Messerschmitt Bf 109

 Like the RAF Spitfire, the Bf 109 is one of the emblematic figures of the WW2 hunt. He was the most widespread hunter in the Luftwaffe during this war. A mythical hunter, with undeniable qualities, light, fast, with clean lines and beautiful, the 109 will remain as one of the largest helicopters ever built.

In 1934, the German Air Ministry issued a specification for a single-seater fighter to replace the Arado Ar-68 and Heinkel He-51. Several projects will be on the rows: Arado Ar-80, Focke Wulf Fw-159, Heinkel He-112 and Messerschmitt Bf-109. The latter will eventually be retained, even if the specialists will say that the best project was that of Heinkel. 

The prototype, Bf 109 V-1, flew at the beginning of September 1935, 6 months before the first Spitfire. His baptism of fire arrived in 1937, being engaged in the Spanish Civil War, piloted by Germans forming the legion Condor. This commitment will be an excellent preparation for the invasions of 1939 and 1940 in Poland, Belgium and France.

If the first prototype (V-1) is equipped with the 695-hp Rolls Royce Kestrel (Merlin Precursor) engine, the following versions B and C are equipped with a Junkers Jumo 210 reversed V-12 developing 635 hp and Version D of the Daimler-Benz DB 600 of 1,000 hp. The large-scale construction will start in 1939, with the Bf-109 E equipped with the new DB-601 of 1.100 hp. His small dimensions, his speed and his exemplary maneuverability made him a superb hunter. Its construction was quite simple, which will be an asset during a war.

This first version, well equipped and used in large numbers, was the Bf 109E (Emil), it was superior to a large number of allied fighters, such as the Hurricane of the RAF, on the other hand, it was considered inferior to the Spitfire MkI and MkII of the time. In 1940, during the Battle of Britain, the Bf-109E escorted German bombers attacking British soil. Beginning in 1941, its domination is less clear in the West, but it dominates the eastern front and the Mediterranean theater.

The Emil was used until around 1942. The new version F was carefully reprofiled to reduce the drag and increase the top speed. Its main flaw was its lack of firepower

Of all the Bf 109 hunters, it was the Bf 109G which was manufactured in larger series. It had a more powerful DB 605 engine than the Emil, but it was also heavier. The light machine guns of the hood were replaced by heavy ones. The new engine allowed this weighting without loss of top speed although the maneuverability there lost somewhat. The Bf-109 G remained standard for more than two years in the Luftwaffe squadrons, then was upgraded by the Fw-190 at medium and low altitude and by most Anglo-American fighters in 1944. However, The first line being the only single-engine Luftwaffe to be able to attack the formation of strategic bombers flying at high altitude.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was built in close to 35,000 copies in all versions and was used by more than fifteen countries during and after the war. It was also built in Switzerland, but also by Avia (Czechoslovakia) with the S-99 and S-199 Hispano Suiza (Spain) with the 1109, Ha-1109-M1L and Ha-1112.








Specification : 

 Crew
1 driver
Motorization
Engine Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1
Number 1
Inverted V-type 12-cylinder
Power unit 1475 hp
Dimensions
Wingspan 9.90 m
Length 8.84 m
Height 2.49 m
Masses
Unladen 3,095 kg
Performance
Maximum speed 653 km / h
Ceiling 12,000 m
Range of action 850 km
Weapons
Internal 1 gauge MG 151 of 20 mm
2 MG 131 machine guns of 13 mm

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