Adolf Galland, a renowned German ace, took his final flight in a Me 109
Platinum Fighters is offering for sale a unique Hispano Buchon, the Spanish version of the Me 109G. The warbird is extremely rare as it is the only surviving two-seater in the world.
The famed German ace Adolf Galland flew the aircraft, and it was on this plane that he completed his final flight in a Me 109.
As explained by The Register Buchon HA-1112-M4L, registered G-AWHC, differs from a standard Me 109 in having a British-designed Rolls Royce Merlin engine fitted instead of the German fighter’s V12 Daimler-Benz powerplant. The actual plane was flown in the renowned 1969 movie Battle of Britain, whose creation directly contributed to the preservation of numerous vintage WWII aircraft that are now admired by large crowds at airshows.
Only two two-seater Buchons were ever produced out of the total 233 that were ordered for construction. According to auction house Platinum Fighter Sales, the first model, which was powered by a Spanish Hispano-Suiza 12Z engine and given the designation HA-1112-K1L, was eventually upgraded to -M4L specifications, making G-AWHC “one of the rarest warbirds available in the marketplace today.”
The Buchon was saved from being scrapped by retired Royal Air Force (RAF) Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie, who, after a military career that included service with the renowned Pathfinders of RAF Bomber Command, became well-known for finding Second World War aircraft for movies in the 1950s and 1960s – to the point where he became aviation consultant for James Bond filmmakers EON Productions.
115 warplanes, including the Buchon M4L, were scrounged by Mahaddie from various organizations, including the Spanish Air Force. The Battle of Britain producers needed bombers for their aerial dogfight scenes, and the Spanish continued to utilize Buchons and even Heinkel 111s after the war.
The technical specialist for the Battle of Britain was Galland, a Luftwaffe fighter pilot, and squadron commander who reportedly sarcastically replied to Hermann Goering when the Nazi air force chief asked if there was anything he wanted: “Give me a squadron of Spitfires!” Robert Stanford-Tuck, a retired RAF wing commander who commanded 257 Squadron RAF during the last stages of the actual battle, was on the “other” side.
In a moment where Kesselring is shown delivering the Nazi salute rather than the customary military salutation, Galland, who was serving as a German technical advisor, objected. Journalist Leonard Mosley saw Galland interfere with the shooting and need to be led away from the scene.
Galland then threatened to withdraw, stating that keeping the scene would have “dire consequences for the film.” Galland was eventually persuaded to approve the scene, after all, when the finalized sequence was screened in front of him and his lawyer.
According to one version, Galland and Stanford-Tuck took G-AWHC up for a flight together toward the conclusion of filming, becoming friends in the same aircraft. Stanford-Tuck was eventually chosen by Galland to be his son’s godfather.
The Register claims that Buchon M4L was received as payment in lieu of cash by one Wilson “Connie” Edwards, who served as the film’s primary stunt pilot and spent the next 45 years languishing in a Texas barn after production was completed. The aircraft was eventually sold by Edwards in 2014 after being repaired to a flyable state by UK-based Air Leasing.
The Buchon is up for auction starting at $6m plus VAT. More information is available on Platinum Fighter Sales’ website.
Photo by Platinum Fighters