Claim: Me 209/Bf 109R, manufactured by Messerschmitt (a German share-ownership limited, aircraft manufacturing corporation) and designed by Willy Messerschmitt, flew for the first time on August 1, 1938.
Evidence: Another Messerschmitt aircraft, first called "Bf 109R", purpose-built for record setting, but later redesignated Messerschmitt Me 209, broke the absolute world airspeed record and held the world speed record for propeller-driven aircraft until 1969. Messerschmitt Messerschmitt AG (German pronunciation: [ˈmɛsɐʃmɪt) was a German share-ownership limited, aircraft manufacturing corporation named after its chief designer Willy Messerschmitt from mid-July 1938 onwards, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, in particular the Bf 109 and Me 262. Willy Messerschmitt 1 August 1938