Bright sunshine at the Warbird Fly-In at the Dübendorf Airfield

A common feature of some warbirds is a powerful radial engine with a resonant sound, in which the valve train’s characteristic noise is also clearly audible. This is particularly fitting when the real-life aircraft is also equipped with such an engine. However, there are airfields that do not permit the operation of internal combustion engines on certain days or cannot allow them at all for noise protection reasons. As an alternative, there are now powerful electric powerplants that can achieve similar or even better flight performance. Both types of engines were on display at this airshow. Viewed from a slightly greater distance, it was almost impossible to tell the difference.

Model builders with many years of experience sometimes look for a special challenge. In this case, it’s a Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4. On the original fighter aircraft, the landing gear is built into the fuselage. The two struts are angled outward at 73 degrees each. This puts a great deal of stress on the suspension during landing. To reduce such stresses, the kit’s designer relocated the mountings for the two landing gear units away from the fuselage and under the wings, thereby increasing the wheelbase. However, this would have resulted in the loss of part of the fighter’s characteristic appearance. This deviation has now been corrected through a significant modification. Controllable slats are very rarely found on model airplanes. Through an extension, these were additionally attached to the wings. True to the original, they are controlled by servos built into the wings and are therefore barely visible.

The man-carrying Bf 109 F-4 also features combined radiator and landing flaps. The radiator flaps were used to regulate the temperature in the radiators mounted beneath each wing. These flaps are also clearly visible in action on the model. After a considerable period of design and construction, the smaller of the two Bf 109s was now ready for its maiden flight on the airfield. The photos show the successful flight. ■

Photo and text:
Hermann Mettler