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Unfortunatly both Pilot and plane do not exsist anymore. The Big Beautyful Doll honored her name in many ways. It looked geart and flew that way too.

Unfortunately the pilot and the plane had had a fatale crash some years ago, which reminds us again these complex designed aircraft haven't been designed for such a long time to fly!

The BBD shows here for the last time what's here duty and anyone hearing the sound of the engine will miss it by heart.

Also part of history are the tradition of marking the air victories to the left side under the cockpit. It seems a bit strange from a todays point of view, but has ist origin in WWI and reflects the competition between the pilots whos's best and the pride of success.

The BBD had had 30 1/2 air victories over German Fighters/Pilots and its mechanic protocolled them on its front in shape of Nazi flaggs. At that time this was the officail Flag of the German Reich, today it is pohibited by law to sow it in public in Germany as well as many other Nazi symbols.

In this case this led to a paradox and somehow amparrasing situation. The british pilot of an american fighter plane which were invited as guests at a German Airshow to perform a flight with the originally restored aircraft where asked by the officals to cover up the svastikas. I personally think this is bending history and kind of rude against the pilot and its plane who were invited, but German bureaucracy has no mercy in cases like this. So the man had no chance, but taking a black marker and redisigned the victor markings. This way "entnazifiziert" the plane was allowed to present itselve to the not knowing public. As if a tarpauline or stick foil would not have done it. I hope the paint could have been removed completely, but I understand that otherwise they wouldn't want to return a second time.

I had the luck to photograph the aircraft in original beforehand and also documented the process of de-nazi-fication. Both versions are included in the gallery series, to give everyone the chance to make up his mind on his own on that subject.

It is pohibited to diplay these signs in public, but only if taken out of content and without any coment on the historical facts. It would have been much better to up a billboard explaining what's the reason and "tradition" behind it. This would let people learn some about it instead of blocking it out of the minds and may be damaging the expensive aircraft.

 

 

 

 

 



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