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Now, in the F model, you had the automatic Prop Pitch control… I know the early Emils it was all manual.  Did you ever switch to manual settings?

You could…have uh, have it not automatic, but uh…as soon as we were off the ground we would put in automatic.

 So it just handles the engine better?

Because uh...in the air… you might overrev it, and the motor will start to burn

 Okay…so you would only switch it to manual for take off and landing?

Yeah…

I know on your left side you had the throttle and adjustments for prop and the mixture lever.  

Yeah…

 Where did you adjust the prop?

Oh, you can FORGET about the mixture control!!  It’s not like in a…in a…like in an American airplane or British airplane they had their mixture control.  Forget about it, we never had to...it was automatic.  Like once throttle had a button on…for prop control…and uh…you could shift it like a gear thing and it would make the motor...you just push it and could adjust it and make it more…

 And that was on the throttle?  

Yes, there was a button and you could switch it.  There was a clock there… in the air…on the control panel… that showed you how your prop…and uh, how it works and was condition.

 I’ve actually seen pictures of Galland, and it looked like he mounted a telescopic gun sight to the Revi…like a rifle scope.  Have you ever seen that?

(Franz laughs)  No, never…

Now the view from the Me109…backward was really difficult.  Did you keep yourself completely strapped it when you were flying?

Oh yeah..

And how did you compensate for the lack of being able to see behind.

Well you could turn your head hundred-eighty degrees around.  We didn’t have any mirrors in like the Spitfire…what you did was when you strapped yourself in, you had your shoulder straps loose…and uh…and not so tight…so you could move…you could put it in autopilot too… you know…

 You flew the Me110 as well correct? 

Yeah…(Franz makes a “disgusted” face)

Did you ever fly the Focke Wulf 190? 

Oh yeah, I flew it for a few hours, but not in combat.

Did you like it?

I liked it very much…but we were all so used to the 109.  But uh, Focke Wulf 190 D model, was far better than we had…and the 152 was even so better.

Yeah...the 152 was the final one…How was the view…the canopy was a lot bigger…

Oh yeah, 

…Than that of the 109…did you find the view a lot easier?  

          Oh yeah, it was…but…the landing gear you had to be careful, because we had a narrow landing gear, the FW had uh…a wider one.

 So being on the western front, you obvious flew against the Mustang, Spitfire- 

          P-7 – uh, P-47, Spitfire, Hurricane…the P-38...and no more…some of them I flew, also…the captured ones.

 What did you think of the American and the British planes?

Well it, uh…the P-47 and the… P-51 was a…a good airplanes, you know…and depends also who was sitting in it…it’s always this.  Did you ever see the Spitfire out in the Vancouver Airport?

 No, I haven’t.           

It uh…was the Spitfire Fourteen…(Franz leans over and grabs a journal from his desk and pulls out a business card).  If you like, you can write the phone number down…Just phone him and he, uh…let you look at it, yo u know... (Franz opens a book containing a wealth of business cards, all aircraft related) 

I didn’t know they had one there actually... 

         Penta… 

I look at the business card.  “Penta Aviation”. 

His name is uh…Bob Jens…he’s just now rebuilding a...a Mosquito…But he has the money… so.  Owns two…owns two hangers out there at Vancouver airport…but costs a lot of money…really a lot 

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