Messerschmitt BF-109G Vertical stabilizer cit off.

CanadianAR

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I am posting this due to interest. You could see part of it in my photos on a WTS ad and I got more PMs, text and email over this then the WTS item hahah Soninsaid is post it and it’s story.

So about 10-11 years ago, when I discovered this stuff existed. Really crazy German stuff that is, I stumbled onto the Guild website. I was overwhelmed with the stuff you could buy. I don’t care much for “nazi” stuff or dress , fancy things. But guns, related gear and vehicle stuff I like. And on their site I saw a Dak BF-109 cut off similar to this one. It was a bit nicer but also $7000usd. I thought no way, I’ll never have one. But the thought held on. And only in the past year have I researched them a bit, done some looking to someday buy one. Anyways I found this at SOS Thursday morning during dealer setup as the guy pulled it from the bin. I looked it over, and did some quick research until I found some perfect comparables. I examined it against known good ones and it was good, so I bought it. I wasn’t holding out for Dak, but a bonus that it is.

It’s from a Bf-109 G model. Cut with god knows what, a butter knife maybe, it’s jagged as hell. It’s clear he literally torn the last section off. Haha You can see the US vet signed it prior to him folding it to fit in a box or duffle bag so most of his signature went with the swath of paint was lost. The dealer didn’t notice this signature and I only found it outside in good light. But it confirms a US GI captured it. The inscription on the front is certainly post war in my opinion, but that unit was destroyed by the Americans in Tunisia. It was somewhat common for guys to meet a Luftwaffe vet post war and have these signed. I’ve seen a few and an acquaintance has one he got signed at an airshow decades and decades ago, so it happened. I don’t think it adds any value, but I don’t think it overly detracts. Just kind of a neat foot note.

Included some images showing these types of items being taken, or missing from wrecks. I have ore if anyone is interested. Also what could be the opposite side of the same of the same plane. They are identical but opposite sides.









You can see all the missing swastikas!



 
Haha. This great! I saw this in the background of the EE ad and wondered if it was a tail section.

So glad you decided to share

Obligatory: love me a good piece of tail!!
 
Funny what you pick up. I've got a K14 gunsight from a P-51 Mustang with a tag identifying it to 403 Sqn which operated Mustangs in the RCAF reserves from Calgary in the 1950s. Got a box of other instruments from a Mustang as well.
 
Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Good to see history like this still around. Likely cut out with a bayonet or other reasonably pointy thing.
 
So, as of today I identified the German signature. It took some searching but I think I got it.

I found word of a German vet who is documented to have been signing photos and items in the early 1990s in Florida. This item was found about 20 years ago at an estate sale in Florida! And the known vet was a pilot in 3/JG53 Pik As!!! He’s signed this KJ. Hofmann, where as he signed photos JK Hofmann, but as of today I spoke with a personal friend and he agreed it’s his friends signature.

Karl Julio Hofmann.
A German-Chilean, being schooled in Germany when war broke out. He is credited with 5 confirmed kills and two unconfirmed. His final battle, he was shot down January 31/1943 in Tunisia by a Spitfire. He struck the plane as he bailed out breaking his leg. When he woke up, a Bedouin was dragging Him to the nearest military camp, where he was fixed up, sadly
For him, they were British, and he was a POW. My section of tail is from the AMA style of plane he was flying when shot down. A Bf-109G.

I’m super happy to have found this info, and had people who personally knew him, corroborate it.

 
Interesting and Very Nice!

Now all you need to do is find the rest of the parts of the plane to restore the ME109 to flying condition!
 
Very nice! Thanks for sharing. Was going to post this on it's own thread, but it's probably better here.

[youtube]FILxoQyKzDg[/youtube]
 
Very nice piece of history! As an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer I would be very wary buying one of these without provenance (which this one has). Any of my sheetmetal crew could make one of these up identical (and period correct) to this in 4-6hrs. Just something to keep in mind.
 
Very nice piece of history! As an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer I would be very wary buying one of these without provenance (which this one has). Any of my sheetmetal crew could make one of these up identical (and period correct) to this in 4-6hrs. Just something to keep in mind.


I’d like to see an attempt at a fake. Just for interest sake. All the same fasteners are used? Without one in hand there are tells. The fakes of these are outed for sport by the collectors. The fakes always get something wrong. There’s set patterns, colours, rivet types, swastika measurements, etc etc
 
Very nice piece of history! As an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer I would be very wary buying one of these without provenance (which this one has). Any of my sheetmetal crew could make one of these up identical (and period correct) to this in 4-6hrs. Just something to keep in mind.

I’ll add most fakes would not be made by aircraft people, hence my interest in a fake from such a source.
 
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