INDIVIDUAL HISTORY - CASA 1.131E E.3B-521
c.1956 Built at Cadiz by Construcciones Aeronauticas, S.A. (C.A.S.A); Constructors number 2137. CASA built a total of 500 1.131 aircraft, concluding with a batch of 50 in 1956, of which this is one. These were licence built versions of the German Bucker Bu 131 B ‘Jungmann’ primary trainer.
10 Feb 58 Taken on charge by the Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force)
1 Jul 77 To Albacete for overhaul.
18 Aug 77 Used from this date at least by No 781 Escuadron (Squadron), Los Alcazares - The ‘Centro de Seleccion de la Academia General del Aire’ (air crew grading unit of the Spanish Air Force Air Academy selection centre), coded 781 - 3. It possibly replaced the similarly coded E3B-529, which was retired in 1976 and is now preserved in airworthy condition in the United States.
7 Jun 84 Withdrawn from use - flying hours 880.35. To Albacete for overhaul.
Apr-May 85 Overhauled and refabriced. Remained in storage at Albacete. A number of 1.131 aircraft were refabriced at this time, despite the type finally being withdrawn from Spanish military use that year, their final unit being Escuadron 781.
Sep 88 Many of the 40 or so remaining 1.131 aircraft auctioned off to private owners by the Spanish Air Force.
23 Jan 97 Donated to RAF Museum by Spanish Ministry of Defence in exchange for Autogyro spares and the loan of the RAFM Cierva Autogyro (Avro Rota) to Spain.
12 Mar 97 Delivered from the Jefe Grupo Ingeniera (Engineering Wing) at Albacete Spanish Air Force base to RAF Northolt by Spanish Air Force Lockheed Hercules transport and taken immediately by road to the RAF Museum Reserve Collection and Restoration Centre for storage.
19 May 97 Delivered to RAFM Hendon from RAFM RC & RC Cardington and installed in main aircraft hall. Photos on display - Air Pictorial Dec 1997; Wrecks and Relics 16th edition (1998).
Spanish Servicing Documents held by DoRIS, ref AC1997/67.
Sep 97 Technicians from RC&RC Cardington applied fuselage codes and markings.
24 Mar 99 Dismantled, removed from Hendon by road and stored at the RAF Museum Reserve Collection and Restoration Centre, RAF Cardington, Beds.
8 Mar 00 Wings returned by road from Cardington to RAFM Hendon for aircraft to be displayed in the Battle of Britain Hall; fuselage followed 10 March. This was the last RAFM aircraft to remain at RC&RC Cardington. Photo back on display at Hendon; Flypast January 2003 p.49.
The collection of the Royal Air Force Museum includes two other former Spanish Air Force aircraft- Cosford Aerospace Museum displays CASA352L (Ju52) T2B-272/’G-AFAP’, and Dornier Do24 flying boat HD5-I is on loan to the Dutch Military Aviation Museum at Soesterberg.
Enjoy,
Brian