Full-size Fw190D-9 repro in Wanaka

[ZacYates]

Hey all,
While trawling through the ODT's website for Warbirds Over Wanaka coverage I found this story about Gilles Kupfer, owner of the sometimes-glimpsed scaled Fw190D replica based at Wanaka: www.odt.co.nz/news/queenstown-lakes/298972/museum-dedicated-german-fighter

It seems his hangar is a mini-museum dedicated to the '190 with his M14-powered 4/5 replica at the centre - which is cool enough, but then there's this passage:
"His hangar also contains the parts for his latest project, a full-size 190-D9, likely to take him another five years to complete."

So, is anyone else kind of excited about this? A few years ago I wrote a make-believe "magazine article" about a 190A and 190D flying together at Wanaka, but it looks like this could actually happen.

Despite efforts in Germany and the US there still hasn't been a full-scale 190D flown anywhere since the end of the war or so - the prospect of this happening in NZ first is exciting to me at least!

Hopefully someone going to the show will see this, the article says Gilles was planning to have his hangar open to the public over Easter. I'd love to see what he has for the 1:1 version!

[Dave Homewood]

He's been working on that for some while now.

[baz62]

I can relate to things taking sometime to put together. His project is way more complex than mine but it's the same issue, finding the time to work on it. And when you are (mostly) doing the work by yourself there is a lack of visual progress for a long time as work on components has to happen first.
But then when all that small stuff gets finished there comes a time when it starts going on the airframe and all of a sudden an aeroplane appears! I think that's why the Mosquito thread was so popular (not just because of what it was) as there was a lot of visual progress (not always seen by the public)ably recorded by Gavin Conroy, you Dave and other forum Members.
Certainly will be an interesting addition to the airshow scene when it's flying!

[Dave Homewood]

Is the 7/8th's replica actually flying again after its prang?

[Brett]

What 7/8 scale replica is that?

Gilles' ZK-YKZ is a Jurca 3/4 scale, and suffered a ground loop in 2010. It was re-engined and flew again in 2011.
ZK-FWI is 1/2 scale W.A.R replica and suffered a crash landing in 2012.

[Dave Homewood]

OK, 3/4 scale. It's so confusing, every time I hear about it the scale changes. Zac above has it at 4/5th scale!

Good to see it has flown again. I'd like to actually see some photos of it in the air some day.

[ZacYates]

Apologies Dave, I was going by the newspaper article. Jeez these journos need to learn their stuff ;-)

[jp]

How do you expect the journo's to get it right? This is a forum by/for enthusiasts, and there are 4 different scales mentioned in this topic for the same aircraft.....lol

[dh83]

I was lucky to see this being constructed in Switzerland 2004 as HB-YKZ

DH83