It would take rather more than a Solomon to judge which was the best of the fighter aircraft used by the combatant nations during World War II. But as it is virtually impossible to arrive at a fair basis of comparison - having regard to a number of variables - it is safe to say that the Bf 109 (designed by Willy Messerschmitt) was not only one of the great fighter aircraft of the war, but almost certainly the most famous of all German aircraft ever built. If numbers constructed was the criterion, it would have been in first or second place, for it has been estimated that about 35,000 were built, which is not far short of the total production figure estimated for Russia's Ilyushin IL-2 Shturmovik.
Design of the Bf 109 was initiated by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in late 1933, following issue by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) of a specification for a monoplane fighter to replace the Arado Ar 68 and Heinkel He 51 in Luftwaffe service. The need was not then urgent, but the RLM believed that by competitive evaluation and with reasonable time available for development, they would have a worthwhile fighter when the moment came for it to enter operational service. Submissions were made by Arado, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, Focke-Wulf and Heinkel: those of the second and last companies were selected for construction and evaluation, with each initially to build ten examples. Heinkel's He 112 was the first to fly (in the summer of 1935) but it was the Bf 109 (first flown in mid-September 1935) that was to be built in very large numbers. Strangely both of these prototypes made their first flight under the power of a Rolls-Royce Kestrel in-line engine, as the Junkers Jumo 210 in-line engine - around which both had been designed- was not available in time.
First production version to enter service with the Luftwaffe was the Bf 109B-1 powered by a 473.2kW Jumo 210D engine, followed by the 109B-2 with a 477kW Jumo 210E and later with a 499kW Jumo 210G. A single-seat fighter of all-metal construction, the Bf 109 was a cantilever low-wing monoplane, the wing having automatic leading-edge slots, large slotted trailing-edge flaps, and ailerons which drooped when the flaps were right down. The main landing-gear units were retractable but most versions had a non-retractable tailwheel. The tail unit was conventional, but the tailplane was braced by struts until a tailplane of cantilever structure was introduced with the Bf 109F.
Bf 109B-2 and variants of the Bf 109C were flown by the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War. The Daimler-Benz DB 600 engine was introduced in the Bf 109D version: more than 200 of these being in service with the Luftwaffe at the outbreak of war. It was followed into service by the Bf 109E with 820kW DB 601A engine. In addition to production for the Luftwaffe, some 300 examples of this type were exported. The Bf 109E was the principal version
used in the Battle of Britain and was followed by the Bf 109F with an 894.2kW DB 601N or 969kW DB 601E engine. Considered to represent the peak of development of this superb aeroplane, the Bf 109F had much cleaner aerodynamic lines, introducing the unbraced tailplane and retractable tailwheel.
Most extensively built version was the Bf 109G which was inferior in performance to the version which had preceded it, although introducing a more powerful Daimler-Benz engine. Despite the effects of strategic bombing by the Allies, Bf 109G were still being produced in very large numbers right up to the end of hostilities in Europe. Last versions to see limited use were the increased-span Bf 109H and a refined version of the Bf 109G, designated Bf 109K. Production of the Bf 109 continued in Czechoslovakia and Spain during early post-war years, and some Czech-built S-99 were used in a training role until 1957.
Ron is pretty much right on with his last few posts about A /C speeds in WW2. P-47M: 473(officially)but pushed higher in the field P-47N: 467mph. P-51B: Some reached 455mph. P-51D and Spit XIV: 448mph. Yak-9U: close to 425 (I don't have my sources with me). Tempest V: 435mph. Fw-190D 426-438mph. Do.335: 474mph (But very doubtful that it ever saw combat). Bf.109K-4: I have seen published at 441-452 but I haven't had time to study new info yet. Educated guesses on the picture and drawings: I'd say Lucas is right about the small three view drawing being a Bf.109H. and once clicked on it appears to be a Bf.109B-1. The profile is a Bf.109K, probably a -4. and the picture is a Bf.109G-6.
The "enlarged" 3 view drawing is of a B or C model powered by a Jumo engine. The smaller 3 view drawing is a later model, identified by the rounded wing tips, possibly a "G" but the braced tail plane is a mystery. Just for the record Gus it is an Emil not an Emily.
A fine aircraft, I prefer the snub-nosed 'Emil' types though, like the spitfire and the mustang, they had a classic look about them. Also, love that 30mm cannon in the nose!
Terminal dive was 572 mph for the F-4. That is the tail was reinforced for this rating. Of course the F-4 was test flown up to 609 mph but test pilots are not the same as service pilots. Likewise the 109G model reached 594 mph test flown.
Sorry about my typo in the last comment, I was trying to say supports that go from the frame /body to the rear horizontal / wing stabilizers. I think most 109 models before the F had them. I am seeing G-6 models (models and drawings) with these supports added (Hartmann G-6) did this actually take place and some G-6 models had them added. Email me with links and reasons for this is it an error or true.
I have noticed some models and drawings showing the Me-109G-6 with horizontal stabilizer (rear horizontal tail wings) with the supports that go from the body the the horizontal stabilizers /wings like the earlier 109 aircraft like the E variant. Can someone explain when this was actually done or is it a mistake in the models and drawings. Please email me and let me know. pointed@earthlink.net
The statistics themselves are fairly pointless without factors such as speed, load, and altitude. Comparison requires that performance of both side's representative aircraft be revealed as in American Zero testing, one on one against US fighters. Finally, some experte pilots operated 109's in a fashion which seemed to defy statistics. You can tell who they were by their scores. Same for elite soviet aces.
Time to turn a circle for the Emil was typically 25 seconds. The redesigned 109F-2 had no 20-mm cannon like the Emil, just a hub 15-mm to go with the twin cowl light MG-17s. So that may help account for a quicker time of 18 seconds. The Russians clocked a Bf 109G-2 /R6 with under-wing 20-mm cannon boots at 22.6 seconds per full circle turn. If anyone finds more data like this, I'm interested to see it.
An Israeli person: It was S-199, czechoslovak figter, which fought for your freedom, you should know this, same as the fact, that those Spitfires were czechoslovak LF Mk.IXe. They were all sent to Israel, except one piece- Ser. No. TE 565, (NN-N) from the former No.310 fighter squadron, RAF. This airplane crashed lightly during take-of and remained the only ex RAF Spitfire in Czechoslovakia, being now the No.1 piece in the collection of the Kbely air force museum in Prague
the three way drawing is of a Bf-109H high altitude variant as can be seen by the lengthened wing area at the roots. but after clicking on it it is a D variants.
Marseille was a master of deflection shooting, using only a handful of bullets per target, and dutifully recording the time of his kill. Hartmann, the Blond Knight, was shot down 18 times, I think. He went in close for the shot and it worked for him. The negative G bunt was a tactic devised against RAF aircraft and Bob Johnson, flying a P47,found it amazing that it was so easy to shoot down 109`s using this tactic against the Jug. Zeros also cut out at negative G so the noseover would work against it. 30mm MK108 cannons didn`t fit in the wing but were hung underneath in gondolas. There were bomber destroyer 109`s with heavy armor and armament as well as escort 109`s to protect the bomber destroyers from fighters. Nitrous and methonol injection versions made it impossible to define the performance and handling of the 109G variants in easy numbers. Taking off in a 109 was dangerous for student pilots due to torque and canted narrow track undercarriage.
QUOTE /Jerry Mancisidor, jerry_mancisidor(@)hotmail.com, 29.01.2009 Just wanted to clarify that pilot Hans Joachim Marseille died when bailing out from his new Bf-109 F-4 after experiencing engine trouble. He was on a patrol flight and did not encounter enemy fighters to engage on that day, then his engine made a strange noise and started overheating. He was going to bail out, but was still over Britain held territory, so his comrades urged and requested him to resist a couple more minutes untill arriving to German held territory. When arriving to German side, but blinded by smoke, he did not realized that his bail-by-roll-out operation was not performed horizontally, but inclined. This situation caused that he was hit by the rudder of his -109, knocking him unconscious, and avoiding him to open his parachute. He died when hitting the ground, and a deep injury was found on his chest, presumably caused by the rudder.
When he died, in Sept. 1942, his personal account was at 158 downed planes.
Hoped it help clarifying this point.
Very kindly, Jerry Mancisidor /QUOTE
I recall Marseille's last flight occurred in a new Bf 109G-2, not Bf 109F-4, and that this incident was an example of engine problems encountered in the new Bf 109G-series.
Just wanted to clarify that pilot Hans Joachim Marseille died when bailing out from his new Bf-109 F-4 after experiencing engine trouble. He was on a patrol flight and did not encounter enemy fighters to engage on that day, then his engine made a strange noise and started overheating. He was going to bail out, but was still over Britain held territory, so his comrades urged and requested him to resist a couple more minutes untill arriving to German held territory. When arriving to German side, but blinded by smoke, he did not realized that his bail-by-roll-out operation was not performed horizontally, but inclined. This situation caused that he was hit by the rudder of his -109, knocking him unconscious, and avoiding him to open his parachute. He died when hitting the ground, and a deep injury was found on his chest, presumably caused by the rudder.
When he died, in Sept. 1942, his personal account was at 158 downed planes.
the pilot Hans Joanchim Marseille flew Bf 109F-4 trop and he shoot down 106 enemy plane before his dead in one dogfighting between bf 109 and p51 mustang
