777 Danny you are 100% correct! I hope you are Irish!

German Messerschmidt foundation did the G restaurations.

The RAF men who spent many years restoring and maintaining this aircraft, only to have an officer pull rank and wreck it... it must have been absolutely gutting.

Yeah, I saw it happen, pilot stayed upside down for quite a while as he didn't want it damaged more, but as you probably know, the canopy swings open, so couldn't been slid back. They had to hoist it up to get him out, which made more damage. Just completely flipped over onto it's back, sad , it's grounded now.

@@jonathansteadman7935 yep

The airframe was damaged, essentially it flipped on landing, nosing over onto it's back. The damage was enough to see it restored to museum condition and be hangared. A clumsy pilot set the radiator controls incorrectly, the engine over heated, he turned to land too soon, leaving himself with not enough runway, hopped over a road into a field, and stopped about where a P-51 ended up on it's belly a few years later. Also engine trouble.

Ok thanks for this. So it is still around.​@@stevetheduck1425

I think that the reason they aren’t is difficulty in flying it safely due to the torque and also the fact that although the airframe is simple it is still a lot more costly to fly. 109s are not very fuel efficient compared to most general aviation aircraft. The engine would also be extremely expensive as it is a much higher performance engine then what is in most props today. For example a Cessna 172 uses a 160 horsepower engine while as you probably know the 109 has about 10 times that

+ brian williams There are not enough engines left to support a production run of Bf-109s. (I'm surprised with the number of DB engines that have turned up for restorations.) It would be an enormous expense to manufacture new engines, adding that Mercedes very likely still owns the licensing on their engine designs from that time.

@@FiveCentsPlease But would it not be so cool to see them up dated and made easier to mass produce? Imagine a 1800 or 2000 hp db 605 coming off the line, now made with modern tweaks we now have, such as pistons and entire cylinder heads made thru 3d printing and computerized engine management systems they could not even dream of back in the day, the modern db 605 could be made better, cheaper and of superior materials, then crated to await that easily made air frame. We just need a millionaire in search of a purpose!!!

Thought this plane was crashed several years ago and is now a static

Several restored, rebuilt and converted Bf-109s fly. An original wartime airframe with records of it's servicing and maintenance since it was flown by the RAF enemy aircraft flight? None other. British regulations mean that planes with gaps in their servicing history cannot be restored to fly without ruinous expense.

The Bf 109s used in the film were Spanish "Buchon" aircraft. Messerschmitt supplied the airframes to Spain during WW2, but were unable to deliver the DB engines. After the war, surplus Rolls-Royce Merlin engines were fitted and the aircraft was designated as the HA-1112-ML "Buchon" (male dove). You can tell the difference between the Bf 109 and Buchon aircraft as the Daimler-Benz engine runs inverted (exhaust stubs at the bottom) and the Merlin is upright (exhaust stubs at the top).

@@RoyCousins Thanks, that was very interesting.

@@presstodelete1165 They were not in a warehouse but a private hangar owned by one of the movie pilots. They have all been sold and some are already flying again.

Say what? Why were you in North Africa? It was none of Australia's business unless you were prepared to serve the king and country of Great Britain. In that case they were your boss and coud do what they wanted. That is how colonialism works.

Cry

Actually, it's the Luftwaffes if you're getting picky, but I saw it crash at Duxford and has been grounded ever since, shame.

It should go to Australia who were the rightful captors of the aircraft.

@@stallionlp6633 What they would use it for a barbie!

Must be from the mid 90s

A bad idiot to pilot destroyd it. ..So it will never fly again. ..but thats also a good thing. ..It become a beauty again. ..and no more crash 😉👍

Then it wouldn't be historically correct, and the history of the plane and pilot would be probably forgotten, sometimes a plane related to a unknown pilot can be more interesting than one from one of the most popular.

@@martimhenriques1169 I understand your point. It would be nice to see one of Germany’s highest ranking Aces reflected here. Most war birds aren’t painted in its original paint scheme though. I love the desert tan scheme though.

@@fw1421 that's a shame many restorations are guided by the urge to represent the most infamous soldiers of the war, the real story of the aircraft and pilot gets faded and ends up in oblivion. The original livery is what gives character to the machine, never let history die. You would like to see Marseille's livery represent on the aircraft but that's not historically accurate, and you surely know that the aircraft was completely destroyed.

Ok, who was the german ace?

@@conceptalfa Hans Joachim Marseille. 158 kills at 22 years old. Killed by his own airplane.

Agreed, it should be in a museum in Australia or at the War Memorial in Canberra

Also agree, it should be repatriated to Australia as we are the rightful captors and owners of the aircraft.