Messerschmitt 109G-10 / U4 W.Nr.610937 

Built in 1944 by WNF most likely as a G-14 , but upgraded to a G-10/U4 ‘Jabo-Rei’ in December 1944. Abandoned at Zeltweg airfield in Austria at the end of the war , her original tactical markings will probably never be known. She could have been from a Luftwaffe unit or just as likely a Hungarian one , as both countries were using this airfield at the time. 

Between May and August 1945, 610937 and many other aircraft were taken as trophies by units from the 6th Polk, (regiment) of the Bulgarian Air Force and ferried to Bulgaria , via Pech airfield , Hungary and Belgrade , Yugoslavia. Little is is known about the service history of these Bulgarian Me-109s. Many were transferred from the Karlovo airfield to the Burshen airfield near Silven and were actively flown by the 2nd and 3rd Orlyak (group) of the 6th Polk until they converted to Yak-9. Some 109s went on to serve in the training role as late as 1950, with the last of them being scrapped in 1951.

 In 1947, the Paris Peace Treaty limited the size of Bulgaria's Air Force and some of its excess aircraft were sent to Yugoslavia in military equipment trade negotiations between the two countries. 610937 became part of a shipment of 59 Me109s to be traded for a number of fuselages and tail units of Il-2 Sturmoviks. After being transported to Zagreb by rail, the aircraft were refurbished, repainted and 610937 became “White 44”, Yugoslav Air Force s/n 9644. White 44 was flown by either the 83rd or 172nd fighter wing based at Cerklje Airfield and may have been flown on patrol sorties along the Italian frontier during the confrontation between Yugoslavia and Italy over the free zone of Trieste. White 44’s last recorded flight was October 17, 1950. Total flight time in service: 35 hrs.15 mins.

 The aircraft was placed in storage until 1953, when it was declared scrapped and donated to a technical school known as the ‘Machine Facility ‘ in Belgrade. Then used as an instructional airframe until 1979 , after which time she was transferred to the Yugoslav Aviation Museum in Belgrade , being placed in storage. In the early eighties the museum was struggling to pay the heating bill , and since a fully restored G-2 was already on display , a deal was struck which saw her being purchased for Doug Arnold’s Warbirds of Great Britain Collection.

 .In 1989 she was resold to Evergreen Ventures and in 1991 sent to Vintage Aircraft Restorations Ltd. at Ft. Collins, Colorado where , after 5 years , she was restored to flight worthy condition . It is thought that the aircraft is fitted with wings from a Buchon , obtained from Dave Tallichet.  Unfortunately little thought was given to the history of the aircraft with no attempt made to research the markings that may have been hidden under the Bulgarian and Yugoslavian AF paint . The skins were replaced and sent directly to the scrap yard in order to make her ‘structurally sound ‘ for flight , something that has never been attempted , and at this time , seems unlikely to be. She was painted to represent an aircraft flown by Germany's leading ace, Eric Hartman and is on display in preserved condition (fluids drained) at the Captain Michael King Smith Evergreen Aviation Educational Institute in McMinnville, Oregon.

Take special note of the wheels and wheel wells in the photos above from Jim Penhale; it appears these are Buchon wheels and wings.  Sad...