The Hispano HA-1112-M1L Buchón: A Messerschmitt With a Merlin Heart

A Spanish-built ‘Messerschmitt’ that never fought for the Luftwaffe, the Hispano HA-1112-M1L Buchón astonished crowds at the 2010 Royal International Air Tattoo—a bizarre hybrid of German design and British power, this forgotten warbird still roars with a Merlin heart, bridging enemy technologies in a spectacle few could imagine.

A Legacy in the Shadows of the Bf 109

When one thinks of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, images of the Luftwaffe’s most famous fighter spring to mind—sleek, deadly, and flown by the aces of Hitler’s air force. From the Spanish Civil War through the Battle of Britain and deep into World War II, the 109 carved a fearsome reputation as one of the most formidable fighters of its era.

Yet history took an unusual turn in the years after the war. Long after Germany’s defeat, Spain—neutral during the global conflict but previously reliant on German military aid—found itself with leftover Bf 109 airframes but without access to the Daimler-Benz engines that had given them life. Out of this predicament emerged the HA-1112 series, a Spanish-built “Messerschmitt” powered not by German engineering, but by foreign substitutes. The most famous of these, the HA-1112-M1L Buchón, would become a curious hybrid of German design and British heart.

The Spanish Connection

Spain’s relationship with the Messerschmitt dated back to the late 1930s. During the Spanish Civil War, the German Condor Legion had flown early Bf 109s in combat, proving the fighter’s superiority. Franco’s regime, emerging victorious with Axis support, sought to build its own modern fighter fleet after the war.

In 1942, Hispano Aviación of Seville secured a license to produce the Bf 109G. But wartime disruptions and postwar embargoes complicated matters. Germany could no longer supply engines, parts, or support. Spain thus faced a dilemma: it had Messerschmitt airframes but no powerplants.

A Frankenstein Fighter

The solution was unorthodox. Initially, Spain fitted French-built Hispano-Suiza V12 engines into the airframes, creating the HA-1109. But these powerplants were underwhelming, producing poor performance. A second attempt came in the 1950s, when surplus Rolls-Royce Merlin engines—famous for powering the Spitfire, Lancaster, and Mustang—were installed instead.

Thus was born the HA-1112-M1L Buchón (Spanish for “pouter pigeon,” referencing the engine’s bulging nose). The Merlin’s profile forced a redesign of the cowling, giving the fighter an unmistakably odd appearance: a German airframe with a chin intake more reminiscent of a Spitfire.

This bizarre marriage of former enemies worked better than expected. The Merlin gave the Buchón respectable performance and reliability, even if it lacked the finesse of the original Daimler-Benz-powered Messerschmitts. In service, the Spanish Air Force used them primarily as trainers and in limited fighter roles through the 1950s and early 1960s.

From Combat Aircraft to Movie Star

Though it never fought for the Luftwaffe, the Buchón became famous for another reason: cinema. In the late 1960s, when Hollywood sought authentic-looking aircraft for the epic film The Battle of Britain (1969), Spain still had dozens of Buchóns in storage. Painted in Luftwaffe colors, they became the movie’s “German fighters,” dogfighting against real Spitfires and Hurricanes on screen.

Audiences scarcely noticed the differences—few could tell a Merlin chin intake from a Daimler-Benz cowling—but aviation enthusiasts have long delighted in the irony. A fighter designed by Germany, modified by Spain, powered by a British engine, and immortalized by Hollywood: the Buchón’s story was stranger than fiction.

The Roar of a Forgotten Warbird

By the 1980s and 1990s, most surviving Buchóns were retired from Spanish service and sold into private hands. Many were restored as “stand-ins” for wartime Bf 109s, appearing at airshows worldwide. Some restorations even replaced the Merlin with Daimler-Benz engines to achieve greater authenticity. Yet a few kept their distinctive Merlin hearts, proudly embracing their hybrid identity.

One such aircraft dazzled spectators at the 2010 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in the United Kingdom. Painted in Luftwaffe livery, the Buchón’s growling Merlin and unmistakable silhouette offered a living link to aviation history. To the untrained eye, it was a Messerschmitt. To enthusiasts, it was something rarer still: a crossbreed warbird bridging enemy technologies, a machine that symbolized both rivalry and reconciliation.

Technical Oddities

The HA-1112-M1L combined elements that on paper might have seemed contradictory:

Airframe: Derived from the Bf 109G, with its narrow-track landing gear, cramped cockpit, and high wing loading.

Engine: The Rolls-Royce Merlin 500/45, producing around 1,600 horsepower—roughly comparable in output to the wartime Daimler-Benz DB 605 but with very different installation and performance characteristics.

Armament (in service): Typically two 20mm Hispano cannons and provision for rockets, reflecting its later use as a ground-attack platform.

Performance: Maximum speed of around 400 mph (643 km/h), service ceiling of about 35,000 feet—credible figures, though aerodynamically the Merlin cowling created more drag than the original German design.

The result was a fighter that looked German, sounded British, and performed somewhere in between.

A Symbol Beyond Borders

The Buchón’s story resonates because it represents more than just a technical improvisation. It is a symbol of postwar pragmatism—nations making use of whatever resources they had, even if that meant blending former enemies’ technologies. For Spain, the Buchón extended the service life of aging airframes at minimal cost. For Britain, selling surplus Merlin engines created unexpected echoes of their wartime rivalry.

Today, surviving Buchóns fly not as frontline fighters but as heritage warbirds. At airshows, they embody a living paradox: a German design resurrected by Spain, powered by Britain, and remembered fondly by audiences who marvel at its strange yet stirring beauty.

Conclusion: A Warbird Like No Other

The Hispano HA-1112-M1L Buchón may never have fought for the Luftwaffe, but it has earned its own place in aviation lore. From the deserts of Spain to the silver screen, from military service to the 2010 RIAT, it remains a curiosity that commands attention.

With its Merlin heart and Messerschmitt frame, the Buchón is a reminder that history does not always follow neat divisions. Sometimes enemies become collaborators, technologies cross borders, and machines outlive the conflicts that created them.

When it roars across the sky today, the Buchón is more than a hybrid fighter. It is a bridge across time and nations—a warbird that defies expectations, carrying the echoes of both friend and foe into the modern age.