WWII created Old Buckenham (it was a base for American B-24 Liberator Bombers) and every year warbirds such as the P-51 Mustang, Hurricane and Spitfire form an indispensable part of Norfolk’s only Airshow. This year that roster of legendary aircraft meet their natural enemy once again in the form of Nazi Germany’s most potent fighter.
The aircraft which you’ll be able to see is even more special than your ‘average’
Messerschmitt 109; it’s a Buchon. These extremely rare machines have a fascinating story; they were originally conceived as an experiment where the Spanish were to build 109’s for the Germans. This may have seemed like a good idea in 1943, but by 1944 there was a issue; Germany was too busy being defeated to be able to supply engines and other parts. Fast forward to 1954 and the engineless machines were needed for the filming of one of the greatest movies of all time “Battle of Britain”. The one you’ll see was an actual “yellow nosed b*****d” flown for and used in filming. There is a major difference between it and the ME109 it played in the movie; all 27 Buchons have the iconic Rolls Royce Merlin engine, so they aren’t just more reliable than the original, they sound better too.