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Mission statement.

BAMF’s aim is to raise funds for use in the preservation of Belgian aeronautical history. It raises money through private and business sources. The projects to be supported by this fundraising are selected by the BAMF Board of Directors and their financing complies with Article 104 of Belgian Income Tax legislation.

This requires the beneficiaries to provide full justification of all expenditure. The details are included in the contract that is drawn up between both parties for each project.

Selected projects funded by our association:

1. AVIATIK CI (1916).

Masterpiece of the Museum’s World War 1 collection, this Aviatik C1 is the last and only existing airframe of the type in the world. (It includes a Mercedes-Daimler engine, rare by itself). All the available drawings, technical descriptions, information and historical data were electronically stored. This project was handed to the Musée Royal de l’Armée et d’Histoire Militaire.

2.BLERIOT XI "Olieslagers" (1913).

Personnel aircraft of Jan Olieslagers, the Belgian aviation pioneer, one of the first airmen to perform aerial acrobatics. This airplane was used for the last air meeting in Stockel, on June 8 1914 (suburbs of Brussels). Major issue was to reengineer the aircraft, as no drawings were available for this particular model. As a low priority project, it was decided to concentrate the efforts on building the undercarriage, the most complicated sub assembly, while accumulating as much documentation as possible. One of our sponsors supplied the wood; Our association subcontracted the manufacturing of the missing metallic parts. Visits to Memorial Flight in Paris and world wide researches allowed to prepare the related drawings. Ateliers Poncelet (Brussels) manufactured the wooden frame and AELR volunteers assembled the undercarriage, now on display in the Museum.

Estimated total cost of restoration was 45.000€ The project is presently on hold for lack of funds.

3. VOISIN de Caters (1909).

This is a replica of the aircraft used for the first flight in Belgium by a Belgian pilot (Saint Job-in-t-Goor, December 2, 1909). The pilot was Baron Pierre de Caters. The Belgian Aero Club issued him pilot licence Nr 1. Our association funded the lower wings. All existing documentation was scanned and stored on digital media. AELR volunteers prepared the missing drawings and coordinated local tasks with Ateliers Poncelet.

Project is now closed and on display in Brussels’ Army Museum.

4. FIESELER "STORCH" Fi-156 (1941).

One of the rare original German aircraft of the WWII on display in the Museum. The Fieseler Storch was designed in 1935, flew for the first time in 1936 and proved to be the best A.O.P aircraft in WW II. This particular aircraft, Werke 5503, KR+QX, landed in Sweden on April 4, 1945 and later served in the Swedish Air Force. Restoration of the fuselage is finished, thanks to a strong cooperation between the Museum, BAMF, AELR, Ateliers Poncelet and Mr. Firmin Henrard. The Museum helped with logistic support and global project controlling. Our association funded the wooden wings’ restoration (one of the few existing wooden wings pairs in the world, as most were replaced by metallic ones during the war of after). Restoration now nears ending, wings are painted. Final reassembly will take place in 2012. Our association funded 90% of the wings’ cost.

5. North-American B-25J Mitchell medium bomber (1944).

As a tribute to Belgian and allied airmen that flew the B-25 from and above Belgium, our association acquired B-25 J 44-30925 airframe in 2004. The project is to restore the plane to display condition. Paint stripping is finished, anti-corrosion primer applied). The hunt is on (and very successful) to collect the parts still required before a full restoration can begin. Estimated required budget: 85.000 euro.

6. De Havilland DH-890 “Dragon Rapide.”

Built at the end of 1939 for the RAF (where the airplane was called “Dominie”), this particular airframe served various private owners, before donation to the Museum in 1973. Our association paid for the seats and other parts, the airframe is nearing completion and display of the final result is expected in the course of the coming year.

7. Triplan Bataille

Built and patented in 1911 by César Bataille, inventor and industrial living in Basècles (Belgian Hainaut). In 1972, Bataille family donated the remains of the airframe to the Museum, where restoration began. It is now displayed as one of the WW I stars of the Museum’s collection.

8. Fokker Dr.I “Triplane”.

Our association purchased a Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker airframe replica and offered it to the Museum, therefore increasing its already famous WW I aircraft collection. The aircraft became renowned as the aircraft in which Manfred von Richthofen gained his last 19 victories, and in which he was killed on 21 April 1918.

9. Westland Lysander Mk III.

Our association gave financial support to the “Sabena Old Timers” for the restoration of this aircraft, one of the few remaining in the world. The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during WW II. After becoming obsolete in the army co-operation role, the aircraft's exceptional short-field performance enabled clandestine missions using small, unprepared airstrips behind enemy lines to place or recover agents, particularly in occupied France.

10. Other supported projects.

Purchase of 10 dummies for the Beauvechain Museum.

Donation of the « The Slivers » painting to the First Wing Historical Centre in Beauvechain,

Donation of the “Typhoon PR-D shooting down a FW 190” painting to the “Musée Col Avi R. Lallemant DFC” in Florennes.

Gift of paint for the CF 100 refurbishment, in the First Wing Historical Centre in Beauvechain.

Purchase of spare parts for the Chipmunk.

Gift of specialised tools in favour of AELR’s restoration group, purchase of wood in support of the SOT restoration project of a Junker 52

Financial help for the restoration of the Dragon Rapide ‘s leather seats.

Purchase of spare parts for the SOT « Tiger Moth » restoration project.

Purchase of twelve paintings by Alan O’Mill, now displayed in the Museum.

Financial help for the installation of the « Aérostation » exhibition in the Museum.

Purchase of a Renard 5 HP motor.

Participation to the building of the « Renard » Display in the Museum.

By “Museum” we mean in this presentation the Royal Museum of Armed Forces and of Military History located in Brussels, Belgium.

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