it is nice.. but even the 109 appears scaled to me looking closer.. don't mean to detract from the goodness of the pics.. just curious..
That 109 is a interesting mix of parts. The nose is clearly that of an Emil (although that spinner looks a bit long), but the fuselage is either a 109F or early 109G. The canopy has the thicker frames of the G, but the forward quarter glass of the F. The wings are from a mid range 109G (note the bulge on the upper wing) and Mg FF's (or at very least a replica of the barrels) were added to the wings, but there is no bulge under the wing for the drum magazine. To make it appear like an Emil, the wing tips are clipped, (this is not accurate for an Emil, as the squared wing of real Emil's are roughly the same length of the later wings with rounded tips.) Also, support braces were added to the horizontal stabilizer, but again this was done just to maintain the illusion of a real Emil.
I'm guessing it started as a 109G-4 that had no engine or cowling, and those parts were readily available from an Emil. The two were mated then modifacations made to complete the look of an Emil.
To the museum's credit, they did a fantastic job on the painting of the 109.
Edit: from the museum website.
Messerschmitt BF 109E-3
By far the most-produced fighter ever (over 33,000 estimated), the Bf 109 served actively in various air forces around the world from the mid-1930s until the mid-1950s. Small, agile, and well-armed, it proved a serious weapon in the hands of an experienced pilot.
Perhaps the most noteworthy of the many versions of the Bf 109 was the Bf 109E, which ruled the skies over Europe until mid-1940 when it first encountered the Supermarine Spitfire.
The Bf 109 also had an extensive post-war career, being produced for and flying in several air forces other than the German Luftwaffe. Most notable was front-line service with the Spanish and Czechoslovakian air forces, and later, the Israeli Air Force.
In 1972, Douglas Champlin began looking for a restorable Bf 109 for his collection. After several fruitless searches, he acquired a Spanish-built Hispano HA 1112 and reconfigured it as closely as possible to the original. Locating a Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine and associated cowling proved impossible, so a DB 605 was substituted.
Modification work was undertaken by Art Williams in Germany. This included not only the engine change, but also redesign of the wingtips and other related items.
The Champlin Collection Bf 109 was manufactured in Germany during 1942 or 1943. It is thought to be one of the original batch of twenty-five aircraft supplied to Spain. All instrumentation is German, and of the identifiable Spanish-manufactured parts, many appear to be identical to the original German versions.
Appropriate to the aircraft's history, the cowling and engine are most likely from Bf 109E J392, the initial Dornier-Swiss-built aircraft delivered in 1945. The Champlin Collection Bf 109 has appeared in several movies, including Patton and Battle of Britain. Currently, the Bf 109E is displayed in the Battle of Britain colors of the noted Luftwaffe ace, Hans "Assi" Hahn.
