HB - IKO, SWISSAIR

Aircraft Owner and Operator:

www.srtechnics.com

First attempt – and the Armstrong Siddeley «Genet Major» is running. A happy Col Henry – good job...
July 23, 2006, BBQ from CAF Swiss Wing at Reichenbach Airport

Oct. 06/wMe

History of the aircraft

• Year of construction 1930, shipped to Ad Astra as CH-262 (from 1934, HB-IKO)
  
  
• 1931 - 48, When Swissair was founded, the present HB-IKO belonged to the fleet,
  and was used for domestic flights from Zurich to Lucerne, Basle, Bern and St. Gallen.
  The aircraft was later used for photographic flights (Walter Mittelholzer !) and for the
  so-called "whooping cough" flights.
  
  
• 1948-55, In private ownership in Lausanne (Kammacher)
  
  
• 1955-79, Stationed in Bamberg (BRD) as D-ELIS, first with a flying club, and then in
  private ownership (Dioszeghy)
  
  
• 1979, Re-purchased by Swissair. HB-IKO was subjected to a complete overhaul by
  the "Fokker Team" (employees and pensioned employees of SWISSAIR) for the
  50th anniversary of SWISSAIR. Total outlay: 15,000 hours, mainly as unpaid work.
  
  
  
• Technische Daten
  Comte AC-4 Gentleman HB-IKO / 1930

Special details

The AC-4 HB-IKO has remained in a flying condition throughout the complete period from
1930 to today, and has never been stored in a hangar! It is possibly the oldest aircraft in
Europe that is still able to fly in its original condition.

During the last year, a sister aircraft has been re-built in Raron (VS) which is a few months
older. In the spring of 1997, this aircraft, HB-ETI, was again capable of flying. From the total
of 11 AC-4 that were built, 4 still exist: one aircraft is in the Transport Museum (Verkehrshaus)
in Lucerne, one is in Dübendorf, and the third is owned by the Chavez-Flyers in Raron (VS),
and has been flying again since the summer of 1997.

HB-IKO is maintained, serviced and flown by members of the Fokker Team of Swissair.
This old-timer will be displayed to the public in the air and on the ground at air-shows in
Switzerland and in neighbouring countries.

Fokker Team AC-4 Group 2001

Pilots: Henry Saladin (Chef Pilot), Werner Meier, Beat Ruf
Technicians: Werner Hensch, Norbert Kessler, Franz Scheiber, Werner Zürrer

Bern-Belp, September, 1999 , Picture: Col Hugo Freudiger

AC-4 Crew , Duebendorf, June 2000

Duebendorf, June 2000

The AC-4 during the airshow at Mollis / Switzerland, August 24, 2002

The AC-4 in front of the B-25 Mitchell, on the parking lot in good company and shortly
before take-off. Pilot: CAF Col Henry Saladin, Photo: CAF Col Werner Meier

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