When I was younger and read war magazines and books, a Messerschmitts like the 109 & 110 were identified as Me 109 or Me 110, just as the 262 was identified as the Me 262. However, in the present the Messerchmitts are identified as Bf. 109 and Bf. 110, while the Me 262 is still Me. Then yesterday while watching re-runs of Dogfights on The History Channel, they identified the 109 as an Me 109.
So what gives??? Which identifier is right or are both right…I’m just a little [%-)]
Rich,
Believe it or not, this very topic came up a week or so ago in the General Modeling area:
ME-109 vs Bf-109
They are both right except to the 109 pedants, who will flog you for even asking the question. In the beginning Willy Messerschmitt was less in favor with the political powers, and since he worked for Bayerische Flugzewerk (or whatever it is in German) his designs had the prefix Bf. After he was “rehabilitated” the Me prefix became fashionable. Exactly when it became common I will let someone else say, who ever says first will be instantly wrong. The same thing happened with Focke Wulf and Kurt Tank. Fw became Ta between the Fw-190D/F/G and the Ta-152.
Yeah, i got hit with one of them “purists” at one of the club meetings. I showed off my BF-109F, and was promptly corrected that it is a ME-109F. I told them “the box says BF” lol. Got the full rundown of the story of Willy Messerschmitt.
Believe it to be ‘Bavarian Flyingworks’.
Daywalker - Thanks!!!
Seems like I’m not the only one who has been confused over the years! [(-D]
Thanks to all who replied and I hoped I haven’t offended any “purists” ![bow]
I talked to an ex-Spitfire pilot, about this, and he looked (a little pityingly, I thought) at me, and said, “Believe me, when you’re about to be bounced by the bloody things, you don’t think about the prefix, it’s just 109s, BREAK!”
Edgar
On July 11, 1939 the Bayrische Flugzeugwerke was renamed Messerschnitt AG, but they continued to use the prefix Bf for aircraft built before the name change (the 108, 109, and 110). Aircraft designed after the name change received the Me prefix, Me 410, Me 163, etc.
Most 109 gurus will use the Bf prefix for the 109.
The “Ta” prefix was a tribute to Kurt Tank’s accomplishments by the Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau. A Kurt Tank design would have the “Ta” prefix, other Focke-Wulf designs that Tank was not involved in retained the “Fw” prefix. Note that this occurred after Tank’s most famous creation, the 190.
Bf 109 is the RLM (German Air Ministry) designation that reflects the company name not the designer’s. Messerschmitt was better known than Bayrische Flugzeugwerke so the directors renamed it Messerschmitt AG and Messerschmitt became chairman. The year was, I think, 1938 not 1939. All new designs were then designated Me after the company name not the designer. In 1944 the RLM decided that new fighter aircraft designations must include the chief designer’s name. Kurt Tank’s new designs were therefore given the prefix Ta. If the company and chief designer have the same name there would not be a change.