Sixfighter planes that were part of a collection of warbirds sold to a dealer in August will be restored and sold by Boschung Global Ltd. of Switzerland, the company said Thursday. The fighters, a version of German Messerschmitts, operated in World War II and were last flown for the making of the 1969 film “Battle of Britain.” When the film was completed, stunt pilot Wilson “Connie” Edwards received the fighters and other warbirds used in the movie in lieu of payment. Since then, the aircraft sat in a hangar in Texas for more than 40 years until Wilson put them on the market. The six airplanes, which Boschung referred to as Messerschmitt 109 models, were part of nine in the collection that are known asBuchons, a Spanish-built version of the German aircraft.
Wilson’s sale of the full collection, which also included a 1943 Spitfire that flew in World War II, was conducted by Platinum Fighter Sales. Since then, private buyers have acquired most of the airplanes, Boschung said. For example, two of the Messerschmitts, including the original factory two-seat model, will be operated by Swiss airshow company 46 Aviation SA. “The deal with former movie stunt pilot Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards was certainly no ordinary sale! It took several months and, in many respects, was an incredibly interesting project. The transaction was carried out seamlessly thanks to the assistance of Platinum,” Paul Boschung said in Thursday’s statement. The company said it will restore the aircraft to original factory condition.
