Museo de Cuatro Vientos, Madrid, Spain

[gekho]

The Museum at Cuatros Vientos airfield in Madrid houses an impressive collection of aircraft. This airfield was Spain's first military airfield and opened as long ago as 1911. Over 100 aircraft are currently on display, however the impressive collection also comprises photos and paintings, squadron badges, engines, airfield equipment, weapons, and other memorabilia. Famous aircraft on show include a Vilanova-Bleriot XI built in 1911, a Breguet XIX (Jesus del Gran Poder) used on the flights to Asia and America in 1928-29, and the famous G-ACYR Dragon Rapide, which flew General Franco from the Canary Islands to Tetuan at the begining of the Spanish Civil War in 1936.

Immediately upon entering the museum, you will confront Stratotanker, variant of the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. Boeing KC-97L TK.1-03 (c/n 16971) is preserved in the squadron markings of Escuadrón 123 (123-03) and it served to refuel the F-4 Phantoms of Ala 12: the badge near the cockpit is indicative for this task. Note the jet pod under the wing, these were added to increase performance on take off. The refuelling boom on this Boeing KC-97L is clearly visible. The former USAF serial for this plane was 53-0189. The Spanish Air Force operated 3 of these KC-97L's, how the other 2 ended up can be seen on Stratocruisers at San Cugat And yet another C-97 existed as a restaurant / discotheque at Sotillo de la Adrada (about 75km west of Madrid) during the late-1970s / early-1980s.

 

[evangilder]

Neat stuff. There are very few of those left in the US too.

 

[gekho]

The Dornier Do-24 flying boat was produced during the early 1930s, initially for the Netherlands, to replace their obsolete Wals flying boats. The Dutch planned to build 50 flying boats under license for service in the East Indies. The Do-24 had many of the characteristics of the earlier Dornier flying boats, such as a broad-beamed, shallow hull, semi-cantilever high wing with sponsons. With the onset of World War II, the Germans occupying Holland took over the building of the Do.24 and pressed it into service in the role of air-sea rescue/transport flying boat in the Black Sea and Mediterranean campaigns. It was a rugged and sturdy aircraft, which equipped 15 Luftwaffe Seenotstafflen throughout the War. It later saw service with Sweden and Spain, too. Actually is being restored.

 

[gekho]

The displayed airplane is actually TB-25N 44-29121, once carrying the civil registration of N86427. The B-25 ended up with John Hawke's Visionaire Intl. Co. in 1978 for use in the filming of the dubious-at-best Hanover Street as Brenda's Boys. It was later used in Yanks and Cuba. During that filming, it apparently was making a low pass at Malaga,Spain, hit an obstruction and made an emergency landing. It was subsequently abandoned, obtained by the museum for display. It was restored for static display. The original B-25, callsign 74-17, was another B-25 which served in the Spanish Airforce and landed in Nador (North Africa) on August 4th 1944. It was military license no. 41-30338. It was interned in the Morocco Air Armory; some years later (in 1948) it was decided to put into flying condition and between 1950-1953 served in the airforce. Unfortunately without spare parts, it was scrapped in 1956.

 

[gekho]

Assigned to the Conder Legion in Spain in 1937, this German aircraft was so fast it could operate without fighter escort. A total number of 7.500 airframes were manufactured in Germany, France, Romania and Spain.
This particular aircraft is the oldest surviving example and was operational until 1956. The museum received it in 1967. The Condor Legion's nickname was "Pedro".

 

[Crimea_River]

Great pics! Thanks for sharing. If you have more please post but try to reduce the size to about 800 to 1000 pixels wide.

I think I saw a Ju-52 behind the Mitchell

 

[gekho]

Actually the Museum has two Dragon Rapide:

- DH-89A Dragon Rapide (G-ACYR) re-painted in original Olley Air Service Ltd. colours + titles (c/n.6261)
- DH-89A Dragon Rapide (40-1) in camouflage scheme, without titles (c/n ????)

The excellent 1999 guide book "Guia del Museo Del Aire" has a photo of G-ACYR in an earlier 'sand' colour with two thin red central stripes and registration; it is now overall 'silver dope' with blue stripe outlines to the roof top and bottom side fuselage, reg. now in blue (and a plate under the nose to commemorate the aircraft's use to transport General Franco from Tonda, Canary Islands to Tetuan in (then) Spanish Morocco in 1936). The plate quotes 19th July but the sign board says 18th.

The other Rapide, previously noted under restoration, is now complete, in a camouflage scheme, painted as '40-1". Although this serial was a known pre-WW2 Rapide, it is unclear whether or not this is the original aircraft. This is, with no douth, the most beautiful Dragon Rapide I have ever seen.

 

[gekho]

This Museum has two Casa 352, the spanish version of the Junkers Ju-52. The spanish company built 170 examples of the Casa 352 version of the Junkers Ju-52/3m and the type was designated T.2B in Spanish military service. These examples are coded 911-16 721-14. Their construction numbers are 102 and 145. Most of the Ju-52 still airworthy are Casa 352.

 

[Crimea_River]

Nice! Thanks!

 

[gekho]

Around 10 Storchs were adquired by the Spanish Goverment during and after the Civil War. This example wears the colours of the "Ejercito del Aire" (Air Force). In my first visit to the museum, the size of the plane surprised me. I always tought that the Storch was smaller. In any case, it´s a great warbird!!

 

[gekho]

The Azor was the third twin-engined transport type built by the Spanish Casa company after World War II.
The first, the 201 Alcotan, flew in February 1949 and with its tailwheel design resembled the British Vickers Viking. A total of 112 production examples powered by Armstrong Siddelely Cheetah radial piston engines were built for the Spanish Air Force under the designation T5. From the Alcotan, Casa developed the 202 Halcon, or T6, which featured a nosewheel undercarriage and Elizalde radial pistons. The type first flew in May 1953 and 20 were ordered for the air force with accommodation for a crew of three and 14 passengers.
The 207 Azor was basically a scaled up version of the Halcon and first flew on September 28, 1955, as a contender for the domestic civil market.

With types such as the Avro 748 and Fokker F27 then under development the twin Bristol Hercules radial piston powerplant of the Azor meant it was already obsolete. However, it was rescued from total obscurity by the air force, which eventually operated 22, including the two prototypes. The type entered service in 1960 with the military designation T7A and featured a crew of four and space for 40 passengers. Two of the first ten were fitted experimentally with Pratt and Whitney Double Wasp engines. The second batch of ten were designated 207Cs, or T7Bs and featured large cargo doors at the rear of the fuselage and space for 37 paratroopers.
In the early 1970s, Casa proposed a four-turboprop STOL aircraft, the 401, to replace the Azor but this was dropped in favour of the smaller 212 Aviocar. The type served on into the 1980s at Madrid's Getafe air base. All the surviving aircraft are in Spain, either preserved or derelict. None are airworthy.

 

[gekho]

De Havilland Canada designed the DHC-4 as a DC3 sized aircraft but with the short field performance of its earlier Beaver and Otter. The twin 1,450hp Pratt and Whitney two-row radial engined aircraft was a joint venture with the Canadian Depatment of Defense Production and one was ordered by the Royal Canadian Air Force as the CC-108. The first prototype flew on July 30, 1958 and entered service evaluation in August 1959.
Five aircraft were ordered for evaluation by the US Army as the YAC-1 and 159 of a heavier version were delivered to the service between 1961 and 1965. The type was designated AC-1 and later CV-2A and B.
Many saw service in the Vietnam War, where the type's ability to deliver 32 troops into short dirt strips proved invaluable. Some were converted as airborne command posts with the 1st (Air) Cavalry Division. The US aircraft were transferred to the air force in 1967 and redesignated C-7A. The type saw service for 12 other air forces and by 1975 more than 330 had been built. Penn Turbo Aviation has offered a PT6A version but has not secured any sales despite amassing a large stock of stored airframes at its base in New Jersey, USA. Today, few remain in active service with several flown by preservation groups in the United States.

The first of 12 were delivered in Jan68 to the Spanish Air Force and equipped Escuadrón 372 of Ala 37 (first based at Los Llanos, later at Villanubla). The Spanish Caribous were withdrawn from service by June 1991.

 

[gekho]

When World War I ended, the German Air Force was disbanded under the Treaty of Versailles, which required the German government to abandon all military aviation by October 1, 1919. However, by 1922, it was legal for Germany to design and manufacture commercial aircraft, and one of the first modern medium bombers to emerge from this process was the Heinkel He 111, the first prototype of which an enlarged, twin-engine version of the single-engine mail-liaison He 70, which set 8 world speed records in 1933 flew in February of 1935. The second prototype, the He 111 V2, had shorter wings and was the first civil transport prototype, capable of carrying 10 passengers and mail. The third prototype, He 111 V3 also had shorter wings and was the first true bomber prototype. Six He 111 C series airliners were derived from the fourth prototype, the He 111 V4, and went into service with Lufthansa in 1936, powered by a variety of engines, including BMW 132 radials. The first production models had the classic stepped windshield and an elliptical wing, which the designers, Siegfried and Walter Gunter, favored.

As a military aircraft, it took longer to gain favor, because military load requirements and underpowered engines kept its cruising speed down to less than 170 mph. However, in early 1936, the plane was given 1,000 hp Daimler Benz DB 600A engines which improved performance dramatically enough to bring in substantial orders. The first two mass-production versions, He 111 E and He 111 F experienced great success during the Spanish Civil War, where they served with the Condor Legion as fast bombers, able to outrun many of the fighters sent against them.

In fact, the experience in Spain generated a false sense of security in which the Germans thought that the He 111's light armament and speed would be sufficient in the coming war. Thus, although it was out of date, the large numbers in which it had been produced made the He 111 the Luftwaffe's primary bomber for far too long in the war, availability being more persuasive than practicality for this serviceable, but highly vulnerable, aircraft. Modern fighters like the Supermarine Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane proved the He 111's inadequacy during the Battle of Britain. As soon as possible, the Luftwaffe replaced the Heinkel with the Junkers Ju 88, reassigning the Heinkel to night operations and other specialized tasks until, by war's end, it was being used primarily as a transport.

More than 7,300 had been built for the Luftwaffe by autumn, 1944, with another 236 (He 111H) being built by the Spanish manufacturer, CASA, during and after the war (as the CASA 2.111), some with the traditional Jumo 211 engines, some with Rolls-Royce Merlins. In service with the Luftwaffe from 1937 to 1945, the Heinkels remained in Spanish service until 1965.

One of the more bizarre adaptations of the Heinkel by the Luftwaffe was the He 111 Z-1, in which two He 111s were joined at the wing with a special section containing a fifth engine. Two prototypes and 10 production models were manufactured, their purpose being to provide the power to haul the huge Messerschmitt Me 321 transport gliders.

The sole remaining He 111 in regular use was owned by the Arizona wing of the Commemorative Air Force in the USA. It was a Spanish-built CASA 2.111D that was used to transport VIPs during the Franco regime. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in a crash in July 2003. Another He 111 is currently under restoration in the USA.

(information taken from Warbird Alley: Privately-owned, vintage, ex-military aircraft)

 

[vikingBerserker]

NICE! I love the Dorniers

 

[Micdrow]

Great stuff many thanks for sharing!!!!

 

[Gnomey]

Great stuff, thanks for sharing.

 

[Junkers88A1]

thanks for sharing..but some of those pics are a bit large..
but always wanted to go there

 

[gekho]

The Polikarpov I-16 was the main fighter of the Republican Air Force during the Spanish Civil War. The example of the museum is a restored aircraft with post-civil-war markings (Ejercito del Aire) on its right side, and republican markings on its left side.

When the tiny I-16 flew for the first time in December 1933, it was far ahead of any other fighter design in the world, featuring retractable landing gear, a cantilever wing and variable pitch propeller. Although not among the best remembered aircraft of the thirties, it was nevertheless a very able and rugged machine and featured prominently in the events of the time. When the Spanish Civil War broke out, almost 500 were put into service with the Republicans. The outstanding maneuverability, firepower and rate of climb, surprised the enemy leading to the opposition nickname of Rata (Rat) and the friendly name Mosca (Fly). Equipped with the Soviet 20 mm cannon it was the most powerful aircraft weapon in front line service with any nation on the eve of World War II. It had a very high rate of fire and was extremely reliable. Another batch of I-16s was purchased by China to fight the Japanese, again surprising the other side with excellent performance.

 

[gekho]

The Polikarpov I-15 "Chato" (flat nose) was deployed to Spain in October of 1936 to be used by the Republicans during the Civil War. Spain built over 285 Polikarpov I-15 Chaika aircraft under a license agreement with the USSR. When the Spanish Civil War ended in March of 1939, many of the aircraft were taken over by the Nationalists. I is considered the second best fighter of the Republican Air Force after the Polikarpov I-16 Mosca (Fly). Like the I-16, one side is painted with the colours of the Republican Air Force and the othre side with the post-war "Ejercito del Aire".

 

[gekho]

In 1943 the Spanish government arranged a manufacturing licence with Messerschmitt AG to build the Bf-109 G-2, with DB605A engines, propellers, instruments, and weapons to be supplied from Germany. This proved impossible, as Germany was incapable of meeting her own needs, let alone Spain's; in the event, only twenty-five airframes (minus their tails) and not even half the necessary drawings were delivered.

As a result, Hispano substituted the 1.300 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Z-89 engine, which flew at Barcelona in 1944, while the first HA-1109-J1L made its maiden flight 2 March 1945 at Seville, using a VDM prop and lash-up engine mounting. The other twenty-four airframes were flown during 1947-9 with Escher-Wyss props, but never became operational. A developed version, with an improved installation for the Hispano-Suiza 12Z-17 engine, appeared in May 1951 as the HA-1109-K1L. Fitted with a three bladed DH Hydromatic propeller, it was nicknamed Tripala ("three blades"). Its armament consisted of one or two 12.7mm Breda machineguns and Pilatus eight-packs of 80mm rockets. It first flew in 1951, and although 200 units were planned, only 65 were ever built. The aircraft in the upper picture was posted to Tablada, Morón, Torrejón and León. It was retired from service in 1955. On 6 May 1971 it was placed in the Museo del Aire (Spain). These Hispano V12-powered versions of the German design, since the Hispano engines used a clockwise rotation propeller, with the Bf 109F introduced asymmetric vertical fin still present that was airfoiled to produce a slight left movement of the tail, that counteracted the left-side torque reaction from the counterclockwise rotation Daimler-Benz DB 601 605 inverted V12 engines that they were designed for, created a hard-to-counteract right swing on takeoff instead, from the combination of the airfoiled fin and the Hispano engine's clockwise-turning propeller essentially "working" in the same direction.

A second version, the HA-1110-K1L, was a two-place tandem trainer model. The final variant was the HA-1112-M1L Buchon (literally, "big throat"), which is both a male dove or a pelican in Spanish. It first flew 29 March 1954. The 1112-M1L was equipped with the 1,600 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 500-45 engine and Rotol propeller. This engine required the addition of a deep chin intake, whence the name Buchón. Its armament consisted of two 20 mm Hispano-Suiza 404/408 cannons and two Oerlikon or Pilatus eight-packs of 80 mm rockets. It remained in service until 27 December 1965. HA-1112-M1Ls remained in flying condition until the mid-1960s. This made them available for theatrical use, disguised as Bf 109Es and Gs in movies like "Battle of Britain", "Memphis Belle", and "The Tuskegee Airmen". Remarkably, Buchons also played the Bf 109's opposition, the Hawker Hurricane, in one scene in "Battle of Britain".

(Information taken from Wapedia)