BF109G-4 "Red 7" Destroyed

[C]

69 year old pilot was unhurt. Unsuprisingly the accident occured during landing...

Pics here

[ozzy72]

Terrible news, but she looks rebuildable, a lot of work though
At least the pilot is okay, the 109 is a difficult plane to fly... as one Spitfire pilot said to a German counterpart "The main reason the Germans lost the Battle of Britain was that the 109 was difficult for inexperienced pilots, any idiot could fly a Spitfire"

[HawkerTempest5]

The pilot being unhurt is the main thing, but what a very sad loss of a very rare aircraft. I do wish we still had a 109 flying in the UK. Hope someone decides it is worth the expence of a rebuild (Steven Grey, get your cheque book out )

[Hagar]

Shame. Seems I'm destined never to see one in the air. Glad the pilot's OK.

[Wing Nut]

Well, I've seen a lot worse than that rebuilt.  It's a shame though.  I wish I read German...

[SilverFox441]

Some of the guys in the US rebuilding warbirds only need a serial number plaque these days...they can rebuild that '109.

Glad the pilot walked away...notoriously bad airplane to land.

[Hagar]

Some of the guys in the US rebuilding warbirds only need a serial number plaque these days...they can rebuild that '109.

I can confirm that. However, the main problem seems to be funding as the aircraft was not insured. This together with the desire to rebuild plus any damage to the rare genuine DB 605 which was torn out of the airframe during the crash. This is the main attraction of a proper Bf 109 compared with the Merlin-engined Buchon (Red 7 is/was actually a converted Buchon). I believe that Sigi Knoll, responsible for rebuilding the engine, was flying the aircraft at the time of the accident. He is reported to be willing to start again but the rest of the team are not so enthusiastic.
http://www.suedwest-aktiv.de/region/zak/freizeit/1701715/artikel.php?SWAID=4f554c5c882b00a93cbe56e1c82b46e8

[Wing Nut]

Who the hell flies a plane like that without insurance!?  ::)

[Hagar]

This is nothing unusual. Have you any idea of how much a rare aircraft like that is worth? Priceless. The insurance premiums would make most warbirds impossible to operate. They obviously carry 3rd party insurance which is becoming more expensive on this side of the Pond due to the EU insurance regulations that grounded B-17 Sally B & other warbirds at the beginning of the current display season. I heard that similar regulations are planned for the US.

[C]

Most warbirds on this side of the pond operate without "hull" insurance. Its part of the risk of operating one...

[Springer6]

Significant also that the UK based 109 "Black 6" was also damaged beyond flying repair whilst landing.

Admittedly this was after an engine malfunction forced an attempted landing at too high a speed, a subsequent take off and a final attempted landing  in a partially plowed field on the far side of the motorway.

Not your average 109 landing mishap. I think I am correct in thinking that Black 6 has been restored to display condition at Hendon?

Pity, I too would like to hear the Daimler Benz 605 motor in full roar someday.

[Hagar]

from what I've seen the Black 6 incident was quite different. It overturned after making a forced landing in the ploughed field you mention. Red 7 was landing on a grass runway & ground looped. Fortunately it didn't overturn. This is a rough translation from the original German report.

After a 15min. practice flight of the experienced 69 year old pilot with the legendary Messerschmitt Me 109 from "Luftsportverein Degerfeld", the plane banked during the landing, touched the runway with one gear, tipped to the other gear and touched with the wing on that side the unsecured ground of the runway.

Thereupon the plane tipped to the front and the propeller went into the ground. A complete rollover did not happen. The engine was almost pulled out of the fuselage.

[Springer6]

Yes The Black 6 incident was by no means a normal landing accident.

The high speed landing and the subequent tipl over whilst attempting a second touchdown in the partially ploughed field was forced upon the pilot by an  engine failure.

However from your translation it appears that this German crash was as a result of pilot error ( banked touchdown). The narrow track of the Bf 109 would not tolerate this kind of lapse.

Still in both cases the most serious human consequences were avoided.

[C]

[quote]Yes The Black 6 incident was by no means a normal landing accident.

The high speed landing and the subequent tipl over whilst attempting a second touchdown in the partially ploughed field was forced upon the pilot by an

[Springer6]

Interesting, so we wouldn't have seen Black 6 fly again anyway. I assume that it has just been restored to display condition at the moment?

From the investigation report it seems that this high ranking RAF officer whilst lying trapped in a fuel filled cockpit instructed the rescue crew not to cut him out so as not to further damage the valuable aircraft. He had to wait for a crane to arrive to free him.
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources/df ... 501760.pdf

It took courage. We must thank him for that at least.

Are there any DB engined 109s flying anywhere else?