Bf109G-4 W.Nr. 19310

This beautiful and fully authentic restoration was carried out by AREA for the Italian Air Force museum at Vigna di Valle, and the aircraft currently graces the Speyer Technikmuseum.

W.Nr.19310 was built at WNF and carried the Stkz. BH+XN.  Assigned to 4./JG52, it was downed over the Black Sea while being flown by Oblt. von Coester on 20 March 1943 approximately 20 km southeast of Anapa.  Recovered by a Russian team in 1987, substantial work had to be undertaken by the AREA team to restore the aircraft as no anti-corrosion materials were on hand to protect the exposed airframe once retrieved from the sea. (source: Jägerblatt, 5/2000).

The results are nothing short of spectacular.  This first series of shots comes courtesy the ubiquitous Kiwi, Dave MacDonald...

19310.1.jpg (76072 bytes)        19310.2.jpg (64988 bytes)        19310.3.jpg (65770 bytes)

19310.4.jpg (71090 bytes)        19310.5.jpg (80124 bytes)        19310.6.jpg (75575 bytes)

Since this first batch arrived, there have been a number of other excellent photo-essays sent in on this particular aircraft.  To ease browsing, I've arranged them by photographer and you can view their shots by clicking on their respective links below.

19310ja-605.4.jpg (80151 bytes)

Jozef And'Al, Editor of HT Model Publications

Alex Robinson

Hans Trauner

19310js_01.jpg (147330 bytes)

Jeff Stoermer