WARBIRDS OVER THE BEACH 2017 SKIN

With a short takeoff run, it performed a sharp turn to the right as it joined with the German formation. It was fascinating to see this version of the FW-190 take to the skies. The museum also has a FW-190 D-5 “Langnasen Dora” aka Long Nose Dora, though it was not flown due to mechanical issues. This drives a four blade propeller, as compared to the original three blade design. As there were no BMW 801 D-2 engines available to power the replicas, it is highly ironic that they are powered by Russian built Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engines. FW-190 A-8 was the most numerous type produced during the war, out of a production run of over 20,000 built. The Military Aviation Museum flew the FW-190 A-8 version for the show. Producing 20 kit replicas in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Flug Werk produced major subassemblies of the FW-190 in both Germany and Romania. The museum’s FW-190 A-8 “Würger”, aka “Butcher Bird”, is a replica aircraft manufactured by Flug Werk GmbH of Germany.

Still it was such a sound aircraft, that it was still being produced in France and Spain after the war. Being a tail dragger with fixed landing gear, it shows an early 1930s design and associated technology.

WARBIRDS OVER THE BEACH 2017 SKIN

The plane’s corrugated duralumin skin may not be that aerodynamic, but it greatly contributes to the strength of its overall structure. This of course gives a fairly large aircraft very good STOL performance. One thing about the JU-52 that astonished me, was that the flaps run the entire length of the wing. In the late 1990s, she underwent an extensive restoration which included a new instrument panel, replacement of all wiring, and most importantly three Pratt & Whitney R-1340 engines with three blade constant speed propellers. The Commemorative Air Force flew her for a few years, and then ran into a combination of mechanical and funding issues that kept the plane grounded for several years. With just about 1,500 flight hours at the time of purchase, this warbird was still considered young in age even after 27 years. The Spanish Air Force operated the plane until it was surplused in 1976 and bought by the Confederate Air Force, now known as the Commemorative Air Force. This example of “Iron Annie” is a CASA 352L built in Getafe, Spain by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA in 1949. While it is estimated that 4,845 JU-52s were built, only five are currently certified to fly. As the only flyable JU-52 operating in North America, this is a very rare bird to be seen on the air show circuit. Having never seen a JU-52 in flight, it was great to see this example preforming for the crowd at the show, May 17-19, 2019. Luftwaffe reenactor poses with the ME-109. This may offend aviation purists, but the reality of operating warbirds from the side who lost the war requires some flexibility. These planes were either built in Spain and modified or were recently constructed.

For myself, it was a special thrill to see a JU-52/3M, FW-190 A-8, and Daimler-Benz powered ME-190 G-4. The museum has an impressive number of operational German aircraft and mockups.

Warbirds over the beach 2017