WWII German Fighter Resorations in the US/Canada - Updates
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Thread: WWII German Fighter Resorations in the US/Canada - Updates

  1. #1

    WWII German Fighter Resorations in the US/Canada - Updates

    - First off, an article was published yesterday by Warbird Digest/Warbird News, via the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, outlining the current status of FHCAM's original Me-262 (WkNr.500453), which is now very, very close to completion. As the article states (though does not show), the airframe is now fully painted, one engine has been installed and the second engine shall be installed within the next two-three weeks or so (newly manufactured engines, at significant cost, that are faithful to the look/design of the original Jumo 004's, but are improved upon for greater reliability and made with superior modern materials for longer serviceability). Taxi tests will begin shortly after the installation and final checks of the second engine, and if all goes well, a first test flight, with Steve Hinton at the controls, could happen as early as late December (when that happens, it will of course become the new title-holder for the world's oldest flying jet). http://warbirdsnews.com/warbird-rest...ss-report.html


    - Secondly, Midwest Aero Restorations have provided an update on their restoration of an original Bf-109G-6 (WkNr.410077) owned by Bruce "Doc" Winter (also the owner/operator of "Happy Jack's Go Buggy"). The wings have been undergoing restoration at Midwest Aero for a few years now, and the fuselage from Hubert Hartmair in Germany arrived at Midwest Aero this summer for fitting-out. Photos can be seen on their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Midwest-Aer...9357098441015/

    If you can't view the FB page, here are some select photos:
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...c8&oe=5C61C55B
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...5e&oe=5C6221F1
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...cb&oe=5C5B2A02
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...43&oe=5C1D9F02
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...ec&oe=5C20B781

    More photos of the restoration, taken by George Land on a visit last month, can be seen here as well:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/122876669@N03/29343875637
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/122876669@N03/29343876637
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/122876669@N03/29343876207
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/122876669@N03/29343877637
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/122876669@N03/43562517014
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/122876669@N03/29343877417
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/122876669@N03/29343877187
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/122876669@N03/29343875077


    - Third, the Collings Foundation's original Fw-190F-8 (WkNr.93182), under restoration at Gosshawk Unlimited, is looking closer and closer to completion within recent months. The completed, tuned and tested BMW 801 engine arrived from Mike Nixon earlier this year and was more recently installed to the airframe, with the wing/fuselage mating and tail installation having also taken place this summer. When completed, this will be only the second flying original/authentic Fw-190 as well as only the second flying example with a BMW 801 engine. Recent photos of the project have been posted to the Gosshawk Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/GossHawkUnlimitedInc

    Here is the most recent photo shared thus-far, taken by Zdenek Bubak. https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...ae&oe=5C241235


    - And fourth, Kermit Weeks has been sharing some recent photos of his Bf-109G project being built in Canada (mostly all new construction with some original parts). I don't know the identity they'll be using, but it sounds like they do have an identity to go from off of a wrecked/recovered G-6.
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...04&oe=5C27FD27
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...20&oe=5C2BBCAB
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...55&oe=5C15B98F
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...1a&oe=5C2C3EE5
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...7c&oe=5C176DC3
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...9d&oe=5C5F69E2
    https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...f0&oe=5C5B8555
    Last edited by Bomber_12th; September 22nd, 2018 at 13:16.

  2. #2
    SOH Staff .."Bartender" AussieMan's Avatar
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    ​Is the FW-190 currently flying in Australia an original?


    Cheers
    Pat


    "Some people might say that freedom is being alone in the bush with the only sounds being the murmurs from the birds ... but I believe freedom is at 5000 feet with no other sound than the engine roaring."- William Hutchison, a young man taken from us far too young (16).

  3. #3
    No, the one flying in Australia is one of the number of modern Flugwerk-built reproductions/replicas powered by a Chinese-built Russian ASh-82 engine (though it has an original Fw-190 identity attached to it and therefore is sometimes claimed to be an original) - full-scale, but different internal construction, more lighter weight and with a different cowl design/setup. They were manufactured as roughly 70%-complete "home-builts" where the buyer was required to complete the final 30%, including internal systems, so each of the Flugwerk 190's differ a bit from one to another depending on how the individual owner had theirs completed. Coming from Flugwerk, the only original Focke Wulf parts involved were the tailwheel units.

    Currently, and until the Collings Fw-190F-8 flies, the only original Fw-190 flying is the extremely original Fw-190A-5 owned/operated by the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum (owned by billionaire Paul Allen), based in Everett, Washington and powered by its original BMW 801 engine. https://flyingheritage.org/Explore/The-Collection/Germany/Focke-Wulf-Fw-190-A-5.aspx


    The Collings Foundation also has an original Fw-190D-9 long-term project.

  4. #4
    SOH-CM-2024 WarHorse47's Avatar
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    2018 FHCAM Skyfair
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    If at first you don't succeed, try, try,try again. ... or go read the manual.

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    Senior Administrator Willy's Avatar
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    Whatever happened to the Fw 200 Condor restoration in Germany?
    Let Being Helpful Be More Important Than Being Right.

  6. #6

  7. #7
    Of course there are a number of German WWII combat types under restoration world-wide.

    In addition to the Me-262, the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum also have a Stuka, a Ju-88, an He-111 and an Fw-189 in various stages/statuses of restoration to fly (at different locales).

    At MeirMotors in Germany, they are very far along/quite close to completion now in the restoration of a Spanish Civil War combat-vet Bf-109E-1 (complete with the early style canopy) owned by Robs Lamplough. They are also very near completing the rebuild of a Flugwerk Fw-190 reproduction (the same one that was once operated in France, several years ago, and made an appearance at Flying Legends one year, before it had a prop failure and ditched in the sea).

    In England, the Bf-109E WkNr.4034 "Black 6" has been undergoing restoration to fly.

  8. #8
    SOH-CM-2024 WarHorse47's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bomber_12th View Post
    In addition to the Me-262, the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum also have a Stuka, a Ju-88, an He-111 and an Fw-189 in various stages/statuses of restoration to fly (at different locales).
    Not to mention the other German aircraft restored, most which fly annually. FHCAM has a FW-190D on display, Bf-109E and Storch.
    -- WH

    If at first you don't succeed, try, try,try again. ... or go read the manual.

  9. #9
    Senior Administrator huub vink's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AussieMan View Post
    ​Is the FW-190 currently flying in Australia an original?
    Pat,

    According to this story below about 10% from this aircraft is original. The original airframe was found in Reims France. Just google on Focke-Wulf 173056 and you will find its complete history. Personally I think its a very line between restoration, full rebuilt and replica. You could wonder how many parts from the Dunkirk Spitfire P9374 are from the original aircraft. Yet was was sold for 3.1 million British pounds ( 4,080,000 US dollars!) as the oldest flying Spitfire.......

    Two weeks ago I went to see the (re)construction of a fully original Fokker D.XXI. For this replica many original parts are used. Does this make the replica a complete rebuilt, or even a restoration?.....

    Cheers,
    Huub

  10. #10
    Huub,

    All of the claims about the aircraft being restored from the wreck of the original 173056 is all just a bunch of absolute crap that the aircraft's two owners over the years have perpetuated. The entire airframe exists because it is one of the Flug Werk designed and built kits, and its actual Flug Werk serial number of 990004 is well established (as that is the airframe that was sold to the original US owner that then completed it and passed it off as being an original - which anyone with knowledge of these aircraft can clearly see just by looking at it that it's not).

    The deal with that aircraft is not comparable to something like P9374. That Spitfire was rebuilt with original materials and to exacting original specifications and the end result being exactly the same as what the original was, down to every extrusion, longeron, spar, rib, skin, fastener, screw, rivet, systems, engine, prop, etc. The Australian-based FW-190, which originally was based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a modern Flug Werk built 1:1 scale kit that only outwardly resembles a Fw-190. The Flug Werk replicas differ in construction from the originals, differ in weight from the originals, do not handle like nor fly as well as the originals (as state by Steve Hinton, the only guy that has flown both a Flug Werk replica and the original owned by the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum), and most of the Flug Werk replicas use various modern GA or airliner type electrical systems. They are very much "homebuilts" - from Flug Werk, the kits came about 70% complete, and then it was up to the end buyer to complete the remaining 30%, and the only original Focke Wulf parts that were provided were the tail wheel units. A lot of aspects of the airframe were redesigned/designed new by Flug Werk, and some people in the warbird restoration industry have reported that the Flug Werk parts and Focke Wulf airframes do not mesh. Structurally they are different than the original Fw-190's - you can't hang bombs or rockets on them or go to war with them, they just don't meet that standard. For instance, the wings on the original Focke Wulf Fw-190 were built where the wing panels have inner and outer skins that are built in two halves put together, and then the leading edge is screwed on. The Flug Werk replicas on the other hand just use regular ribs. The Australian-based Flug Werk FW-190, when it was completed in the US, was somehow able to be registered as an original by attaching the original 173056 identity to the airframe and claiming it as such (perhaps embedding a few original parts within), though the overall aircraft is not the same as an original Focke Wulf-built example. If it had been built, from the ground-up, to only original specifications and drawings, it would make more sense to call it an original, but it just varies far too much.

  11. #11
    Senior Administrator huub vink's Avatar
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    Thanks for the explanation John. I didn't know much about the history of the FW190 173056 or 990004 (which seems more accurate), but what you say makes sense to me. And once more points out that you should be careful with what you find at the internet .

    So the 173056 is a obviously a replica. The main visual difference between the original Focke Wulf and Flugwerk ones are mainly related to the different engines. Therefore even an original airframe with a double row 14 cylinder Shvetsov ASh-82T engine (civil version!) would definitely look and most certainly fly differently than an original one with a single row 9 cylinder BMW 801 engine. Actually there was already quite some difference between the flight dynamics of the various sub-types of the original FW190A, especially between the early version (0-4) and the later versions (5-9) This is quite logical as there was quite some difference in engine power, weight and even dimensions between the various sub-types, so the comment from Steve Hinton doesn't really surprise me.

    I understand that there are even Flugwerks finished as Dora, with an Allison engine to power it...... Well this will definitely not look like an Anton....

    Cheers,
    Huub

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