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P_7878

(Historic German) Airbus A310s at Chopin Airport

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Here are two German iconic liveries of Airbus A310 (flying out and in at Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWA)):

  1. [Set 1 images] Taking off from RWY 33 is German Air Force "Luftwaffe 10+22" (referenced and AI-sighted in the post "Cologne to Tbilisi")
  2. [Set 2 images] Landing on RWY 11 is GDR "Interflug" (Commercial Airliner)

Interflug GmbH was the national airline of East Germany from 1963 to 1990. Based in East Berlin, it operated scheduled and chartered flights to European and intercontinental destinations out of its hub at Berlin Schönefeld Airport. During the 1960s, the airline had seen a significant growth, concerning both its route network and fleet of Soviet-built aircraft. Following German reunification, the company was, however, liquidated in 1991.

Here is a little-known historical fact: The Interflug company had been the intended primary operator, of an early jet airliner (to be) solely constructed in East Germany (the Baade 152). The development, though, never went beyond the prototype phase, and was abandoned in 1961. Please see below for the (SIM) screenshot images of two "what if" Baade-152 liveries: one for Interflug and one for Lufthansa - interposed between the two sets of images..

In 1969, Interflug's first jet airliner, the Tupolev Tu-134, was introduced. It was operated on the airline's European routes. During the 1980s, Interflug had to cope with increasing problems due to its ageing fleet: The fuel efficiency would be inferior compared to contemporary Western airliners, and the stricter noise protection regulations meant that the company had to pay increased landing fees, in some cases even facing bans from operating at certain airports. But, the western-built airliners (most notably those produced by Boeing, McDonnell Douglas or Airbus) could not be delivered to countries of the Soviet bloc because of pre-existing embargo. In 1988, commercial airliners started becoming exempted from the trade embargo, and, in the same year, Interflug placed an order for three Airbus A310 long haul aircraft. The first Airbus A310 was delivered to Interflug on 26 June 1989.

Following Interflug's liquidation (in 1991), the three Airbus A310s purchased by Interflug in 1988 were handed over to the Federal Republic of Germany. Henceforth, they were operated by the German Air Force, also being used for the representative VIP transport of high-ranking politicians like the German president or chancellor.

As noted above, please note that the 2 sets of images, below, (for German Air Force and GDR Interflug, respectively), are separated by the two "what if" (Baade-152) liveries. Thanks for viewing. [FW(A310)/Drzewiecki(EPWA)/REX]

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Thanks for the little tour of history and pics, P_7878

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Any attempt to stretch fuel is guaranteed to increase headwinds

My specs: AMD Radeon RX6700XT, AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, 32GB RAM, 34" monitor, screen resolution: 2560x1080

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Many thanks P_7878 for posting this set, which has a special connection to the town I live in - Dresden. Its airport area was designed to be the site of the Baade 152 production. When I look outside my window, I see some of the hangars which originally were the factory hangars; today they house the airport terminal and EADS maintenance facilities.

Your pictures show the series II. The first prototype which flew (and crashed at March 5 1959) was a series I which can be recognized by its undercarriage: two central skids front and rear, two supporting wheels at every wingtip. That was a heritage of German Junkers bomber projects, which were transformed into the 152 project after WW II. This was done by German engineers who were brought to the Soviet Union fter the war and returned in the 50ies to build an East-German aviation industry.

Btw I can visit the cemetery where the four brave test pilots who crashed in March 1959 are buried; its a five minute walk from my home and I pay them respect quite often.

One can only guess what could have been happened without the crash. I think the project wouldn't have had success though, because it overstressed the GDR economy. It's also said that the USSR would never have accepted a competitor to its aviation industry. However, I had the opportunity to look at some parts of the 152 here in Dresden - at the airport and in the transportation museum, as an engine and even a section of the fuselage of an incomplete B prototype - and I only can wonder what if...

Regarding the A310s, these are fantastic shots. Unfortunately, two of the three ex-Interflug planes don't fly for the German Air Force anymore. They still have 10+23; there is video footage at Youtube showing a flight Cologne - Tbilisi - Cologne with 10+23 painted in a grey livery. It seems that this plane won't have a long life anymore, too.

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   Harald Geyer
   Gründer der Messerschmitt Freunde Dresden v. V.

lYI9iQV.jpg

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Nice memories, my only flight on an A310 was on Pan Am, not long before it was no more, flying from Caracas to JFK so I could connect to a flight home to SFO on a long business trip I took to much of Venezuela in 1990.  I still call it the best vacation I ever had, my clients let us work their style--work some hours, then they'd take us touring and bar hopping on Margarita Island.  They even had a cool amusement park on Margarita with rides like Knotts Berry Farm without the lines, it was like they closed the place for me and my colleague Mary, and our client, the resort chain's IT manager, Edgar Berlis.  He is pretty well known for automating resorts in Aruba and in the Caribbean.  

Friends have asked me to return to Venezuela to help rebuild IT infrastructure neglected by their recent politicians, but I cannot do that until the country is stable and has a leader they accept, then I might fly down to help if they ask again, I owe it to them for the hospitality they gave me and my colleague way back in 1990, they worked as hard to make us happy as we did to make them happy.

So that is why I like the A310!

John

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Bernd, Harald, John: Appreciated the kind comments!!

Harald, John: Great memories too!

John: Margarita Island sounds good to me...🙂...

And, Harald:

Thanks for the expert critique of my layman historical account (much of it triggered since yesterday by your post and observation)...and also enriching my account with much additional details...

As you've correctly noted, I too read that the Baade-152 was indeed the final episode of the Junkers aircraft family....an end to that illustrious lineage! And, yes, the test-pilots, of those early aircraft (especially jets) were the un-sung heroes of the time, but without whom, the rapid advances in aviation would have stalled...

Noting your emotional references to those test-pilots of the Baade-152, I now recall, just a little while ago, while researching the life of the British aviation Pioneer, Geoffrey de Havilland, I had come across the unthinkable loss his family had suffered - all been involved in the tasks of "test-pilots"...out of which had come the winner "Mosquito"...

Also, Harald, please find below one more livery of German Air Force A310 (Grey) with ID=(10+26), that I had in the same install-pack, but had omitted in my post. You've mentioned (10+23), but could (10+26) be the missing (3rd) piece of this trio of A310s?...I'm not sure myself, but some folks with interest and familiarity (similar to yours) with these 3 aircraft have uploaded them into the FW Libraries. This (below) repaint comes from Thomas Ruth's installer (so was the Interflug repaint)...

iTn2HV.png

Edited by P_7878
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9 hours ago, P_7878 said:

You've mentioned (10+23), but could (10+26) be the missing (3rd) piece of this trio of A310s?...

According to this source:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flugbereitschaft_des_Bundesministeriums_der_Verteidigung#Großraumflugzeuge

10+23 is the third ex-Interflug plane, while 10+24 till 10+27 are ex-Lufthansa planes. In particular, 10+26 was D-AIDE "Speyer" with Lufthansa. This information comes from Wikipedia, but is confirmed here at the site of Luftwaffe:

https://www.luftwaffe.de/portal/a/luftwaffe/start/waff/tran/a310/mrt/!ut/p/z1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfIjo8zinSx8QnyMLI2MfMIsXQw8DX29TS0tnTwNDMz0wwkpiAJKG-AAjgb6wSmp-pFAM8xxmOHo7GWiH6wfpR-VlViWWKFXkF9UkpNaopeYDHKhfmRGYl5KTmpAfrIjRKAgN6LcoNxREQBZ05uM/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/#Z7_B8LTL2922LV9D0I1MK599BACJ4

(Translated: Four Airbus A310-304 transferred from Lufthansa were converted to Multi-Role-Transport planes between mid-1998 and October 2001...). While here:

https://www.luftwaffe.de/portal/a/luftwaffe/start/waff/tran/a310/pax/!ut/p/z1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfIjo8zinSx8QnyMLI2MfMIsXQw8DX29TS0tnTw9PQz1wwkpiAJKG-AAjgb6wSmp-pFAM8xxmOFo5mqqH6wfpR-VlViWWKFXkF9UkpNaopeYDHKhfmRGYl5KTmpAfrIjRKAgN6LcoNxREQBZ58Se/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/#Z7_B8LTL2922LV9D0I1MK599BA6E5

is the description for the Standard PAX version. Althought the registration 10+23 is not named there, the picture shows "Kurt Schumacher", and Kurt Schumacher is in fact 10+23; so this seems to confirm Wiki.

I hope the links work.

 

  • Upvote 1

   Harald Geyer
   Gründer der Messerschmitt Freunde Dresden v. V.

lYI9iQV.jpg

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Great detective work, Harald! We hope all the (applicable) Wikis are consistent within themselves on this topic...thanks!

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Fantastic Story accompanied by Great illustrations 

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100%75%50%d8a34be0e82d98b5a45ff4336cd0dddc

0D8701AB-1210-4FF8-BD6C-309792740F81.gif

Patrick

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You may allow a late addendum:

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit the only remaining fuselage of the Baade 152/Series II. It was displayed at airport festival at Dresden EDDC. Some pictures here:

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Unique historic experience...

Regards,

Harald

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   Harald Geyer
   Gründer der Messerschmitt Freunde Dresden v. V.

lYI9iQV.jpg

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Wow...a real visit to the Baade (the forgotten classic)...and a symbol of what it may have been...
Who knows, Harald, you may be flying this now both in virtual (and real) skies...instead of your favorite TU-134...🙂...

Thanks for this (nostalgic) addendum about this unique/historical jet-plane...!

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Oh yes, a world tour with the 152... let's see what happens...


   Harald Geyer
   Gründer der Messerschmitt Freunde Dresden v. V.

lYI9iQV.jpg

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