ex Luftwaffe RC+YZ, RAF VH762, F-BBRH. Became D-EBFW/"D-IBFW"

Wreckage of a Taifun at the Luftwaffenmuseum with the Argus As 10c inverted V-8 engine visible and some traces of dark blue paint. Thought to have been built in Regensburg in 1939, its registration could also be DA+DE, DR+DE or DH+BE. It may have been part of Jagdfliegerschule 3 (JFS 3) based at Stolp-Reitz or it is from 2./JG 103 based at Parow as a Taifun was shot down from above over Rügen on 14.12.44.

This Taifun wears its pre-WWII civilian livery, although it was orginally D-IBHS. Post-war, it previously also wore the registrations F-BBRH amd OY-AIH. It was a nice participant in the Hahnweide oldtimers show.

The Bf 108 was designed for the 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme and four examples took part. The Bf 108s won the maximum speed and fuel consumption trials, but did less well in the slow trials. Karl Francke in the V4 prototype, D-IGAK, ended tenth overall. This particular aircraft was powered by an Argus As 17B engine. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

Believed to be 2126.

Used to pamper the foreign press during the 1936 Olympic Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

This 1940-built Taifun was captured by the Americans in Tunisia in 1943 and brought to the USA. It was acquired by Lufthansa Traditionsflug and returned to Germany in 1990. They restored it to flying condition at Hamburg, where it is still based today. It has the Lufthansa logo on the fin and is named after famed German aviator Elly Beinhorn.

Oldest flying Messerschmitt in the world. First flight as D-IBHS on 28 Mar 1937 and delivered to the Luftwaffe (coded "RC-YZ" by 1944). Seized by the RAF in France in 1945 and serialled VH762 in Jul 1945. To F-BBRH in 1948, cancelled 4 Dec 1958 on export to Denmark. Restored to flying condition and became OY-AIH on 29 Oct 1960. Flown as Luftwaffe "RC-YZ", last flight circa 1996. Cancelled 10 Jul 2003 on export to Germany. To D-EBFW on 14 Aug 2003, first flight as such 1 Apr 2004. Now owned by Benno Herrmann, Franz Kerzendorf, Tine Kirchberg and Hans Jürgen Storck, and flying out of Reichelsheim. Registration D-IBFW is fictious, reportedly used by a 1937 factory Taifun demonstrator.

This beautifully restored Taifun was one of the static exhibits at ILA 2012.

It takes until mid afternoon at Duxford before the sun comes around and then it's all systems go for photos of the displaying aircraft. (Canon 40D 120mm)