Restoring a Piece of History: The Fascinating World of the Messerschmitt Bf-109.
Bf 109, in full Bayerische Flugzeugwerke 109, also called Me 109, Nazi Germany’s most important fighter aircraft, both in operational importance and in numbers produced. It was commonly referred to as the Me 109 after its designer, Willy Messerschmitt.
The Messerschmitt Bf-109, also known as the Bf 109, was a German fighter aircraft used during World War II. This iconic aircraft was the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force and played a major role in many of the key battles of the war. In this YouTube video, we will explore the history and development of the Me-109, as well as its role in the war and its legacy.
Development and Design:
The development of the Bf-109 can be traced back to the early 1930s when the German government began to invest in the development of new fighter aircraft. Willy Messerschmitt and his team began work on the prototype that would eventually become the Me-109 in 1934. The Me-109 was designed to be a versatile fighter that could be used in a variety of roles, including air-to-air combat, ground attack, and reconnaissance.
The Me-109 was a single-engine monoplane with a retractable landing gear and a fully enclosed cockpit. It was powered by a liquid-cooled Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, which gave it a top speed of over 350 miles per hour. The aircraft was armed with two 7.92 mm machine guns mounted in the engine cowling and two 20 mm cannon in the wings.
Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6s
Erickson Aircraft Collection and Bruce “Doc” Winter
Kurt Braat
Bf 109, also called Me 109, was Nazi Germany's most important fighter aircraft, both in operational
importance and in numbers produced. In 1935 when it first flew, these aircraft were
built by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, were Willy Messerschmitt worked as a designer,
hence the designation of “Bf.” In 1939 Willy became the new owner of the company and renamed
it after his last name.
It was arguably the best fighter in the world in 1940. It was faster than the Spitfire at high altitude,
could dive more rapidly and carried a more effective armament of two cannon and two
machine guns. The beginning of the end for the Me 109 as an unparalleled force of aviation
began in August 1942 with the introduction of American heavy bombers, such as the B-17,
that gave the Allies the ability to bring the fight into German territory.
Gunther Rall, a frequent visitor to Oshkosh, with 275 victories was the 3rd leading Ace of all
time.
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 8.95 m (29 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 9.925 m (32 ft 7 in)
Height: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 16.05 m2 (172.8 sq ft)
Airfoil: NACA 2R1 14.2; tip: NACA 2R1 11.35[86]
Empty weight: 2,247 kg (4,954 lb)
Gross weight: 3,148 kg (6,940 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 3,400 kg (7,496 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine 1,475 PS (1,455 hp; 1,085 kW)
Propellers: 3-bladed VDM 9-12087, 3 m (9 ft 10 in) diameter light-alloy constant-speed propeller
Performance
Maximum speed: 520 km/h (320 mph, 280 kn) at sea level
588 km/h (365 mph; 317 kn) at 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
642 km/h (399 mph; 347 kn) at 6,300 m (20,669 ft)
622 km/h (386 mph; 336 kn) at 8,000 m (26,247 ft)
Cruise speed: 590 km/h (370 mph, 320 kn) at 6,000 m (19,685 ft)
Range: 880–1,144 km (547–711 mi, 475–618 nmi)
Combat range: 440–572 km (273–355 mi, 238–309 nmi) 440-572 km to the front and back home
Ferry range: 1,144–1,994 km (711–1,239 mi, 618–1,077 nmi) 1144 without and 1994 with droptank
Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 20.1 m/s (3,960 ft/min)
Wing loading: 196 kg/m2 (40 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 0.344 kW/kg (0.209 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[89] 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 16Z radio
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