By Randy Malmstrom
Since his childhood, Randy Malmstrom has had a passion for aviation history and historic military aircraft in particular. He has a particular penchant for documenting specific airframes with a highly detailed series of walk-around images and an in-depth exploration of their history, which have proved to be popular with many of those who have seen them, and we thought our readers would be equally fascinated too. This installment of Randy’s Warbird Profiles takes a look at the Erickson Aircraft Collection‘s Buchón, a unique example of the Spanish-built Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 nicknamed by some warbird fans the “Allichon”.
Hispano Aviación Buchón HA-1112-M1L (Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 and G-10 elements), N90602. This particular airworthy aircraft was built as an HA-1112-M1L Buchón, s/n 193, C.4K-130, by Spanish company Hispano Aviación under a 1943 license from Messerschmitt. It was fitted with an upright Hispano-Suiza V-12 engine rather than the inverted Daimler-Benz DB 605 of the Bf 109, and thus had a modified exhaust structure — the updraft carburetor intake was located on the bottom — and the configuration apparently reminded the Spanish of a large-breasted bird from the Seville province known as the Buchón Colillano (a type of pouter pigeon), leading to the aircraft’s nickname.
After the lifting of the arms embargo in 1952, a Rolls-Royce Merlin 500-45 engine running a 4-blade propeller was introduced for the Buchón. The Spanish company continued to build the Merlin-powered aircraft type into the 1950s, ultimately producing 170 of the type.
This aircraft was one 28 aircraft that were acquired by Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie from the Spanish Air Force during the 1960s to serve as substitutes for the Messerschmitt Bf 109 for the film Battle of Britain (1969). After the film was completed, pilot Wilson “Connie” Edwards acquired most of the aircraft and had them shipped to his ranch in Big Spring, Texas.
Jack Erickson acquired this Buchón from Edwards in 1989 and it was previously on static display with the Erickson Aircraft Collection at Tillamook (Oregon) Air Museum. The collection is now in Madras, Oregon and the aircraft is now registered with the FAA as an Me-109C4K, and is owned by Erickson’s Avenger LLC.
The rebuild of this aircraft was initiated by Pacific Fighters in Idaho with an effort to use true RLM colors; the finishing was done at Erickson (led by David Reed). The canopy was built as an Erla Haube model from scratch by David Reed. The aircraft has been fitted with an Allison V-1710 engine and using some avionics used in the Lockheed P-38. The canopy formerly from Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum‘s Bf 109G-10 (which, as of this writing, was now at American Heritage Museum and was covered in a previous installment of Randy’s Warbird Profiles) was borrowed to create drawings to make this new canopy that was made from scratch by David.
The tail fin has been made asymmetrical as per the late Bf 109 specifications (unlike that of the smaller Buchón rudder and vertical stabilizer). Armament for the Buchón included two Hispano-Suiza 20 mm cannon and 80 mm rockets (although this rebuild is not fitted with any cannon or rockets but represented with 13 mm machine guns atop the cowling).
This rebuild was finished in 2017, and is painted in the markings of Bf 109G-6, WkNr. 15919 (but with the cowling and asymmetrical gun bulges of a G-10) of Luftwaffe ace Oberst Hermann Graf when he flew Green 1 as commander of JGr 50 (JagdGruppe) at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim in 1943. The tail markings also indicate homage to the aircraft’s original Hispano markings as s/n 193.
As far as the reference to “July 30, 1944 Berlin” stenciled on the trailing edge of the left wing, I can’t yet find any significance other than: “On July 30, 1944, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler and Chief of Armed Forces High Command Wilhelm Keitel report for a meeting with Hitler at his headquarters in the “Wolf’s Lair”. They coordinate further actions against the participants in the attempted coup and establish a “court of honor” of army generals and field marshals.” This was in response to the July 20, 1944 attempted coup led by Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg.
Further discussion: Allison engine is mounted upright, with the thrust-line and prop location all precisely the same as if a DB605 engine was installed, with stock late-model Bf 109G/K type cowlings installed/mounted to the airframe exactly as they are supposed to for an original late G/K (the ultimate dimensions of the single speed/single stage supercharged Allison and the fact that it has a downdraft carburetor allowed for all of this to work).
The upper cowlings and oil tank cover are “Type 100” (as used on late 109G and K models) and the lower engine cowling is “Type 110” (as commonly associated with G-10s). Custom headers/exhaust, with protective wrapping, extend down to and out the stock DB605 exhaust locations, and the Allison oil coolers also have a custom setup to be installed in the stock 109 location.
The upper cowlings at least are all original and were sourced from Europe: outwardly all completely stock, with only minor internal modifications for fit, and are correct for the Bf 109G-10. The canopy and tail were also newly-manufactured to Bf 109G-10 type specs.
About the author
Randy Malmstrom grew up in a family steeped in aviation culture. His father, Bob, was still a cadet in training with the USAAF at the end of WWII, but did serve in Germany during the U.S. occupation in the immediate post-war period, where he had the opportunity to fly in a wide variety of types which flew in WWII. After returning to the States, Bob became a multi-engine aircraft sales manager and as such flew a wide variety of aircraft; Randy frequently accompanied him on these flights. Furthermore, Randy’s cousin, Einar Axel Malmstrom flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 356th FG from RAF Martlesham Heath. He was commanding this unit at the time he was shot down over France on April 24th, 1944, spending the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. Following his repatriation at war’s end, Einar continued his military service, attaining the rank of Colonel. He was serving as Deputy Wing Commander of the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls AFB, MT at the time of his death in a T-33 training accident on August 21, 1954. The base was renamed in his honor in October 1955 and continues to serve in the present USAF as home to the 341st Missile Wing. Randy’s innate interest in history in general, and aviation history in particular, plus his educational background and passion for WWII warbirds, led him down his current path of capturing detailed aircraft walk-around photos and in-depth airframe histories, recording a precise description of a particular aircraft in all aspects.
