The Messerschmitt Bf-109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s, the first truly modern fighter of the era combining the features of all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy and a retractable landing gear.
The Bf 109 was the standard fighter of the Luftwaffe from just before the start of the war, and spent the first half of the war locked in combat with the Supermarine Spitfire. While early in the war, the Messerschmitt usually held the altitude advantage, the advent of the Spitfire IX with its two-stage supercharger changed the balance in favor of the Spitfire. In the second half of the war, the Me 109’s primary opponent became the North American P-51 (which was powered by a two-stage Merlin engine similar to that used in the Spitfire) and the Russian Yakovlev Yak-3 and Lavochkin La-5 fighter planes.
Though the Me 109 had some weaknesses, the most important of them a rather short range, it stayed competitive until the end of the war, with the last variant, the Bf 109K-4, matching or outperforming even the Mustang at most altitudes. The only two pilots ever scoring more than 300 aerial kills flew the Me 109 (Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn). Though the Luftwaffe kept looking for an all-round replacement, the Me 109’s fighting qualities were good enough to keep it in production during the entire war, and in the end the Bf 109 became the most produced fighter aircraft of all time, with 33,000 examples being built.
SPECIFICATIONS
Bf-109 – single seat fighter
First flight – September 1935
Total production – over 35,000
Powerplant – One 1,200 hp. Daimler-Benz DB 601N
liquid-cooled inverted V-12 cylinder piston engine
Climb rate – 3,300 feet per minute
Armament – one hub-firing 20mm cannon and
four 7.9mm machine guns, two located in the
wings and two on the top of the engine cowling.
Wingspan – 32 ft., 4.5 in. (9.86 m)
Length – 28 ft., 8 in. (8.74 m)
Height – 11 ft., 2 in. (3.4 m)
Wing area – 174 sq. ft. (16.16 m2)
Weight – 4,440 lb. empty
Maximum takeoff weight – 6,100 lb.
Maximum speed – 358 mph
Ceiling – 36,500 ft.
Range – 680 miles
VARIANT INFORMATION
Bf 109A (V1) D-IABI, first prototype; 518kw (695-hp) Rolls-Royce Kestrel V engine; first flight in September 1935
Bf 109V2, V3 & V4 Three prototypes (D-IUDE, D-IHNY and D-IOQY); Jumo 210A engines
Bf 109B-0 Pre-production variant with Jumo 210B
Bf 109B-1 With Jumo 210D
Bf 109B-2 With Jumo 210E and later, Jumo 210G engines
Bf 109V10 & V13 Two prototypes (D-ISLU, D-IPKY); Daimler-Benz DB600 engines
Bf 109C-0 Developed from Bf109V8 prototype
Bf 109C-1 With four MG17 guns
Bf 109C-2 With five MG17
Bf109V13 Modified with boosted DB601 engine; world speed record of 610.54km/h (379.38mph) on 11 November 1937
Bf 109D-0 Developed from Bf109V10 and V13 prototypes; with DB600A and armament of one 20mm and two 7.9mm (0.31") guns
Bf 109D-1 Similar to D-0
Bf 109D-2 With two wing MG17s
Bf 109D-3 With two MGFFs in wings
Bf 109V14 Prototype (D-IRTT); fuel injection DB601A engine; two 20mm and two 7.9mm guns. Bf109V15 (D-IPHR) similar but one 20mm gun
Bf 109E-0 With four 7.9mm (0.31") guns
Bf 109E-1 & E-1/B Similar to E-0
Bf 109E-2 With two 20mm and two 7.9mm guns
Bf 109E-3 With one hub 20mm and four 7.9mm guns
Bf 109E-4, E-4/B & E-4/Trop Similar to E-3 but no hub gun
Bf 109E-4/N With DB601N engine
Bf 109E-5 Reconnaissance fighter with two 7.9mm guns
Bf 109E-6 Similar to E-5
Bf 109E-7 Similar to E-4/N with provision for belly tank
Bf 109E-7/U2 Ground attack sub-variant
Bf 109E-7/Z With GM-1 boost
Bf 109E-8 With DB601E engine
Bf 109E-9 Reconnaissance fighter
Bf 109E-9 Reconnaissance fighter
Bf 109F-0 From E- airframes with DB601N engine
Bf 109F-1 With one 20mm and two 7.9mm guns
Bf 109F-2 With one 15mm and two 7.9mm guns
Bf 109F-2/Z With GM-1 boost
Bf 109F-2/Trop Tropical
Bf 109F-3 With DB601E engine
Bf 109F-4 & F-4/B With one 20mm and two 7.9mm guns and DB601E
Bf 109F-4Z With GM-1 boost
Bf 109F-5 Reconnaissance fighter with two 7.9mm guns. Trials aircraft included one with BMW 801 radial, one with Jumo 213, one with butterfly tail and one with wing fences
Bf 109F-6 Similar to F-5
Bf 109G-0 With DB601E engine
Bf 109G-1 With DB605A-1 and GM-1
Bf 109G-1/Trop With one 20mm and two 15mm guns
Bf 109G-2 Unpressurised verson of G-1
Bf 109G-2/R1 Fighter-bomber version
Bf 109G-3 With FuG 16Z radio
Bf 109G-4 Unpressurised version of G-3
Bf 109G-5 With enlarged rudder; had DB605D with MW-50
Bf 109G-6 With variations of DB605 and armament packages; commonly one 30mm and two 13mm guns. Many R and U sub-variants.
Bf 109G-6/R6 A common sub-variant - 2 extra underwing 20mm guns
Bf 109G-8 Reconnaissance Fighter
Bf 109G-10 With DB605G and MW-50
Bf 109G-12 Two-seat trainer
Bf 109G-14 With one 20mm and two 15mm guns plus provision for underwing guns or rockets
Bf 109G-16 Ground-attack fighter
Bf 109H-0 High-altitude fighter developed from F- series; pre-production
Bf 109H-1 With DB601E
Bf 109H-2 With Jumo 213
Bf 109H-3 Similar to H-2
Bf 109H-5 With DB605L
Bf 109J Proposed Spanish licence-built version; not proceeded with
Bf 109K-0 Development from G-10, with DB605D and GM-1
Bf 109K-2 Unpressurised version of K-4
Bf 109K-4 With DB605ASCM/DCM and MW-50, and one 30mm, two 15mm guns
Bf 109K-6 With three 30mm and two 15mm guns
Bf 109K-14 With DB605L and MW-50
Bf 109L Proposed version with Jumo 213E engine; maximum estimated speed 763km/h (474mph); not built
Bf 109S Proposed version with blown flaps; not built
Bf 109T-0 Carrierborne version of Bf109E for carrier Graf Zeppelin, converted by Fieseler
Bf 109T-1 With DB601N
Bf 109T-2 Conversion of T-1 with deck gear removed
Bf 109TL Project based on near-standard Bf109 with two underwing Jumo 109-004B turbojets; abandoned in 1943
Bf 109Z-1 (Zwilling) Twin Bf109F airframes with single pilot and five 30mm guns
Bf 109Z-2 With two 30mm guns and 1000kg (2205lb) bomb load
Bf 109Z-3 & Z-4 Conversion of Z-1 and Z-2 respectively with Jumo 213 engines; one prototype built but not flown; led to Me609 project
Model Reviews
No need to get into that as so many of you already know of the different kits and how they build.
Hey its great to be back my summer was so buisy I didnt even have time to work on models but you can expect the Aircraft of the week back on a regular basis now and a new poll will be posted up today.
The skies the limit,
V.A.
