Messerschmitt Bf 109

       The Messerschmitt Bf 109 (or sometimes Me 109) was designed in the 1930s by Wilhelm E. Messerschmitt in response to a request from the German Luftwaffe for an advanced light fighter. The initial prototype plane flew in September of 1935 and was powered by a British Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine. Restrictions from the Treaty of Versailles had heavily impacted the development of domestic German engines. The fighter was first revealed to the world in the 1936 Olympic Games hosted in Berlin. It would be tested in its first combat encounters in the middle following year, as early Bf 109s were delivered to Spain to be used by German volunteers aiding Spanish Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. The Bf 109 was used primarily by Germany, but was also flown in Bulgaria, the Hungary, Italy, Romania, Spain, and the puppet state of Croatia. Mostly countries part of or aligned with the Axis powers of World War Two. Over the course of its life, the Bf 109 became the second-most manufactured military aircraft of all time with 34,852 aircraft produced.

    The Bf 109's initial design philosophy was to stick the largest possible engine in the smallest possible airframe, prioritizing speed and agility. This provided several advantages in those departments, but did create other issues. Smaller control surfaces struggled to stabilize the aircraft in flight, and could prove wholly unresponsive when approaching top speeds in a dive. German pilots were also critical of the wing design because it required higher takeoff and landing speeds when compared to their previous biplanes. Once the airframe was proven effective in testing it was equipped with its first domestic German engine. The Junkers Jumo 210 was a V12 gasoline engine that provided 690 horsepower on average. These early Bf 109As were armed with two 7.92x57mm MG 17 machine guns and quickly sent off to Spain. Later, the 109C and D increased the firepower by adding two additional MG 17s in the wings.

    In 1938, the Bf 109E entered production. It was a notable improvement over previous 109s. Equipped with a 1,000 horsepower Daimler-Benz DB601 engine, the 109E was able to achieve speeds of 350 mph. It also satisfied continued feedback on firepower with the introduction of two powerful 20mm MG FF cannons, one in each wing. It become the primary fighter craft of Germany from the initial invasion of Poland in 1939 until the Battle of Britain ended in 1941. Between firepower, climb rate and speed, the 109E outclassed nearly every Allied fighter during its service. The British Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane were more nimble than the 109 and capable of tighter turns, but were nearly always forced on the defensive by the 109's more powerful engine.

    Later variants of the Bf 109, including the 109G and 109K, were equipped with a 1,400 horsepower Daimler-Benz DB605. The G variant was produced more than every other variant, and saw service on every German front. These late versions were equipped with even stronger firepower than before in an attempt to shoot down Allied bombers down following bombing campaigns carried out by the Allies from 1940 until the end of the war. The 109Gs replaced the pair of 7.92x57mm guns on top of the nose with much larger 13mm MG 131 guns. In addition, the 20mm motor cannon in the nose introduced in the 109F was replaced with a low velocity 30mm MK 108 cannon. The larger cannon shell had more space for high explosive filler, making hits more devastating, but the lower velocity made it more difficult for pilots to land their shots. These 109s were heavier and much less nimble than earlier variants, and had shorter flight times due to small fuel tanks. While the 109G and K retained a climb rate advantage over late Allied fighters, they suffered in nearly every other metric compared to the Allies, which was not helped by dwindling German air presence.

    Over the course of the war, the Bf 109 remained the mainstay of the German Luftwaffe. Following is a picture of a Bf 109G-10 with an exposed engine that I took during my visit to the National Museum of the USAF, accompanied on the bottom by a tiny bit of my finger! I also retrieved a video of the engine start up of a Bf 109G-4.

Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 at the National Museum of the USAF