Bf 109 Recovered from a Russian Lake!

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@tz138 I understand that the current owners of this 109 have found and purchased an engine for this rebuild from a longtime US collector. If it's the engine I've seen then it's an extremely rare crate engine, so the restoration is probably getting an overhauled new engine. The original has a cannon hole through it along with corrosion from being underwater.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@kenns9 Not stripped. It's looked this way since it was put into storage, with remnants of desert colors before serving on the Eastern front. I believe that the aircraft is slated for full restoration to airworthy, which will not please those wishing to see it pickled as-is. But it's complete enough to be a very original restoration when done.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@mrceebees14 Shot down by Soviet pilots flying Hawker Hurricanes while escorting a Bf-110 on April 4, 1942. Pilot Wulf-Dietrich Widowitz put the plane down on a frozen lake and survived. The plane later sank through the ice. Widowitz was KIA on July 28, 1943.

[@crazybrit-nasafan]

Interesting that it appears to have the same sand colour that the Luftwarre used in North Africa over most of the upper side of the airframe (unless it is a primer coat). It would be interesting to read the combat record of this aircraft.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+Crazy Brit Nasa Fan From the serial number it is known that it was manufactured between June 1939 and April 1940. The topmost layer of paint is Eastern Front with JG5 from April 1942 when the plane force-landed on a frozen lake. This is a long time in service for a combat aircraft. The answers may lie under the North African colors and could reveal additional service colors, maybe Battle of Britain service. There are examples of Luftwaffe aircraft that were painted for delivery to North Africa but were diverted to service in other areas. (The Flying Heritage Museum's Stuka restoration was factory painted for North Africa but was immediately sent to the Eastern Front.) There are some gaps in the service record for this Bf-109E and it unclear if the plane served in North Africa or was painted for Africa during an upgrade and never made it only to be reassigned.

[@Auggies1956]

Kermit Weeks is having one built (long term) out of collected rare original pars and reproductions from Germany.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+Auggies1956 There are a dozen or so Bf-109 restorations in progress worldwide, along with the examples that are already complete.

[@icefighter35]

i`d totally put it in my livingroom

[@kaysenzion7902]

i realize it is pretty off topic but does anybody know of a good website to stream new series online?

[@erickluca6249]

@Kaysen Zion try Flixzone. Just search on google for it =)

[@kenns9]

@FiveCentsPlease Not stripped prior to resto?? Well, how did it get into 'this' condition. It has no engine, no radiators, no interior. It must have had all of those when pulled from the lake...yes? Are those components lost, or will they be rebuilt and reinstalled?

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@kenns9 Complete example, pulled from a lake after a belly-landing on ice. I don't think that the engine is installed, but perhaps this is to protect the structure. Or, I believe the engine mounts were magnesium and probably rotted away or are too weak to support the motor and prop. Photos of the recovery showed the paint to be much more intact initially, and the engine was raised from the water separately.

[@kenns9]

@FiveCentsPlease Well yes I was also commenting about the paint. It seems in much worse shape than other aircraft recovered from freshwater environs. So much so that it's appearance is consistent with being stripped.

[@vetitoe362]

@Vickzq another video states it was upgraded to an E-7 from an E-1.

[@kenns9]

@FiveCentsPlease I agree about the paint. I would hasten to say the craft has been 'stripped' prior to going to the paint shop. In the manner you stripp a classic car bfor resto.

[@kenns9]

So what we are looking at is just the shell of the aircaft?

[@shanethepain2009]

When will it be on the schedule to be restored ???

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+shanethpain2009 It was already on the schedule for work at Planes of Fame. The Friedkin family may have changed their minds about restoring it after the death Mr. Friedkin. I'd rather see it restored to full glory. As an artifact, the Eastern Front paint colors have already been stripped off when the plane was raised from the lake. What you see now are the North African colors the plane wore when it flew in Africa earlier.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@kenns9 Sorry, thought you were referring to stripping the paint. Clearly the various components have been removed for storage.

[@tz138]

Mike Nixon's Vintage V-12s is somewhat local for POF (Tehachapi), and does most of their engine work... Including that Sakai engine in their Zero. He also prepares some those Reno racing engines. Just an educated guess.

[@erospawn]

Thats a BF-109E...

[@tz138]

@FiveCentsPlease That would be an awesome development. The original engine can then be displayed for what it is...

[@gaius_enceladus]

It'd be **great** to see it restored! Ok, it'll be a **lot** of work, but it seems to be pretty complete - very few missing parts. Cheers from New Zealand!

[@Vickzq]

@vetitoe362 Ah... ok, thx. But I didn't understand why 'Ff' instead of 'Bf'... probably a writing error.

[@Yosemite-George-61]

Man ! All those Japanese rocket airplanes in the back ! An the Ba 349 ! great stuff...

[@bavariasuhl]

where is its enginer etc?

[@msjj000]

Where is this museum please?

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+mark jurisic Planes of Fame, Chino CA

[@vrosi1963]

When is POF going to start restoration on this plane

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+vrosi1963 It was supposed to start when POF finished the Buchon in the shop. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKjOeKBqeddknpo But the owners of the Bf-109 might have recently changed their mind on the restoration.

[@kncklesandwich]

I was there a few weeks ago all the way from North dakota. Iv seen this 1 on youtube when it was still in russia and all most fell over when i seen it sitting there. WOW. Would anyone know what this sold for ???

[@tz138]

I am going to guess that the engine is at Vintage V12s... With Mike Nixon and his crew...

[@michaelnaisbitt1639]

What happened to motor

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+Michael Naisbitt The original engine is corroded from water damage and has a big cannon shell hole in it. The owners of this Bf-109 obtained another engine that was found in the crate (quite rare) but future plans to restore the plane to airworthy may have changed.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@tz138 A very good guess. But I don't think Nixon is the only DB engine builder currently.

[@DRANDULETOS]

Will he fly again?

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+BETEP OK The original plan was full restoration to airworthy, although the owners may have recently changed their minds.

[@DRANDULETOS]

@@FiveCentsPlease, Perhaps they are right ...

[@RocketSailing]

This will be more worth in the future, unrestored. Lets be honest. Alot of restorations and planes at museums looks like plastic models today. Not at all what they did look like back in the day. This are militaryproductions, not made shiny and perfect. When I go to museums and see acurate, or preserved aircraft. That makes me really happy. Dont destroy the the history. Show it like it was.

[@Vickzq]

I see on the label beside the aircraft 'Ff 109 E1/7' :-( Good work... but it would be 'Bf 109 E-7'.

[@thatoneguy7451]

hello ancient comment, will you answer me

[@mattinsley1721]

This aircraft is still awaiting it's turn at restoration by POF Museum. It is really very cool to view up close and personal. There are several holes from canon fire as well as machine gun damage. A super rare aircraft to be sure. The staff at POF will do her right and get her back in the air but I would guess it will be many years down the line before we see her flying in the annual air show. I am lucky enough to live close enough to see this facility on a regular basis. First Saturday of every month they have a flying history day with a big presentation on a featured aircraft in the collection. Always worth attending. They manage to get WWII veterans as speakers, either by phone or in person, to discuss their personal experiences flying the various featured aircraft in the collection. If you ever get a chance to attend it is well worth the time. At the end of the presentation they roll out the featured aircraft and fire it up and fly it for those in attendance. It's a great facility, run by great people. If you get the chance to come to Southern California it's worth the trip to Chino.

[@vanbeekzwart]

Nice to het this aircraft back in the air, but also sad to restore a complete original 109. Love the patina. Now it is a time capsule.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@@vanbeekzwart The Eastern Front paint colors dried and peeled away, erasing the last service. You see the North African paint underneath from when the plane was assigned to North Africa earlier. It looked like a completly different aircraft when it was raised from the lake. i.pinimg.com/originals/06/24/84/062484bc338111d8a0a6acc7ca6b8f6a.jpg

[@alyciamarrison2916]

Great photo there just out of the water!

[@tz138]

@FiveCentsPlease Vintage V12s is located in Tehachapi, California; about 140 miles from Chino. Who actually knows but the owner? Nixon is used on a number of projects, and are capable of this one,

[@tz138]

@FiveCentsPlease I have been invited over, to discuss another past porject. I guess I would not necessarly wish to officially discuss ongoing customer projects to the public if I were them either. I would allow the owner to handle that. I was just speculating, it is an "educated guess".

[@FiveCentsPlease]

The seller had a "price on application" policy, which is to say that the final selling price is probably private. But the German warplanes are on the high end and are some of the most costly to restore.

[@tripwire3992]

Fuel injection engines that old must be pricey aswell

[@carbidegrd1]

they should leave it alone

[@JustJohn505]

Give me a good explanation why?

[@carbidegrd1]

@@JustJohn505 As it sits, it is pure WW2. replacing all the bent aluminum and replacing the original paint is not. Consider the B-25 at the Smithsonian. It was brought there, warts and all after flying 30 missions. Flack patches, graffiti from ground crew and oil streaks. It is one of the most popular exhibits.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@@carbidegrd1 The original Eastern Front paint was lost when the plane came out of the lake and dried. Much of the metal in this plane could be saved and reused but you still would need to de-skin and disassemble everything to inspect and repair. www.urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/bf-109-wreck-russia-lake-8.jpg The B-25 and P-38 at the Smithsonian are unique exhibits "pickled" in WW2 condition and WW2 paint, which does not survive on many museum aircraft. Even a lot of the rare Luftwaffe examples still in storage would have been painted over while testing with the AAF, for example the Ta-152 which has several layers and paint and modifications that need to be reversed to be original .

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@Northern Nightmare The original engine that came out of the lake has both water damage and damage from gunfire. It's possible a few components could be saved but a replacement engine is needed to fly. And the owners of this one had already found another engine if they decide to proceed with the original plan to restore it.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@mrceebees14 Died in a Gotha Go 145 crash, along with observer. Cause unknown.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@tz138 Vintage typically does not publish a lot of info on client projects or accept many visitors, which is fine. Let Nixon work his magic.