Messerschmitt Bf 109 - wikipedia Messerschmitt Bf 109 Bf 109 A Hispano Aviación HA - 1112 ( c / n 156 C. 4K - 87 ( D - FMBB ), `` FM + BB '' ), a license - built Messerschmitt Bf 109 G - 2. Rebuilt by the EADS / Messerschmitt Foundation, Germany with a Daimler - Benz DB 605 engine as a G - 6. The paint scheme is missing the Swastika, due to German law. Role Fighter Manufacturer Bayerische Flugzeugwerke ( BFW ) Messerschmitt AG Designer Willy Messerschmitt, Robert Lusser First flight 29 May 1935 Introduction February 1937 Retired 9 May 1945, Luftwaffe 27 December 1965, Spanish Air Force Primary users Luftwaffe Hungarian Air Force Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana Royal Romanian Air Force Number built 33,984 + 239 HA - 1112 + 603 Avia S - 199 Variants Avia S - 99 / S - 199 Hispano Aviacion Ha 1112 Bf 109E - 4 / Trop of JG 27 off the North African coast, mid-1941 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was the backbone of the Luftwaffe 's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War and was still in service at the dawn of the jet age at the end of World War II in 1945. It was one of the most advanced fighters of the era, including such features as all - metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear. It was powered by a liquid - cooled, inverted - V12 aero engine. From the end of 1941, the Bf 109 was steadily being supplemented by the Focke - Wulf Fw 190. It was commonly called the Me 109, most often by Allied aircrew and even among the German aces themselves, even though this was not the official German designation. The designation `` Messerschmitt Bf 109 '' was issued by the Ministry of Aviation ( German : Reichsluftfahrtministerium ) and represents the firm that originally built them, the `` Bavarian Aircraft Works '', or Bayerische Flugzeugwerke ( BFW ) in German. The confusion arises because design work began in 1934 at the BFW firm and, as was customary, the model was designated by the prefix Bf. On July 11, 1938 the company was renamed Messerschmitt AG due to Willy Messerschmitt becoming its new owner, and the prefix Me was applied to all new models after that date, whilst existing types retained their Bf prefix. It was designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser, who worked at Bayerische Flugzeugwerke during the early to mid-1930s. Whilst the 109 was conceived as an interceptor, later models were developed to fulfill multiple tasks, serving as bomber escort, fighter - bomber, day -, night -, all - weather fighter, ground - attack aircraft, and as reconnaissance aircraft. It was supplied to and operated by several states during World War II, and served with several countries for many years after the war. The Bf 109 is the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 airframes produced from 1936 up to April 1945. The Bf 109 was flown by the three top - scoring German fighter aces of World War II, who claimed 928 victories among them while flying with Jagdgeschwader 52, mainly on the Eastern Front. The highest scoring fighter ace of all time, Erich Hartmann, flew the Bf 109 and was credited with 352 aerial victories. The aircraft was also flown by Hans - Joachim Marseille, the highest scoring German ace in the North African Campaign who achieved 158 aerial victories. It was also flown by several other aces from Germany 's allies, notably Finn Ilmari Juutilainen, the highest scoring non-German ace on the type, and pilots from Italy, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria and Hungary. Through constant development, the Bf 109 remained competitive with the latest Allied fighter aircraft until the end of the war. Contents 1 Design and development 1.1 Origins 1.2 Prototypes 1.3 Design competition 1.4 Design features 1.5 Armament and gondola cannons 1.6 Designation and nicknames 1.7 Record - setting flights 2 Variants 3 Production 4 Operational history 5 Operators 6 Surviving aircraft 7 Specifications ( Bf 109 G - 6 ) 8 See also 9 References 9.1 Notes 9.2 Citations 9.3 Bibliography 10 Further reading 11 External links Design and development Origins During 1933, the Technisches Amt ( C - Amt ), the technical department of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium ( RLM ) ( `` Reich Aviation Ministry '' ), concluded a series of research projects into the future of air combat. The result of the studies was four broad outlines for future aircraft : Rüstungsflugzeug I for a multi-seat medium bomber Rüstungsflugzeug II for a tactical bomber Rüstungsflugzeug III for a single - seat fighter Rüstungsflugzeug IV for a two - seat heavy fighter Play media Bf 109 in flight Rüstungsflugzeug III was intended to be a short range interceptor, replacing the Arado Ar 64 and Heinkel He 51 biplanes then in service. In late March 1933 the RLM published the tactical requirements for a single - seat fighter in the document L.A. 1432 / 33. The fighter needed to have a top speed of 400 km / h ( 250 mph ) at 6,000 m ( 19,690 ft ), to be maintained for 20 minutes, while having a total flight duration of 90 minutes. The critical altitude of 6,000 metres was to be reached in no more than 17 minutes, and the fighter was to have an operational ceiling of 10,000 metres. Power was to be provided by the new Junkers Jumo 210 engine of about 522 kW ( 700 hp ). It was to be armed with either a single 20 mm MG C / 30 engine - mounted cannon firing through the propeller hub as a Motorkanone, or two engine cowl - mounted 7.92 mm (. 312 in ) MG 17 machine guns, or one lightweight engine - mounted 20 mm MG FF cannon with two 7.92 mm MG 17s. The MG C / 30 was an airborne adaption of the 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun, which fired very powerful `` Long Solothurn '' ammunition, but was very heavy and had a low rate of fire. It was also specified that the wing loading should be kept below 100 kg / m. The performance was to be evaluated based on the fighter 's level speed, rate of climb, and manoeuvrability, in that order. It has been suggested that Bayerische Flugzeugwerke ( BFW ) was originally not invited to participate in the competition due to personal animosity between Willy Messerschmitt and RLM director Erhard Milch ; however, recent research by Willy Radinger and Walter Shick indicates that this may not have been the case, as all three competing companies -- Arado, Heinkel and the BFW -- received the development contract for the L.A. 1432 / 33 requirements at the same time in February 1934. A fourth company, Focke - Wulf, received a copy of the development contract only in September 1934. The powerplant was to be the new Junkers Jumo 210, but the proviso was made that it would be interchangeable with the more powerful, but less developed Daimler - Benz DB 600 powerplant. Each was asked to deliver three prototypes for head - to - head testing in late 1934. Prototypes Messerschmitt Bf 109 V1 A drawing of the V1 prototype Design work on Messerschmitt Project Number P. 1034 began in March 1934, just three weeks after the development contract was awarded. The basic mock - up was completed by May, and a more detailed design mock - up was ready by January 1935. The RLM designated the design as type `` Bf 109, '' the next available from a block of numbers assigned to BFW. The first prototype ( Versuchsflugzeug 1 or V1 ), with civilian registration D - IABI, was completed by May 1935, but the new German engines were not yet ready. To get the `` R III '' designs into the air, the RLM acquired four Rolls - Royce Kestrel VI engines by trading Rolls - Royce a Heinkel He 70 Blitz for use as an engine test - bed. Messerschmitt received two of these engines and adapted the engine mounts of V1 to take the V - 12 engine upright. V1 made its maiden flight at the end of May 1935 at the airfield located in the southernmost Augsburg neighborhood of Haunstetten, piloted by Hans - Dietrich `` Bubi '' Knoetzsch. After four months of flight testing, the aircraft was delivered in September to the Luftwaffe 's central test centre at the Erprobungsstelle Rechlin to take part in the design competition. In 1935, the first Jumo engines became available, so V2 was completed in October using the 449 kW ( 600 hp ) Jumo 210A engine. V3 followed, the first to be mounted with guns, but it did not fly until May 1936 due to a delay in procuring another Jumo 210 engine. Design competition After Luftwaffe acceptance trials were completed at their headquarters Erprobungsstelle ( E-Stelle ) military aviation test and development facility at Rechlin, the prototypes were moved to the subordinate E-Stelle Baltic seacoast facility at Travemünde for the head - to - head portion of the competition. The aircraft participating in the trials were the Arado Ar 80 V3, the Focke - Wulf Fw 159 V3, the Heinkel He 112 V4 and the Bf 109 V2. The He 112 arrived first, in early February 1936, followed by the rest of the prototypes by the end of the month. Because most fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe were used to biplanes with open cockpits, low wing loading, light g - forces and easy handling like the Heinkel He 51, they were very critical of the Bf 109 at first. However, it soon became one of the frontrunners in the contest, as the Arado and Focke - Wulf entries, which were intended as `` backup '' programmes to safeguard against failure of the two favourites, proved to be completely outclassed. The Arado Ar 80, with its gull wing ( replaced with a straight, tapered wing on the V3 ) and fixed, spatted undercarriage was overweight and underpowered, and the design was abandoned after three prototypes had been built. The parasol winged Fw 159, potentially inspired by the same firm 's earlier Focke - Wulf Fw 56, was always considered by the E-Stelle Travemünde facility 's staff to be a compromise between a biplane and an aerodynamically more efficient, low - wing monoplane. Although it had some advanced features, it used a novel, complex retractable main undercarriage which proved to be unreliable. JG 53 Bf 109 E-3, c. 1939 / 1940 Initially, the Bf 109 was regarded with disfavour by E-Stelle test pilots because of its steep ground angle, which resulted in poor forward visibility when taxiing ; the sideways - hinged cockpit canopy, which could not be opened in flight ; and the automatic leading edge slats on the wings which, it was thought, would inadvertently open during aerobatics, possibly leading to crashes. This was later borne out in combat situations and aerobatic testing by various countries ' test establishments. The leading edge slats and ailerons would flutter rapidly in fast tight turns, making targeting and control difficult, and eventually putting the aircraft into a stall condition. They were also concerned about the high wing loading. The Heinkel He 112, based on a scaled - down Blitz, was the favourite of the Luftwaffe leaders. Compared with the Bf 109, it was also cheaper. Positive aspects of the He 112 included the wide track and robustness of the undercarriage ( this opened outwards from mid wing, as opposed to the 109s which opened from the wing root ), considerably better visibility from the cockpit, and a lower wing loading that made for easier landings. In addition, the V4 had a single - piece, clear - view, sliding cockpit canopy and a more powerful Jumo 210Da engine with a modified exhaust system. However, the He 112 was also structurally complicated, being 18 % heavier than the Bf 109, and it soon became clear that the thick wing, which spanned 12.6 m ( 41 ft 4 in ) with an area of 23.2 m ( 249.7 ft ) on the first prototype ( V1 ), was a disadvantage for a light fighter, decreasing the aircraft 's rate of roll and manoeuvrability. As a result, the He 112 V4 which was used for the trials had new wings, spanning 11.5 m ( 37 ft 8.75 in ) with an area of 21.6 m ( 232.5 ft ). However, the improvements had not been fully tested and the He 112 V4 could not be demonstrated in accordance with the rules laid down by the Acceptance Commission, placing it at a distinct disadvantage. Because of its smaller, lighter airframe, the Bf 109 was 30 km / h ( 20 mph ) faster than the He 112 in level flight, and superior in climbing and diving. The Commission ultimately ruled in favour of the Bf 109 because of the Messerschmitt test pilot 's demonstration of the 109 's capabilities during a series of spins, dives, flick rolls and tight turns, throughout which the pilot was in complete control of the aircraft. In March, the RLM received news that the British Supermarine Spitfire had been ordered into production. It was felt that a quick decision was needed to get the winning design into production as soon as possible, so on 12 March, the RLM announced the results of the competition in a document entitled Bf 109 Priority Procurement, which ordered the Bf 109 into production. At the same time, Heinkel was instructed to radically redesign the He 112. The Messerschmitt 109 made its public debut during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, when the V1 prototype was flown. Design features As with the earlier Bf 108, the new design was based on Messerschmitt 's `` lightweight construction '' principle, which aimed to minimise the number of separate parts in the aircraft. Examples of this could be found in the use of two large, complex brackets which were fitted to the firewall. These brackets incorporated the lower engine mounts and landing gear pivot point into one unit. A large forging attached to the firewall housed the main spar pick - up points, and carried most of the wing loads. Contemporary design practice was usually to have these main load - bearing structures mounted on different parts of the airframe, with the loads being distributed through the structure via a series of strong - points. By concentrating the loads in the firewall, the structure of the Bf 109 could be made relatively light and uncomplicated. A Bf109E at the Royal Air Force Museum London with its wings temporarily removed, 2016 An advantage of this design was that the main landing gear, which retracted through an 85 - degree angle, was attached to the fuselage, making it possible to completely remove the wings for servicing without additional equipment to support the fuselage. It also allowed simplification of the wing structure, since it did not have to bear the loads imposed during takeoff or landing. The one major drawback of this landing gear arrangement was its narrow wheel track, making the aircraft unstable while on the ground. To increase stability, the legs were splayed outward somewhat, creating another problem in that the loads imposed during takeoff and landing were transferred up through the legs at an angle. The small rudder of the Bf 109 was relatively ineffective at controlling the strong swing created by the powerful slipstream of the propeller during the early portion of the takeoff roll, and this sideways drift created disproportionate loads on the wheel opposite to the swing. If the forces imposed were large enough, the pivot point broke and the landing gear leg would collapse outward into its bay. Experienced pilots reported that the swing was easy to control, but some of the less - experienced pilots lost fighters on takeoff. Because of the large ground angle caused by the long legs, forward visibility while on the ground was very poor, a problem exacerbated by the sideways - opening canopy. This meant that pilots had to taxi in a sinuous fashion which also imposed stresses on the splayed undercarriage legs. Ground accidents were a problem with rookie pilots, especially during the later stages of the war when pilots received less training before being sent to operational units. At least 10 % of all Bf 109s were lost in takeoff and landing accidents, 1,500 of which occurred between 1939 and 1941. The installation of a fixed `` tall '' tailwheel on some of the late G - 10s and 14s and the K - series helped alleviate the problem to a large extent. Freely moving, automatic leading edge slats on a Bf 109E. By using high - lift devices, the handling qualities of the Bf 109 were considerably enhanced. From the inception of the design, priority was given to easy access to the powerplant, fuselage weapons and other systems while the aircraft was operating from forward airfields. To this end, the entire engine cowling was made up of large, easily removable panels which were secured by large toggle latches. A large panel under the wing centre section could be removed to gain access to the L - shaped main fuel tank, which was sited partly under the cockpit floor and partly behind the rear cockpit bulkhead. Other, smaller panels gave easy access to the cooling system and electrical equipment. The engine was held in two large, forged, Elektron magnesium alloy Y - shaped legs, one per side straddling the engine block, which were cantilevered from the firewall. Each of the legs was secured by two quick - release screw fittings on the firewall. All of the main pipe connections were colour - coded and grouped in one place, where possible, and electrical equipment plugged into junction boxes mounted on the firewall. The entire powerplant could be removed or replaced as a unit in a matter of minutes, a potential step to the eventual adoption of the unitized - powerplant Kraftei engine mounting concept used by many German combat aircraft designs, later in the war years. Another example of the Bf 109 's advanced design was the use of a single, I - beam main spar in the wing, positioned more aft than usual ( to give enough room for the retracted wheel ), thus forming a stiff D - shaped torsion box. Most aircraft of the era used two spars, near the front and rear edges of the wings, but the D - box was much stiffer torsionally, and eliminated the need for the rear spar. The wing profile was the NACA 2R1 14.2 at the root and NACA 2R1 11.35 at the tip, with a thickness to chord ratio of 14.2 % at the root and 11.35 % at the tip. Another major difference from competing designs was the higher wing - loading. While the R - IV contract called for a wing - loading of less than 100 kg / m, Messerschmitt felt this was unreasonable. With a low wing - loading and the engines available, a fighter would end up being slower than the bombers it was tasked with catching. A fighter was designed primarily for high - speed flight. A smaller wing area was optimal for achieving high speed, but low - speed flight would suffer, as the smaller wing would require more airflow to generate enough lift to maintain flight. To compensate for this, the Bf 109 included advanced high - lift devices on the wings, including automatically - opening leading edge slats, and fairly large camber - changing flaps on the trailing edge. The slats increased the lift of the wing considerably when deployed, greatly improving the horizontal maneuverability of the aircraft, as several Luftwaffe veterans, such as Erwin Leykauf, attest. Messerschmitt also included ailerons that `` drooped '' when the flaps were lowered ( F series and later the lower radiator flap operated as part of the flap system ), thereby increasing the effective flap area. When deployed, these devices effectively increased the wings ' coefficient of lift. Fighters with liquid - cooled engines were vulnerable to hits in the cooling system. For this reason, on later Bf 109 F, G and K models the two coolant radiators were equipped with a cut - off system. If one radiator leaked, it was possible to fly on the second, or to fly for at least five minutes with both closed. In 1943, Oberfeldwebel Edmund Roßmann got lost and landed behind Soviet lines. He agreed to show the Soviets how to service the plane. Soviet machine gun technician Viktor M. Sinaisky recalled : The Messer was a very well designed plane. First, it had an engine of an inverted type, so it could not be knocked out from below. It also had two water radiators with a cut - off system : if one radiator leaked you could fly on the second or close both down and fly at least five minutes more. The pilot was protected by armour - plate from the back, and the fuel tank was also behind armour. Our planes had fuel tanks in the centre of their wings : that 's why our pilot got burnt. What else did I like about the Messer ? It was highly automatic and thus easy to fly. It also employed an electrical pitch regulator, which our planes did n't have. Our propeller system, with variable pitch was hydraulic, making it impossible to change pitch without engine running. If, God forbid, you turned off the engine at high pitch, it was impossible to turn the propeller and was very hard to start the engine again. Finally, the German ammo counter was also a great thing. Armament and gondola cannons A cannon - armed Bf 109E, showing the 20 mm MG FF installations in the wing. Reflecting Messerschmitt 's belief in low - weight, low - drag, simple monoplanes, the armament was placed in the fuselage. This kept the wings very thin and light. Two synchronized machine guns were mounted in the cowling, firing over the top of the engine and through the propeller arc. An alternative arrangement was also designed, consisting of a single autocannon firing through a blast tube between the cylinder banks of the engine, known as a Motorkanone mount in German. This was also the choice of armament layout on some contemporary monoplane fighters, such as the French Dewoitine D. 520, or the American Bell P - 39 Airacobra, and dated back to World War I 's small run of SPAD S. XII moteur - canon, 37 mm cannon - armed fighters in France. When it was discovered in 1937 that the RAF was planning eight - gun batteries for its new Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters, it was decided that the Bf 109 should be more heavily armed. The problem was that the only place available to mount additional guns was in the wings. Only one spot was available in each wing, between the wheel well and slats, with room for only one gun, either a 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun, or a 20 mm MG FF or MG FF / M cannon. The first version of the 109 to have wing guns was the C - 1, which had one MG 17 in each wing. To avoid redesigning the wing to accommodate large ammunition boxes and access hatches, an unusual ammunition feed was devised whereby a continuous belt holding 500 rounds was fed along chutes out to the wing tip, around a roller and then back along the wing, forward and beneath the gun breech, to the wing root, where it coursed around another roller and back to the weapon. The gun barrel was placed in a long, large - diameter tube located between the spar and the leading edge. The tube channeled cooling air around the barrel and breech, exhausting out of a slot at the rear of the wing. The installation was so cramped that parts of the MG 17 's breech mechanism extended into an opening created in the flap structure. The much longer and heavier MG FF had to be mounted farther along the wing in an outer bay. A large hole was cut through the spar allowing the cannon to be fitted with the ammunition feed forward of the spar, while the breech block projected rearward through the spar. A 60 - round ammunition drum was placed in a space closer to the wing root causing a bulge in the underside. A small hatch was incorporated in the bulge to allow access for changing the drum. The entire weapon could be removed for servicing by removing a leading edge panel. Luftwaffe ground - crew ( `` black men '' ) positioning a Bf 109 G - 6 `` Kanonenvogel '' equipped with the Rüstsatz VI underwing gondola cannon kit. Note the slats on the leading edge of the port wing. JG 2, France, late 1943. From the 109F - series onwards, guns were no longer carried inside the wings. Instead, the Bf 109F had a 20 mm gun firing through the propeller shaft. The change was disliked by leading fighter pilots such as Adolf Galland and Walter Oesau, but others such as Werner Mölders considered the single nose - mounted gun to compensate well for the loss of the two wing guns. Galland had his BF 109 F - 2 field - modified with a 20 mm MG FF / M installed internally in each wing. In place of internal wing armament, additional firepower was provided through a pair of 20 mm MG 151 / 20 cannons installed in conformal gun pods under the wings. The conformal gun pods, exclusive of ammunition, weighed 135 kg ( 298 lb ) ; and 135 to 145 rounds were provided per gun. The total weight, including ammunition, was 215 kg. Installation of the under - wing gun pods was a simple task that could be quickly performed by the unit 's armourers, and the gun pods imposed a reduction of speed of only 8 km / h ( 5 mph ). By comparison, the installed weight of a similar armament of two 20 mm MG 151 / 20 cannon inside the wings of the FW 190A - 4 / U8 was 130 kg ( 287 lb ), without ammunition. Although the additional armament increased the fighter 's potency as a bomber destroyer, it had an adverse effect on the handling qualities, reducing its performance in fighter - versus - fighter combat and accentuating the tendency of the fighter to swing pendulum - fashion in flight. Some of the projected 109K - series models, such as the K - 6, were designed to carry 30 mm ( 1.18 in ) MK 108 cannons in the wings. Designation and nicknames Main article : RLM aircraft designation system Originally the aircraft was designated as Bf 109 by the RLM, since the design was submitted by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke ( literally `` Bavarian Aircraft Works '', meaning `` Bavarian Aircraft Factory '' ; sometimes abbreviated B.F.W., akin to BMW ) during 1935. The company was renamed Messerschmitt AG after 11 July 1938 when Erhard Milch finally allowed Willy Messerschmitt to acquire the company. All Messerschmitt aircraft that originated after that date, such as the Me 210, were to carry the `` Me '' designation. Despite regulations by the RLM, wartime documents from Messerschmitt AG, RLM and Luftwaffe loss and strength reports continued to use both designations, sometimes even on the same page. All extant airframes bear the official `` Bf 109 '' designation on their identification plates, including the final K - 4 models. The aircraft was often referred to by this ' Me 109 ' folk - designation, particularly by the Allies. The aircraft was often nicknamed Messer by its operators and opponents alike ; the name was not only an abbreviation of the manufacturer, but also the German word for `` knife ''. In Finland, the Bf 109 was known as Mersu, although this was originally the Finnish nickname for Mercedes - Benz cars. Soviet aviators nicknamed the Bf 109 `` the skinny one '' ( худо́й, khudoy ), for its sleek appearance compared, for example, to the more robust Fw 190. The names `` Anton '', `` Berta '', `` Caesar '', `` Dora '', `` Emil '', `` Friedrich '', `` Gustav '', and `` Kurfürst '' were derived from the variant 's official letter designation ( e.g. Bf 109G -- `` Gustav '' ), based on the German spelling alphabet of World War II, a practice that was also used for other German aircraft designs. The G - 6 variant was nicknamed by Luftwaffe personnel as Die Beule ( `` the bump / bulge '' ) because of the cowling 's characteristic, bulging covers for the breeches of the 13 mm (. 51 in ) MG 131 machine guns, with the separate Beule covers eliminated by the time of the G - 10 model 's introduction of a subtly reshaped upper cowling. Record - setting flights In July 1937, not long after the public debut of the new fighter, three Bf 109Bs took part in the Flugmeeting airshow in Zürich under the command of Major Seidemann. They won in several categories : First prize in a speed race over a 202 km course, first prize in the class A category in the international Alpenrundflug for military aircraft, and victory in the international Patrouillenflug category. On 11 November 1937, the Bf 109 V13, D - IPKY flown by Messerschmitt 's chief pilot Dr. Hermann Wurster, powered by a 1,230 kW ( 1,650 hp ) DB 601R racing engine, set a new world air speed record for landplanes with piston engines of 610.95 km / h ( 379.62 mph ), winning the title for Germany for the first time. Converted from a Bf 109D, the V13 had been fitted with a special racing DB 601R engine that could deliver 1,230 kW ( 1,650 hp ) for short periods. Heinkel, having had the He 112 rejected in the design competition of 1936, designed and built the He 100. On 6 June 1938, the He 100 V3, flown by Ernst Udet, captured the record with a speed of 634.7 km / h ( 394.4 mph ). On 30 March 1939, test pilot Hans Dieterle surpassed that record, reaching 746.61 km / h ( 463.92 mph ) with the He 100 V8. Messerschmitt, however, soon regained the lead when, on 26 April 1939, Flugkapitän Fritz Wendel, flying the Me 209 V1, set a new record of 755.14 km / h ( 469.22 mph ). For propaganda purposes, the machine was called the Me 109R, suggesting it was just another variant of the standard fighter, but in fact it was a racing aircraft having little in common with the Bf 109. It was powered by the DB 601ARJ, producing 1,156 kW ( 1,550 hp ), but capable of reaching 1,715 kW ( 2,300 hp ). This world record for a piston - engined aircraft was to stand until 1969, when Darryl Greenamyer 's modified Grumman F8F Bearcat, Conquest I, broke it with a 777 km / h ( 483 mph ) record speed. Variants Main article : Messerschmitt Bf 109 variants D - FWME, a restored Bf 109G - 4. Bf 109G at the USA National Air and Space Museum When the Bf 109 was designed in 1934, by a team led by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser, its primary role was that of a high - speed, short range interceptor. It used the most advanced aerodynamics of the time and embodied advanced structural design which was ahead of its contemporaries. In the early years of the war, the Bf 109 was the only single - engined fighter operated by the Luftwaffe, until the appearance of the Fw 190. The 109 remained in production from 1937 through 1945 in many different variants and sub-variants. The primary engines used were the Daimler - Benz DB 601 and DB 605, though the Junkers Jumo 210 powered most of the pre-war variants. The most - produced Bf 109 model was the 109G series ( more than a third of all 109s built were the G - 6 series, 12,000 units being manufactured from March 1943 until the end of the war ). The initial production models of the A, B, C and D series were powered by the relatively low - powered, 670 -- 700 PS ( 660 - 690 HP ) Junkers Jumo 210 series engines. A few of prototypes of these early aircraft were converted to use the more powerful DB 600. The first major redesign came with the E series, including the naval variant, the Bf 109T ( T standing for Träger, or carrier ). The Bf 109E, or `` Emil '', introduced structural changes to accommodate the heavier, but significantly more powerful 1,100 PS ( 1,085 HP ) Daimler - Benz DB 601 engine, heavier armament, and increased fuel capacity. Partly due to its limited 300 km ( 186 mile ) combat radius on internal fuel alone, resulting from its 660 km ( 410 mile ) range limit, later variants of the Es introduced a fuselage ordnance rack for fighter - bomber duty, or provision for a long - range, standardized 300 litre ( 79 US gallon ) drop - tank, and used the DB 601N engine of higher power output. The 109E first saw service with the `` Condor Legion '' during the last phase of the Spanish Civil War and was the main variant from the beginning of World War II until mid-1941 when the 109F replaced it in the pure fighter role. ( Eight 109Es were assembled in Switzerland in 1946 by the Dornier - Werke, using licence built airframes ; a ninth airframe was assembled using spare parts. ) The second major redesign during 1939 -- 40 gave birth to the F series. The `` Friedrich '' had a complete redesign of the wings, the cooling system, and fuselage aerodynamics, and was powered by the 1,175 PS ( 1,159 HP ) DB 601N ( F - 1, F - 2 ) or the 1,350 PS ( 1,332 HP ) DB 601E ( F - 3, F - 4 ). Considered by many as the high - water mark of Bf 109 development, the F series abandoned the wing cannon and concentrated all armament in the forward fuselage with a pair of synchronized machine guns above and a single 15 or 20 mm Motorkanone - mount cannon behind the engine, the latter firing between the cylinder banks and through the propeller hub, itself covered by a more streamlined, half - elliptical shaped spinner that better matched the streamlining of the reshaped cowling, abandoning forever the smaller, conical spinner of the Emil subtype. The F - type also omitted the earlier stabilizer lift strut on either side of the tail. The F - subtype 's improved aerodynamic configuration was used by all subsequent variants. Some Bf 109Fs were used late in the Battle of Britain in 1940, but the variant only came into wide use in the first half of 1941. Bf 109 Gustav cockpit The G series, or `` Gustav '', was introduced in mid-1942. Its initial variants ( G - 1 through G - 4 ) differed only in minor details from the Bf 109F, most notably in the more powerful 1475 PS ( 1,455 HP ) DB 605 engine. Odd - numbered variants were built as high - altitude fighters with a pressurized cockpit and GM - 1 boost, while even - numbered variants were not pressurized, air superiority fighters, and fighter - bombers. Long - range photo - reconnaissance variants also existed. The later G series ( G - 5 through G - 14 ) was produced in a multitude of variants, with uprated armament and provision for kits of packaged, generally factory - installed parts known as Umrüst - Bausätze ( usually contracted to Umbau ) and adding a `` / U '' suffix to the aircraft designation when installed. Field kits known as Rüstsätze were also available for the G - series, but those did not change the aircraft designation. By early 1944, tactical requirements resulted in the addition of MW - 50 water injection boost and high - performance superchargers, boosting engine output to 1,800 -- 2,000 PS ( 1,775 - 1,973 HP ). From early 1944, some G - 2s, G - 3s, G - 4s, and G - 6s were converted to two - seat trainers, known as G - 12s. An instructor 's cockpit was added behind the original cockpit and both were covered by an elongated, glazed canopy. The final production version of the Bf 109 was the K series, or `` Kurfürst '', introduced in late 1944, powered by the DB 605D engine with up to 2,000 PS ( 1,973 HP ). Though externally akin to the late production Bf 109G series, a large number of internal changes and aerodynamic improvements was incorporated that improved its effectiveness and remedied existing flaws, keeping it competitive with the latest Allied and Soviet fighters. The Bf 109 's outstanding rate of climb was superior to all Allied adversaries including the P - 51D Mustang, Spitfire Mk. XIV, and Hawker Tempest Mk. V. After the war, the 109 was built in Czechoslovakia, as the Avia S - 99 and S - 199, and in Spain as the Hispano Aviación Ha 1109 and 1112 Production Total Bf 109 production was 33,984 units ; Wartime production ( September 1939 to May 1945 ) was 30,573 units. Fighter production totalled 47 % of all German aircraft production, and the Bf 109 accounted for 57 % of all German fighter types produced. A total of 2,193 Bf 109 A -- E was built prewar, from 1936 to August 1939. Some 865 Bf 109G derivatives were manufactured postwar under licence as Czechoslovak - built Avia S - 99 and S - 199s, with the production ending in 1948. Production of the Spanish - built Hispano Aviación HA - 1109 and HA - 1112 Buchons ended in 1958. New - production Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters, 1936 -- 45. Assembly of Bf 109G - 6s in a German aircraft factory. Factory, location Up to 1939 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 * Totals * Messerschmitt, Regensburg 203 486 2,164 6,329 1,241 10,423 Arado, Warnemünde 370 370 Erla, Leipzig 683 875 2,015 4,472 1,018 9,063 Fieseler, Kassel 155 155 W.N.F., Wiener Neustadt 836 1,297 2,200 3,081 541 7,892 Győri Vagon - és Gépgyár, Győr 39 270 309 AGO, Oschersleben ( switched to Fw 190A production ) 381 381 Totals 1,860 1,540 1,868 2,628 2,658 6,418 14,152 2,800 33,984 * Production up to end of March 1945 only. Operational History Main article : Messerschmitt Bf 109 operational history Bf 109A from the Condor Legion during Spanish Civil War ( 1936 - 1939 ) The first Bf 109As served in the Spanish Civil War. By September 1939, the Bf 109 had become the main fighter of the Luftwaffe, replacing the biplane fighters, and was instrumental in gaining air superiority for the Wehrmacht during the early stages of the war. During the Battle of Britain, it was pressed into the role of escort fighter, a role for which it was not originally designed, and it was widely employed as a fighter - bomber, as well as a photo - reconnaissance platform. Despite mixed results over Britain, with the introduction of the improved Bf 109F in early 1941, the type again proved to be an effective fighter during the Invasion of Yugoslavia ( where it was used by both sides ), the Battle of Crete, Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the USSR, and the Siege of Malta. In 1942, it began to be partially replaced in Western Europe by a new German fighter, the Focke Wulf Fw 190, but it continued to serve in a multitude of roles on the Eastern Front and in the Defense of the Reich, as well as in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations and with Erwin Rommel 's Afrikakorps. It was also supplied to several of Germany 's allies, including Finland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. More aerial kills were made with the Bf 109 than any other aircraft of World War II. Many of the aerial victories were accomplished against poorly trained and badly organized Soviet forces in 1941 during Operation Barbarossa. The Soviets lost 21,200 aircraft at this time, about half to combat. If shot down, the Luftwaffe pilots might land or parachute to friendly territory and return to fight again. Later in the war, when Allied victories began to bring the fight closer, and then to German territory, bombing raids supplied plenty of targets for the Luftwaffe. This unique combination of events -- until a major change in American fighter tactics occurred very early in 1944, that steadily gave the USAAF daylight air supremacy over the Reich -- led to the highest - ever individual pilot victory scores. One hundred and five Bf 109 pilots were each credited with the destruction of 100 or more enemy aircraft. Thirteen of these men scored more than 200 kills, while two scored more than 300. Altogether, this group of pilots was credited with a total of nearly 15,000 kills. Though no official `` ace '' status existed in the Luftwaffe ( unofficially, the term Experte ( expert ) was used for an experienced pilot irrespective of his number of kills ), using the Allied definition of pilots who scored five or more kills, more than 2,500 Luftwaffe fighter pilots were considered aces in World War II. Against the Soviets, Finnish - flown Bf 109Gs claimed a victory ratio of 25 : 1. Bf 109s remained in foreign service for many years after World War II. The Swiss used their Bf 109Gs well into the 1950s. The Finnish Air Force did not retire their Bf 109Gs until March 1954. Romania used its Bf 109s until 1955. The Spanish Hispanos flew even longer. Some were still in service in the late 1960s. They appeared in films ( notably Battle of Britain ) playing the role of Bf 109Es. Some Hispano airframes were sold to museums, which rebuilt them as Bf 109s. Operators Note, this list includes operators who used Bf 109s for active service or combat. It does not include the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, which all operated small numbers of captured aircraft for testing and evaluation ( see : Messerschmitt Bf 109 operational history # Allied Bf 109s ). Finnish Messerschmitt Bf 109 G - 2s during the Continuation War Romanian Messerschmitt Bf 109 at Stalingrad S - 199 782358 IAFM Hispano Aviación HA - 1112 Buchon, the second and last Spanish version built by Hispano Aviación A Bf 109 - E3 of the Swiss Air Force at the Flieger - Flab - Museum Bf 109G - 2 14792 Yugoslavian Aviation Museum Bf 109F captured by the South African Air Force in 1943 Bulgaria The Bulgarian Air Force operated 19 E-3s and 145 G - 2 / - 6 / - 10s. NDH Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske operated over 50 Bf 109s, including E-4, F - 2, G - 2 / - 6 / - 10 and Ks. Czechoslovakia Czechoslovak Air Force operated captured aircraft and continued building Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs after the war under the Avia S - 99 name, but soon ran out of the 109 's Daimler - Benz DB 605 engine after many were destroyed during an explosion at a warehouse in Krásné Březno. Finland Finnish Air Force ordered 162 aircraft ( 48 G - 2s, 111 G - 6s and three G - 8s ) from Germany, but 3 were destroyed during transit, leaving the FAF with 159 Bf 109s. Nazi Germany Luftwaffe was the main operator of the Bf 109. Hungary Royal Hungarian Air Force operated 3 D - 1s, 50 E-3 / - 4s, 66 F - 4s and ~ 490 G - 2 / - 4 / - 6 / - 8 / - 10 / - 14s. Israel Israeli Air Force operated the Avia S - 199 derivative, bought from Czechoslovakia. Despite the type 's shortcomings the Israelis scored 8 victories. Egypt and Syria claimed 4 S - 199 kills, and 1 probable. Italy Regia Aeronautica operated several tens of Bf 109s in the first half of 1943. Italian Social Republic Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana operated 300 G - 6 / - 10 / - 14s and two G - 12s ; three K - 4s were also received. Japan Imperial Japanese Army Air Force purchased 5 E-7s in 1941. The aircraft were used for tests and trials. Romania Royal Romanian Air Force operated 50 E-3 / 4s, 19 E-7s, 2 F - 2s, 5 F - 4s and at least 235 + G - 2 / G - 4 / G - 6 / - 8s plus 75 IAR built 109G - 6a. Romanian Air Force -- Postwar. Slovak Republic Slovenské vzdušné zbrane operated 16 E-3s, 14 E-7s and 30 G - 6s. Slovak Insurgent Air Force operated 3 G - 6s. Spanish State Spanish Air Force operated some D - 1s, E-3s and 15 F - 4s, and may have received several older B - types. Volunteers of Escuadrilla Azul on the Eastern Front operated E-4, E-7, E-7 / B, F - 2, F - 4 ( belonged in JG - 27 under the command of Luftflotte 2, until April 1943 ) among G - 4 and G - 6 ( detached in JG - 51 under the command Luftflotte 4, until June 1944 ). A variant under license by the name Hispano Aviación HA - 1112 was produced until 1958. Switzerland Swiss Air Force operated 10 D - 1s, 89 E-3a variants, 2 F - 4s and 14 G - 6s. Yugoslavia Royal Yugoslav Air Force operated 73 E-3a variants. SFR Yugoslav Air Force operated several ex-NDH and Bulgarian Bf 109Gs. Surviving aircraft Main article : List of surviving Messerschmitt Bf 109s Play media Bf 109 G - 10 ( Messerschmitt foundation ) flight demonstration Approximately twenty surviving Bf 109 airframes in the 21st century are known to have, at one time or another, served with the most northerly - based World War II German fighter wing, Jagdgeschwader 5 in Scandinavia. More surviving Axis aircraft in modern aviation museums once served with the Luftwaffe 's JG 5 fighter wing, than with any other Axis Powers military aviation unit. Specifications ( Bf 109 G - 6 ) Data from The Great Book of Fighters and the Finnish Air Force Bf 109 Manual General characteristics Crew : One Length : 8.95 m ( 29 ft 7 in ) Wingspan : 9.925 m ( 32 ft 6 in ) Height : 2.60 m ( 8 ft 2 in ) Wing area : 16.05 m2 ( 173.3 ft2 ) Empty weight : 2,247 kg ( 5,893 lb ) Loaded weight : 3,148 kg ( 6,940 lb ) Max. takeoff weight : 3,400 kg ( 7,495 lb ) Powerplant : 1 × Daimler - Benz DB 605 A-1 liquid - cooled inverted V12, 1,475 PS ( 1,455 hp, 1,085 kW ) Propellers : VDM 9 - 12087 three - bladed light - alloy propeller Propeller diameter : 3 m ( 9 ft 10 in ) Performance Maximum speed : 640 km / h ( 398 mph ) at 6,300 m ( 20,669 ft ) Cruise speed : 590 km / h ( 365 mph ) at 6,000 m ( 19,680 ft ) Range : 850 km ( 528 mi ) 1,000 km ( 621 mi ) with droptank Service ceiling : 12,000 m ( 39,370 ft ) Rate of climb : 17.0 m / s ( 3,345 ft / min ) Wing loading : 196 kg / m2 ( 40 lb / ft2 ) Power / mass : 344 W / kg ( 0.21 hp / lb ) Armament Guns : 2 × 13 mm (. 51 in ) synchronized MG 131 machine guns with 300 rpg 1 × 20 mm (. 78 in ) MG 151 / 20 cannon as centerline Motorkanone with 200 rpg or 1 x 30 mm ( 1.18 in ) MK 108 cannon as centerline Motorkanone with 65 rpg ( G - 6 / U4 variant ) 2 × 20 mm MG 151 / 20 underwing cannon pods with 135 rpg ( optional kit -- Rüstsatz VI ) Rockets : 2 × 21 cm ( 8 in ) Wfr. Gr. 21 rockets ( G - 6 with BR21 ) Bombs : 1 × 250 kg ( 551 lb ) bomb or 4 × 50 kg ( 110 lb ) bombs or 1 × 300 - litre ( 79 US gal ) drop tank Avionics FuG 16 Z radio See also Aviation portal Military of Germany portal World War II portal List of surviving Messerschmitt Bf 109s Sonderkommando Elbe Related development Messerschmitt Bf 108 Me 209 - II Me 109TL Hispano Aviacion HA - 1109 Avia S - 99 / S - 199 Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era Mitsubishi A6M Bell P - 39 Airacobra Curtiss P - 36 Curtiss P - 40 Rogožarski IK - 3 Dewoitine D. 520 Fiat G. 55 Focke Wulf Fw 190 Grumman F4F Wildcat Grumman F6F Hellcat Hawker Hurricane Heinkel He 100 Heinkel He 112 IAR 80 Kawasaki Ki - 61 Lavochkin LaGG - 3 Macchi C. 202 Macchi C. 205 Mikoyan - Gurevich MiG - 3 Morane - Saulnier MS. 406 Nakajima Ki - 43 North American P - 51 Mustang Polikarpov I - 16 Supermarine Spitfire Yakovlev Yak - 1 Yakovlev Yak - 9 Related lists List of military aircraft of Germany List of aircraft of World War II List of aircraft of Germany in World War II References Notes Jump up ^ In 1929 Milch, then managing director of Deutsche Luft Hansa cancelled an order for 10 Messerschmitt M20b light transport aircraft after Hans Hackman, a close friend of Milch, was killed testing the prototype. Jump up ^ This aircraft was instrumental in testing the Roll - Royce PV - 12, later to become the Rolls - Royce Merlin Jump up ^ The engine 's mass helped buffer the recoil. British reports on captured DB 601 series engines describe `` a double - walled cannon tube housing '' as part of the crankcase. Few if any Bf 109s used weapons firing through the propeller hub before the F - series, which mounted 15 mm (. 59 in ) and 20 mm weapons. Jump up ^ Galland also flew another F - 2 / U1 in which the MG 17s above the engine were replaced by 13 mm MG 131s Jump up ^ World speed records and other aviation records were and still are set by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale ( FAI ). A record attempt must be made over a recognized course at a set altitude to be considered. The Bf 109 and 209s came under the category `` CLASS C, GROUP 1d '' `` FAI record ( current ). '' fai.org. Retrieved : 29 April 2008. Jump up ^ Some sources state one hundred and nine pilots were credited with more than 100 enemy aircraft. Citations ^ Jump up to : U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey, Aircraft Division Industry Report, Exhibit I -- German Airplane Programs vs Actual Production. ^ Jump up to : Nowarra 1993, p. 189. ^ Jump up to : Green 1980, pp. 7, 13. Jump up ^ Wagner, Ray ; Nowarra, Heinz ( 1971 ). German Combat Planes : A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945. New York City : Doubleday & Company. p. 229. ^ Jump up to : Radinger and Otto 1999, pp. 35 -- 37. ^ Jump up to : Zobel and Mathmann 1995, p. 3. ^ Jump up to : Ritger 2006, p. 6. Jump up ^ Kobel and Mathmann 1997, p. 3. Jump up ^ Green 1980, pp. 11 -- 12. Jump up ^ Beaman and Campbell 1980, p. 13. Jump up ^ Green 1980, pp. 18 -- 21. Jump up ^ Green 1980, p. 14. Jump up ^ Caidin 1968 Jump up ^ Green 1980, pp. 15 -- 17. Jump up ^ Feist 1993, p. 14. ^ Jump up to : Nowarra 1993, p. 190. Jump up ^ Cross and Scarborough 1976, pp. 56 -- 66. ^ Jump up to : Cross and Scarborough 1976, pp. 60 -- 61. ^ Jump up to : Hannu Valtonen -- Messerschmitt Bf 109 ja saksan sotatalous Jump up ^ Boyne 1994, p. 30. Jump up ^ Radinger and Otto 1999, p. 36. Jump up ^ Lednicer, David. The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage. Champaign, Illinois : UIUC Applied Aerodynamics Group, 2010. Retrieved : 18 May 2011. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Bf 109 slats explained, Bf 109 Lair. Retrieved : 31 August 2013. Jump up ^ `` virtualpilots.fi : 109myths ''. virtualpilots.fi. Retrieved 1 April 2015. Jump up ^ Ersätzteiliste Bf 109G, pp. 117 -- 118. Jump up ^ Prien and Rodeike 1995, p. 169. Jump up ^ Ersätzteiliste Bf 109K, Rumpfwerk, Baugruppe 209.728. ^ Jump up to : Drabkin 2007, p. 74. Jump up ^ Cross and Scarborough 1976, p. 74. ^ Jump up to : Cross and Scarborough 1976, p. 15. ^ Jump up to : Deighton 1977, p. 281. ^ Jump up to : Radinger and Otto 1999, p. 21. Jump up ^ Hahn 1963, p. 35. Jump up ^ Green 1980, p. 88. Jump up ^ Prien and Rodeike 1995, p. 177. Jump up ^ Flight ( Oct 5, 1939 ) Jump up ^ Bf or Me 109 ? Which is correct ? '' hobbyvista.com. Retrieved : 3 January 2010. Jump up ^ Wagner, Ray and Nowarra, Heinz. German Combat Planes : A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945, New York : Doubleday, 1971, pg. 229 Jump up ^ Prien and Rodeike 1995, pp. 167 -- 176. Jump up ^ `` German phonetic alphabet of World War II. '' feldgrau.com. Retrieved : 2 January 2010. Jump up ^ Ebert, Hans J. ; Johann B., Kaiser ; Peters, Klaus ( 1992 ). Willy Messerschmitt -- Pionier der Luftfahrt und des Leichtbaues : eine Biographie. Bernard & Graefe. p. 137. Jump up ^ Nowarra 1993, p. 193. Jump up ^ Feist 1993, p. 22. Jump up ^ `` Grumman F8F - 2, Bearcat, `` Conquest I '' ``. si.edu. Retrieved 1 April 2015. Jump up ^ Green 1980, p. 7. Jump up ^ Cross and Swanborough 1972, pp. 7 -- 8. Jump up ^ Green 1980, p. 8. Jump up ^ Prien and Rodeike 1996, pp. 99 -- 100, 113 -- 114. Jump up ^ Green 1980, pp. 29 -- 34, 41. Jump up ^ Wagner, Ray ; Nowarra, Heinz ( 1971 ). German Combat Planes : A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945. New York City : Doubleday & Company. p. 229. Jump up ^ Green 1980, pp. 41 -- 45, 63 -- 64, 76 -- 81, 82 -- 83. Jump up ^ Green 1980, pp. 38 -- 39, 80. Jump up ^ Green 1980, p. 78. Jump up ^ Prien and Rodeike 1996, pp. 9 -- 25. Jump up ^ Prien and Rodeike 1996, pp. 56 -- 165. Jump up ^ Prien and Rodeike 1996, pp. 166 -- 174. Jump up ^ Wolf 2009, p. 763. Jump up ^ Green 1980, pp. 131 -- 138. Jump up ^ Feist 1993, p. 45. Jump up ^ U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey, Aircraft Division Industry Report. Exhibit I -- German Airplane Programs vs Actual Production. ^ Jump up to : Feist 1993, p. 50. Jump up ^ Bergström, Christer. Barbarossa -- The Air Battle : July -- December 1941, p. 117. London : Chevron / Ian Allen, 2007. ISBN 978 - 1 - 85780 - 270 - 2. Jump up ^ Toliver, Raymond F. ; Constable, Trevor J. ( 1965 ). Fighter Aces MacMillan, New York, pp. 235 - 236. Jump up ^ Feist 1993, p. 51. Jump up ^ Neulen 2000, p. 217. Jump up ^ `` List of Israeli Air - to - Air Victories 1948 -- 1966. '' acig.org. Retrieved : 2 January 2010. Jump up ^ Dimensione Cielo 1972, pp. 59 - 60. Jump up ^ Lansdale, Jim. `` Messerschmitt Me - 109 ''. j-aircraft.com. Retrieved 13 July 2014. Jump up ^ Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Great Book of Fighters. St. Paul, Minnesota : MBI Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0 - 7603 - 1194 - 3. Jump up ^ Hitchcock 1976, p. 7. Bibliography Beaman, John R. Jr. and Jerry L. Campbell. Messerschmitt Bf 109 in action, Part 1. Carrollton, Texas : Squadron / Signal Publications, 1980. ISBN 0 - 89747 - 106 - 7. Boyne, Walter J. Clash of Wings. New York : Simon & Schuster, 1994. ISBN 0 - 684 - 83915 - 6. Burke, Stephen. Without Wings : The Story of Hitler 's Aircraft Carrier. Oxford, UK : Trafford Publishing, 2007. ISBN 1 - 4251 - 2216 - 7. Dimensione Cielo - Aerei italiani nella 2 ° guerra mondiale - CACCIA ASSALTO 3 - Roma, Edizioni Bizzarri, 1972. Caidin, Martin. Me 109 -- Willy Messerschmitt 's Peerless Fighter ( Ballantine 's illustrated history of World War II. Weapons book no. 4 ). New York : Ballantine Books, USA, 1968. ISBN 0 - 345 - 01691 - 2. Caldwell, Donald L. JG 26 : Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. New York : Ballantine Books, 1991. ISBN 0 - 8041 - 1050 - 6. Craig, James F. The Messerschmitt Bf. 109. New York : Arco Publishing Company, 1968. Cross, Roy and Gerald Scarborough. Messerschmitt Bf 109, Versions B-E. London : Patrick Stevens, 1976. ISBN 0 - 85059 - 106 - 6. Deighton, Len. Fighter : The true story of the Battle of Britain. London : Jonathan Cape, 1977. ISBN 0 - 224 - 01422 - 6. Dimensione Cielo : Caccia Assalto 3, Aerei Italiani nella 2a Guerra Mondiale ( in Italian ). Rome : Edizioni Bizzarri, 1972. Drabkin, Artem. The Red Air Force at War : Barbarossa and the Retreat to Moscow -- Recollections of Fighter Pilots on the Eastern Front. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK : Pen & Sword Military, 2007. ISBN 1 - 84415 - 563 - 3. Ebert, Hans A., Johann B. Kaiser and Klaus Peters. Willy Messerschmitt : Pioneer of Aviation ( The History of German Aviation Design ). Atglen, Pennsylvania : Schiffer Books, 2000. ISBN 0 - 7643 - 0727 - 4. Feist, Uwe. The Fighting Me 109. London : Arms and Armour Press, 1993, ISBN 1 - 85409 - 209 - X. Fernández - Sommerau, Marco. Messerschmitt Bf 109 Recognition Manual. Hersham, Surrey, UK : Classic Publications, 2004. ISBN 1 - 903223 - 27 - X. Glancey, Jonathan. Spitfire : The Illustrated Biography. London : Atlantic Books, 2006. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84354 - 528 - 6. Green, William. Messerschmitt Bf 109 : The Augsburg Eagle ; A Documentary History. London : Macdonald and Jane 's Publishing Group Ltd., 1980. ISBN 0 - 7106 - 0005 - 4. Griehl, Manfred. Das geheime Typenbuch der deutschen Luftwaffe : Geheime Kommandosache 8531 / 44 gKdos ( in German ). Friedberg, Germany : Podzun - Pallas Verlag, 2004. ISBN 978 - 3 - 7909 - 0775 - 9. Hitchcock, Thomas H. Gustav : Messerschmitt 109G part 1. Boylston, Massachusetts : Monogram Aviation Publications, 1976. ISBN 0 - 914144 - 06 - 5 Hitchcock, Thomas H. Messerschmitt ' O - Nine ' Gallery. Chicago : Monogram Aviation Publications, 1973. ISBN 978 - 0 - 914144 - 00 - 7. Holmes, Tony. Spitfire vs Bf 109 : Battle of Britain. Oxford, UK / New York : Osprey, 2007. ISBN 1 - 84603 - 190 - 7. Hooton, Edward R. Blitzkrieg in the West, 1939 -- 1940 ( Luftwaffe at War : 2 ). Hersham, Surrey, UK : Midland Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978 - 1 - 85780 - 272 - 6. Jackson, Robert. Aircraft of World War II : Development, Weaponry, Specifications. Edison, New Jersey : Chartwell Books, 2003. ISBN 0 - 7858 - 1696 - 8. Kobel, Franz and Jakob Maria Mathmann. Bf 109. Atglen, Pennsylvania : Schiffer Publishing, 1997. ISBN 0 - 88740 - 919 - 9. Mankau, Heinz and Peter Petrick. Messerschmitt Bf 110, Me 210, Me 410. Raumfahrt, Germany : Aviatic Verlag, 2001. ISBN 3 - 925505 - 62 - 8. Marshall, Francis L. Messerschmitt Bf 109T `` Die Jäger der Graf Zeppelin ''. Gilching, Germany : Marshall - Verlag, 2002. ISBN 3 - 00 - 008220 - 4. Marshall, Francis L. Sea Eagles : The Messerschmitt Bf 109T. Walton on Thames, Surrey, UK : Air Research Publications, 1994. ISBN 1 - 871187 - 23 - 0. Mason, Francis K. Messerschmitt Bf 109B, C, D, E in Luftwaffe & Foreign service. London : Osprey Publishing Limited, 1973. ISBN 0 - 85045 - 152 - 3. Massimello, Giovanni and Giorgio Apostolo. Italian Aces of World War Two. Oxford / New York, Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84176 - 078 - 0. Mermet, Jean - Claude. Messerschmitt Bf 109 G - 1 through K - 4. Engines and Fittings. Marnaz, France : Jean Claude Mermet SA, 1999. Messerschmitt AG. Messerschmitt Bf 109G ; technisch Kompendium, Handbücher, Ersatztelliste, Bewaffnung Bedienungsvorschrift / Fl, Bordfunkanlage, Lehrbildreihe ; 1942 / 1944. ( Elektronische Resource ) ( Reprint ) Ludwigsburg, Germany : Luftfahrt - Archiv, 2006. ISBN 3 - 939847 - 13 - 5. Messerschmitt AG. Messerschmitt Bf 109K ; technisch Kompendium, Handbüch, Ersatztelliste, Rep. - Answeisung, Bewaffnung Bedienungsvorschrift ; 1943 -- 1944. ( Elektronische Resource ) ( Reprint ). Ludwigsburg, Germany : Luftfahrt - Archiv, 2006. ISBN 3 - 939847 - 14 - 3. Morgan, Eric B. and Edward Shacklady. Spitfire : The History. Stamford, UK : Key Books Ltd, 2000. ISBN 0 - 946219 - 48 - 6. Neulen, Hans Werner. In the Skies of Europe. Ramsbury, Marlborough, UK : The Crowood Press, 2000. ISBN 1 - 86126 - 799 - 1. Nowarra, Heinz. Die Deutsche Luftrustung 1933 -- 1945, Band 3 : Flugzeugtypen Henschel - Messerschmitt. Koblenz, Germany : Bernard & Graefe, 1993. ISBN 3 - 7637 - 5467 - 9. Osché, Philippe ( translated by Patrick Laureau ). The Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Swiss Service. Boulogne sur Mer, France : Lela Presse, 1996. ISBN 2 - 914017 - 31 - 6. Prien, Jochen and Peter Rodeike. Messerschmitt Bf 109 F, G & K Series : An Illustrated Study. Atglen, Pennsylvania : Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1995. ISBN 0 - 88740 - 424 - 3. Price, Alfred. Spitfire Mk. I / II Aces ( Osprey 's Aircraft of the Aces ). London : Osprey, 1996. ISBN 84 - 8372 - 207 - 0. Punka, György. `` A Messzer '' : Bf 109s in the Royal Hungarian `` Honvéd '' Air Force. Budapest, Hungary : OMIKK, 1995. ISBN 963 - 593 - 208 - 1. Radinger, Willy and Walter Schick. Messerschmitt Me 109 ( Alle Varianten : vion Bf ( Me ) 109A bis Me 109E ). Oberhaching, Germany : Aviatic Verlag GmbH, 1997. ISBN 3 - 925505 - 32 - 6. Radinger, Willy and Wolfgang Otto. Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-K -- Development, testing, production. Atglen, PA : Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1999. ISBN 0 - 7643 - 1023 - 2. Rimmell, Ray. ME 109 : Messerschmitt Bf 109E. Chipping Ongar, Essex, UK : Linewrights Ltd., 1986. ISBN 0 - 946958 - 18 - 1. Ritger, Lynn. Meserschmitt Bf 109 Prototype to ' E ' Variants. Bedford, UK : SAM Publications, 2006. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9551858 - 0 - 9. Savic, D. and B. Ciglic. Croatian Aces of World War II ( Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 49 ). Oxford, UK : Oxford, 2002. ISBN 1 - 84176 - 435 - 3. Scutts, Jerry. Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean. Oxford, UK : Osprey Publishing, 1994. ISBN 978 - 1 - 85532 - 448 - 0. Shores, C., B. Cull and N. Malizia. Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece & Crete -- 1940 -- 41. London : Grub Street, 1987. ISBN 0 - 948817 - 07 - 0. Starr, Chris. `` Developing Power : Daimler - Benz and the Messerschmitt Bf 109. '' Aeroplane magazine, Volume 33, No. 5, Issue No 385, May 2005. London : IPC Media Ltd. Stenman, Kari and Kalevi Keskinen. Finnish Aces of World War 2 ( Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 23 ). London : Osprey Publishing Limited, 1998. ISBN 1 - 85532 - 783 - X. Taylor, John W.R. `` Messerschmitt Bf 109 ''. Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. New York : G.P. Putnam 's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0 - 425 - 03633 - 2. Thompson, J. Steve with Peter. C Smith. Air Combat Manoeuvres. Hersham, Surrey, UK : Ian Allan Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978 - 1 - 903223 - 98 - 7. U.S. Army Air Force. German Aircraft and Armament : Informational Intelligence, Summary No. 44 -- 32, October 1944 ( Informational Intelligence Summary ). New York : Brassey 's Inc., 2000 ( first edition 1944 ). ISBN 1 - 57488 - 291 - 0. Valtonen, Hannu. Messerschmitt Bf 109 ja saksan sotatalous ( Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the German War Economy ). Helsinki, Finland : Keski - Suomen Ilmailumuseo ( Central Finnish Aviation Museum ), 1999. ISBN 978 - 951 - 95688 - 7 - 4. Vogt, Harald. Messerschmitt Bf 109 G / K Rüstsatze. Flugzeug Profile 21. Illertissen, Flugzeug Publikations GmbH. Wagner, Ray and Heinz Nowarra. German Combat Planes : A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945. New York : Doubleday, 1971. Weal, John. Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford, UK : Osprey, 2001. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84176 - 084 - 1. Weal, John. BF 109D / E Aces 1939 -- 41. Oxford, UK : Osprey, 1996. ISBN 978 - 1 - 85532 - 487 - 9. Weal, John. Bf 109F / G / K Aces of the Western Front. Oxford, UK : Osprey, 2000. ISBN 978 - 1 - 85532 - 905 - 8. Winchester, Jim. `` Messerschmitt Bf 109. '' Aircraft of World War II : The Aviation Factfile. Kent, UK : Grange Books plc, 2004. ISBN 1 - 84013 - 639 - 1. Wolf, Manuel. Luftkrieg über Europa 1939 -- 1945, die Angst im Nacken ( in German ). Stuttgart : Motorbuch - Verlag, 2009. ISBN 978 - 3 - 613 - 03084 - 8. Further reading Beale, Nick, Ferdinando D'Amico and Gabriele Valentini. Air War Italy : Axis Air Forces from Liberation of Rome to the Surrender. Shrewsbury, UK : Airlife, 1996. ISBN 1 - 85310 - 252 - 0. Bergström, Christer and Martin Pegg. Jagdwaffe : The War in Russia, January -- October 1942. Luftwaffe Colours, Volume 3 Section 4. London : Classic Colours Publications, 2003. ISBN 1 - 903223 - 23 - 7. External links Nazi fighter : The Messerschmitt Me 109 : A German Design Which Just Missed Being a Success, Flight, 24 October 1940 Messerschmitt Bf 109G - 10 -- National Museum of the United States Air Force Messerschmitt aircraft Company designations M 17 M 18 M 19 M 20 M 21 M 22 M 23 M 24 M 25 M 26 M 27 M 28 M 29 M 30 M 31 M 33 M 35 M 36 M 37 RLM designations 1933 -- 45 Bf 108 Bf 109 Bf 109TL Bf 110 Me 155 Bf 161 Bf 162 Bf 163 Me 163 Bf 165 Me 209 Me 210 Me 261 Me 262 Me 263 Me 264 Me 265 Me 309 Me 310 Me 321 Me 323 Me 328 Me 329 Me 334 Me 409 Me 410 Me 509 Me 609 Experimental designations P 08.01 P. 1070 P. 1073 P. 1075 P. 1079 P. 1092 P. 1095 P. 1099 P. 1100 P. 1101 P. 1102 P. 1103 P. 1104 P. 1106 P. 1107 P. 1108 P. 1109 P. 1110 P. 1111 P. 1112 USAAC designations C - 44 Reich Air Ministry aircraft designations 1 to 100 B 9 Gö 9 Do 10 Do 11 Wn 11 Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Wn 15 Do 16 Wn 16 Do 17 Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Kl 25 Do 26 Kl 26 M 27 Do 29 Kl 31 Kl 32 W 33 L 33 W 34 Kl 35 Kl 36 HD 37 HD 38 G 38 DFS 39 BV 40 DFS 40 A 40 Fw 42 He 42 Fw 43 HD 43 Fw 44 He 45 He 46 Ju 46 Fw 47 Ju 47 K 47 A 48 He 49 Ju 49 He 50 A 50 He 51 K 51 Ju 52 K 53 NR 54 Fw 55 NR 55 Fw 56 Fw 57 Fw 58 He 58 He 59 He 60 Ju 60 Fw 61 He 61 Fw 62 He 62 He 63 Ar 64 He 64 Ar 65 He 65 Ar 66 He 66 Ar 67 Ar 68 Ar 69 He 70 He 71 He 72 He 74 Ar 76 Ar 77 Ar 79 Ar 80 Ar 81 Ju 85 Ju 86 Ju 87 Ju 88 Ju 89 Ju 90 Ar 95 Ar 96 Fi 97 Fi 98 Fi 99 He 100 101 to 200 Al 101 Al 102 Al 103 Fi 103 Fh 104 Kl 105 Kl 106 Kl 107 Bf 108 Bf 109 Bf 110 He 111 He 112 He 113 He 114 He 115 He 116 Hs 117 He 118 He 119 He 120 Hs 121 Hs 122 Hs 123 Hs 124 Hs 125 Hs 126 Hs 127 Hs 128 Hs 129 Hs 130 Bü 131 Hs 132 Bü 133 Bü 134 Ha 135 Ha 136 Hü 136 Ha 137 BV 138 Ha 139 Ha 140 BV 141 BV 142 BV 143 BV 144 Go 145 Go 146 Go 147 Ju 147 Go 149 Go 150 Kl 151 Ta 152 Kl 152 Ta 153 Ta 154 BV 155 Fi 156 Fi 157 Fi 158 Fw 159 Ju 160 Bf 161 He 162 Bf 162 Bf 163 Me 163 Me 164 Fi 166 FK 166 Fi 167 Fi 168 He 170 He 172 He 176 He 177 He 178 Bü 180 Bü 181 Bü 182 Ta 183 Fl 184 Fl 185 Fw 186 Ju 186 Fw 187 Ju 187 Ju 188 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 191 Ao 192 DFS 193 DFS 194 Ar 195 Ar 196 Ar 197 Ar 198 Ar 199 Fw 200 201 to 300 Si 201 Si 202 DFS 203 Si 204 Fw 206 Me 208 Me 209 Me 209 ( 1943 ) Me 210 Hü 211 Do 212 Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217 Hs 217 He 219 He 220 BV 222 Fa 223 Fa 224 Ao 225 Fa 225 BV 226 Ho 226 FGP 227 DFS 228 Ho 229 DFS 230 Ar 231 Ar 232 Ar 233 Ar 234 Do 235 BV 237 BV 238 Fw 238 Ar 239 Ar 240 Go 241 Go 242 Go 244 BV 246 Ju 248 BV 250 Fw 250 Ho 250 Ho 251 Ho 252 Ju 252 Fi 253 Ho 253 Ta 254 Ho 254 Fi 256 Sk 257 Fw 261 Me 261 Me 262 Me 263 Me 264 Fl 265 Me 265 Fa 266 Ho 267 Ju 268 Fa 269 He 270 We 271 Fw 272 He 274 He 275 He 277 He 278 He 280 Fl 282 Fa 283 Ta 283 Fa 284 Fl 285 Ju 286 Ju 287 Ju 288 Ju 290 Me 290 As 292 Hs 293 Hs 294 Hs 295 Ar 296 Hs 296 Hs 297 Hs 298 Fw 300 301 - Me 309 Me 310 Do 317 Do 318 He 319 Me 321 Ju 322 Me 323 Me 328 Me 329 Fa 330 DFS 331 DFS 332 Fi 333 Me 334 Do 335 Fa 336 Fl 339 E. 340 WNF 342 He 343 Rk 344 So 344 Go 345 DFS 346 Rk 347 Ba 349 Ju 352 Me 362 Me 364 Ju 388 Ju 390 Fw 391 Ar 396 Ta 400 Me 409 Me 410 Do 417 He 419 ZMe 423 Ar 430 Ka 430 Ar 432 Do 435 Ar 440 Ju 452 Me 462 Ju 488 Fw 491 Me 509 Me 510 He 519 ZSO 523 Ar 532 Do 535 E. 555 Me 609 Ar 632 Do 635 GND : 4139345 - 4 Portals Access related topics Aviation portal Military of Germany portal World War II portal Find out more on Wikipedia 's Sister projects Media from Commons Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Messerschmitt_Bf_109&oldid=808257422 '' Categories : Messerschmitt Bf 109 Messerschmitt aircraft German fighter aircraft 1930 -- 1939 Single - engined tractor aircraft Low - wing aircraft World War II fighter aircraft of Germany Aircraft first flown in 1935 Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2013 Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from September 2010 Articles containing German - language text Articles with unsourced statements from July 2010 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Articles containing video clips Talk Variants Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Azərbaycanca Български Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Galego 한국어 Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Latina Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Magyar മലയാളം Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk پښتو Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська Vèneto Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 1 November 2017, at 20 : 32. 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Question: what does bf stand for in bf 109
Answer: Bayerische Flugzeugwerke