Galland's Bf 109s

[Njaco]

Went through my books and magazines and scanned some profiles and others of Adolf Galland's various machines during the early part of the war.

 

[Wayne Little]

For the record Photo no. 5 from 10 o'clock passing the trees to the right is in fact W.Nr 5966.

If you look closely at the area directly above the exhaust it has a camouflaged panel that is not yellow....

Photo's of W.Nr 5966 show it with 50 victories on the rudder.

 

[Njaco]

Thanks Wayne. I'm not convinced that photo #3 doesn't have the Mickey Mouse - just above the wing.

 

[Wayne Little]

Looks to me like the Mickey Mouse ears are just visible.....

 

[Lucky13]

Great stuff!

 

[Airframes]

Nice work Chris. There's a couple there I hadn't seen before, thanks.

 

[Locke]

Those are some awesome pictures, I'm a huge fan of Galland, thanks! xD

 

[Heinz]

Great stuff man thanks for posting!

 

[BikerBabe]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[109ROAMING]

8)

 

[BikerBabe]

There ya go...

 

[Cromwell]

Galland Hood

I am wondering when the famous 'Hood' made its first appearance - and what exactly was its difference from the awful 109 glass-house !

In fact, bearing in mind that many German people are larger than average, how they ever squeezed into that cramped little office in the 109 ?

Also why the 109 was never fitted with a Bubble style canpoy, at least experimentally (they could have possibly nicked one from a crashed Spit I am sure at some point).

 

[imalko]

Also why the 109 was never fitted with a Bubble style canpoy, at least experimentally (they could have possibly nicked one from a crashed Spit I am sure at some point).

It was but only after the war in Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovak version of Bf 109G built post war and designated Avia S.199 had bubble canopy (although not all examples) and Jumo engines.

 

[Njaco]

Proper name, I believe is the Erla hood which probably came about around 1944.

Found these pics of Galland while cruising through Bundesarchiv. Pretty interesting. The formal ceremony is Moelder's funeral.

 

[BikerBabe]

 

[Airframes]

Superb selection of pics Chris.

 

[Cromwell]

Superb selection of pics Chris.

Yes, they are

But two things are bugging me

1. Has someone got a pic of an Erla hood AND can explain to me 'la difference' ?

2. Galland's face looks like it has taken a bit of a ding at some point - was he a boxer in his youth or something along those lines ?

Thanks !!

 

[BikerBabe]

Hi Cromwell.

When Galland was young - still only a glider pilot - he suffered a near fatal crash with his glider, simply because he and his friends had tweaked it a little too much.
Galland broke his nose and suffered a nasty skull fracture which sent him into a coma for three days, and glass splinters from the cockpit glass went into one of his eyes.
The glass was going to cause him a lot of trouble with getting a license to fly engined aircraft, and so he cheated with the help of a fellow young officer - and ended up becoming a fighter pilot anyway, but the glass splinters stayed in Galland's eye until the day he died.
So that's why Galland looks like he does on the old photos.

 

[piet]

Yes, they are

But two things are bugging me

1. Has someone got a pic of an Erla hood AND can explain to me 'la difference' ?

2. Galland's face looks like it has taken a bit of a ding at some point - was he a boxer in his youth or something along those lines ?

Thanks !!

Galland transferred to the new and technically illegal air force (Luftwaffe) in 1933. During his training Galland crashed his aircraft and was in a coma for three days, suffering from a damaged eye, fractured skull and broken nose. A year later he crashed an Arado Ar 68 and was hospitalized again, aggravating his injured eye. Galland was allowed to continue his training after passing an eye test (which he memorised) he completed his training in Italy in 1935 and was posted to Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen, then based at Döberitz airfield near Berlin.

piet

 

[imalko]

1. Has someone got a pic of an Erla hood AND can explain to me 'la difference' ?

Here you go - old canopy and Erla haube aka Galland hood. The difference is obvious I believe...