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The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. It was one of the first true modern fighters of the era, including such features as an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear. The Bf 109 was produced in greater quantities than any other fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 units produced up to April 1945.^[1] Fighter production totalled 47% of all German aircraft production, and the Bf 109 accounted for 57% of all German fighter types produced.^[2] A total of 2,193 Bf 109 A-E were built prewar, from 1936 to August 1939. Approximately 1,000 Bf 109 derivatives were manufactured postwar under licence as Czechoslovakian-built Avia S-99 & S-199s and Spanish-built Hispano Aviación HA-1109 and HA-1112 Buchons.

The Bf 109 was the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter force in World War II, although it began to be partially replaced by the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 from 1941. The Bf 109 was the most successful fighter of World War II, shooting down more aircraft than any of its contemporaries. Originally conceived as an interceptor, it was later developed to fulfill multiple tasks, serving as bomber escort, fighter bomber, day-, night- all-weather fighter, bomber destroyer, ground-attack aircraft, and as reconnaissance aircraft. Although the Bf 109 had weaknesses, including short range^[3] and challenging take off and landing characteristics, it stayed competitive with Allied fighter aircraft until the end of the war.

The Bf 109 was flown by the three top-scoring fighter aces of World War II: Erich Hartmann, the top scoring fighter pilot of all time claiming 352 victories, Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 victories, and Günther Rall claiming 275 victories. All of them flew with Jagdgeschwader 52, a unit which exclusively flew the Bf 109 and was credited with over 10,000 victories, chiefly on the Eastern Front. Hartmann chose to fly the Bf 109 in combat throughout the war, despite being offered the use of the Me 262. Hans-Joachim Marseille, the highest scoring German ace in the North African Campaign, also claimed all of his 158 victories flying the Bf 109, against Western Allied pilots.

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: 16.40 m² (173.3 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,247 kg (5,893 lb)
• Loaded weight: 3148 kg (6,940 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 3,400 kg (7,495 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 liquid-cooled inverted V12, 1,475 PS (1,455 hp, 1,085 kW)

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) with droptank 1,000 km (620 mi)
• Service ceiling 12,000 m (39,370 ft)
• Rate of climb: 17.0 m/s (3,345 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 199.8 kg/m² (40.9 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 330 W/kg (0.21 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2× Rheinmetall-Borsig 13 mm MG 131 machine guns with 300 rpg
• 1×20 mm MG 151/20 cannon with 150 rpg (or 1x 30 mm MK 108 cannon with 65 rpg, G-6/U4)
• 1×300 l (78 US gal) drop tank or 1×250 kg (550 lb) bomb or 4×50 kg (110 lb) bombs
• 2×WGr.21 rockets (G-6 with BR21)
• 2x 20 mm MG 151/20 underwing cannon pods with 200 rpg (G-6 with R6)

 

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The Messerschmitt Bf 110 (often erroneously called Me110) was a twin-engine heavy fighter ('Zerstörer' - German for 'Destroyer') in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Later in the war it was changed to fighter-bomber (JagdBomber-Jabo) and night fighter operations, and it became the major night fighter type of the Luftwaffe.

In 1934 several countries in Europe began research and design of long-range strategic fighters. The RLM, pushed by Hermann Göring issued a request for a new multipurpose fighter, called the Kampfzerstörer (battle destroyer). Specifically, the request called for a twin-engined, three-seat, all metal monoplane that was armed with cannon as well as a bomb bay. Only three companies out of the original seven responded to the request. These included Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Messerschmitt), Focke-Wulf and Henschel. Due to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke ignoring most of the Kampfzerstörer specifications by RLM, only Focke-Wulf and Henschel were given the funds to build several prototype aircraft. By luck (and pressure by Ernst Udet) RLM reconsidered the ideas of the Kampfzerstörer and began focus on Zerstörer. Due to these changes the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke design better fitted RLM's requests. On 12 May 1936, Rudolf Opitz took flight in the first Bf 110 out of Augsburg. But, as many pre-war designs found, the engine technologies promised were not up to acceptable reliability standards. Even with the temperamental DB 600 engines, the RLM found the Bf 110, while not as maneuverable as desired, was quite a bit faster than the RLM original request specified, as well as faster than the then current front line fighter the Bf 109 B-1. Thus the order for four pre-production A-0 units was placed. The first of these were delivered on January 1937. During this testing, both the Focke-Wulf Fw 187 and Henschel Hs 124 competitors were rejected and the Bf 110 was ordered into full production.

The initial deliveries of the Bf 110 encountered several issues with delivery of the DB 600 motors, which forced Bayerische Flugzeugwerke to install Junkers Jumo 210B engines, which left the Bf 110 seriously underpowered and able to reach a top speed of only 268 mph. The armament of the A-0 units was also limited to four nose mounted MG 17 machine guns.

Even without delivery of the DB 600 engines, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke began assembly the Bf 110 in the summer of 1937. As the DB 600 engines continued to have issues, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke was forced to continue using Jumo motors, the 210G, which supplied 700 hp each (versus the 610 supplied by the 210B). Three distinct versions of the Bf 110B were built, the B-1, which featured a total of four MG 17 and two MG FF 20 mm cannons. The B-2 reconnaissance version, which installed a camera in place of the cannons, and the B-3 which was utilized as a trainer, with the cannons replaced by extra radio equipment. Only 45 Bf 110Bs were built before the Jumo 210G engine production line ended. The major identifier of the A & B 110s was the very large "mouth" bath radiators located under the engine.

In the later months of 1938, the DB 601 B-1 engines finally became available. With the new engine, the design teams removed the radiators under the engine, and replaced them with a water/glycol radiators located under the wing, to the outside of the engines. With the DB 601 engine, the Bf 110's maximum speed increased to a respectable 336 mph with a range of approximately 680 miles.

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (3 for night fighter variants)
• Length: 12.3 m (40 ft 6 in)
• Wingspan: 16.3 m (53 ft 4 in)
• Height: 3.3 m (10 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 38.8 m² (414 ft²)
• Empty weight: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb)
• Loaded weight: 6,700 kg (14,800 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Daimler-Benz DB 601B-1 liquid-cooled inverted V-12, 809 kW (1,100 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 560 km/h (348 mph)
• Range: 2,410 km combat, 2,800 km ferry (1,500 mi / 1,750 mi)
• Service ceiling 10,500 m (35,000 ft)
• Wing loading: 173 kg/m² (35.7 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.3644 kW/kg (0.155 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2x 20 mm MG FF/M cannons
• 4x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns
• 1x 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun for defense

 

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The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger, was a single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft of Germany's Luftwaffe. Used extensively during the Second World War, over 20,000 were manufactured, including around 6,000 fighter-bomber models. Production ran from 1941 to the end of hostilities, during which time the aircraft was continually updated. Its later versions retained qualitative parity with Allied fighter aircraft, but Germany was not able to produce the aircraft in enough numbers to affect the outcome of the war.

The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots, and was quickly proven to be superior to the RAF's main front line fighter, the Spitfire Mk. V, on its combat debut in 1941. Compared to the Bf 109, the Fw 190 was a "workhorse", employed in and proved suitable for a wide variety of roles, including air superiority fighter, ground attack, fighter-bomber, long-range bomber escort, and night fighter.

The first prototype, the Fw 190 V1, had its first flight on 1 June 1939 bearing the civil registration D-OPZE while powered by a 1,550 PS (1,529 hp, 1,140 kW) BMW 139 14-cylinder two-row radial engine. It soon showed exceptional qualities for such a comparatively small aircraft, with excellent handling, good visibility and speed (initially around 610 km/h (380 mph)). The roll rate was 162 degrees at 410 km/h (255 mph) but the aircraft had a high stall speed of 205 km/h (127 mph). According to the pilots who flew the first prototypes, its wide landing gear made takeoff and landing easier, resulting in a more versatile and safer aircraft on the ground than the Bf 109. The wings spanned 9.5 meters (31 ft 2 in) and had an area of 15 m² (161.46 ft²).

Problems with the cockpit location, directly behind the engine, resulted in a cockpit that became uncomfortably hot. During the first flight, the temperature reached 55°C (131°F), after which Focke Wulf's chief test pilot, Hans Sander commented: "It was like sitting with both feet in the fireplace."^[9] At first the V1 used a huge spinner, covering the whole area of the forward engine cowling, through which cooling air was ducted; an additional small, pointed spinner fitted inside the duct was intended to compress and speed-up the airflow, in the hope that this would be enough to cool the engine. Flight tests soon showed that the expected benefits of this design did not eventuate, and, after the first few flights, this arrangement was replaced by a smaller, more conventional spinner which only covered the hub of the three bladed VDM propeller. In an attempt to increase airflow over the tightly-cowled engine a ten-bladed fan, geared to be driven at 3.12 times the engine speed, was introduced at the front opening of the redesigned cowling. In this form the V1 first flew on 1 December 1939, having been repainted with the Luftwaffe's Balkenkreuz and with the Stammkennzeichen (factory code) RM+CA.

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 9.00 m (29 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 10.51 m (34 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.95 m (12 ft 12 in)
• Wing area: 18,30 m² (196.99 ft²)
• Empty weight: 3,200 kg (7,060 lb)
• Loaded weight: 4,417 kg (9,735 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 4,900 kg (10,800 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× BMW 801 D-2 radial engine, 1,272 kW (1,730 hp); 1,471 kW (2,000 hp) with boost

Performance

• Maximum speed: 656 km/h at 4,800 m, 685 km/h with boost (383 mph at 19,420 ft (5,920 m), 408 mph (657 km/h) with boost)
• Range: 800 km (500 miles)
• Service ceiling 11,410 m (37,430 ft)
• Rate of climb: 13 m/s (2560 feet/min)
• Wing loading: 241 kg/m² (49.4 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.29 - 0.33 kW/kg (0.18 - 0.21 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2× 13 mm MG 131 machine guns with 475 rounds/gun
• 4× 20 mm MG 151/20 E cannons with 250 rounds/gun in the wing root and 140 rounds/gun outboard.

 

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The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse ("Hornet") was a Luftwaffe heavy fighter and Schnellbomber of World War II developed from the badly flawed Me 210. Essentially a straightforward modification of that type, the Me 210 had garnered such a bad reputation it was renamed the Me 410 to avoid disdain.

The Me 410 night bomber proved to be an elusive target for the RAF night fighters. The first unit to operate over the UK was V/KG 2, which lost its first Me 410 on the night of 13-14 July 1943, shot down by a de Havilland Mosquito of No. 85 Squadron.

The Me 410 was also used as a bomber destroyer against the daylight bomber streams of the USAAF. The Me 410 A-1/U2 was fitted with two additional 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons in the undernose weapons bay, while the A-1/U4 was equipped with a Bordkanone series 50 mm BK-5 cannon instead. For breaking up the bomber formations many Me 410s also had four underwing tubes firing converted Werfergranate 21 Wfr. Gr. 21, 210 mm mortar rockets. Two Geschwader, Zerstörergeschwader 26 and 76, were thus equipped with the Me 410 by late 1943.

Moderately successful against unescorted bombers, a considerable number of kills against USAAF day bomber formations were achieved. Unfortunately for the Luftwaffe, the Me 410 was no match in a dogfight with the lighter Allied single-engine fighters such as the seven-ton P-47 Thunderbolt or the even lighter P-51 Mustang. In the Spring of 1944 the Me 410 formations encountered swarms of Allied fighters protecting the bomber streams and their successes against escorted bombers were often offset by their losses. An example of this on 6 March 1944 saw sixteen Me 410s shot down in return for eight B-17s and four P-51s (which were destroyed by Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighters escorting the Me 410s). The following month on 11 April II.ZG 26's Me 410s accounted for a rare success, downing ten B-17s without any losses. However the units luck ran out. During the course of the same raid their second sortie was intercepted by P-51s which destroyed eight Me 410s and three Bf 110s. Sixteen crewman were killed and three wounded.

From the summer of 1944, despite being Hitler's favourite bomber destroyer, the Me 410 units were taken from Defense of the Reich duties and production was phased out in favour of single-engine fighters with the Me 410s remaining in service flying on reconnaissance duties only. Some Me 410s were utilized with Junkers Ju 188s during the Battle of Normandy for high-altitude night reconnaissance missions.

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (pilot and gunner)
• Length: 12.40 m (40 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 16.35 m (53 ft 7 in)
• Height: 4.28 m (14 ft)
• Wing area: 36.20 m² (390 ft²)
• Empty weight: 6,100 kg (13,000 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 10,650 kg (23,480 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Daimler-Benz DB 603A liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,750 PS (1,726 hp, 1,287 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 624 km/h (388 mph)
• Range: 2,300 km (1,400 miles) combat
• Service ceiling 10,000 m (32,810 ft)

Armament

• 2 × 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns
• 2 × 20 mm MG 151 cannon
• 2 × 13 mm MG 131 machine guns
• up to 1,000 kg (2,204 lb) of disposable stores

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The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German for Swallow) was the world's first operational turbojet fighter aircraft. It was produced in World War II and saw action starting in 1944 as a multi-role fighter/bomber/reconnaissance/interceptor warplane for the Luftwaffe. German pilots nicknamed it the Sturmvogel (Stormbird), while the Allies called it the Turbo. The Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war due to its late introduction, with 509 claimed Allied kills (although higher claims are sometimes made) against the loss of more than 100 Me 262s.

The Me 262 was already being developed as Projekt P.1065 before the start of World War II. Plans were first drawn up in April 1939, and the original design was very similar to the plane that eventually entered service. The progression of the original design into service was delayed greatly by technical issues involving the new jet engines. Funding for the jet program was also initially lacking, as many high-ranking officials thought the war could easily be won with conventional aircraft. Among those was Hermann Goering, head of the Luftwaffe, who cut back the engine development program to just 35 engineers in February 1940; Willy Messerschmitt, who desired to maintain mass production of the Bf 109 and the projected Me 209; and Maj. Gen. Adolf Galland, who supported Messerschmitt through the early development years, until flying the Me 262 himself on April 22, 1943. By that time problems with engine development had slowed production of the aircraft considerably.

In mid-1943 Adolf Hitler envisioned the Me 262 not as a defensive interceptor, but as an offensive ground attack/bomber, almost as a very high speed, light payload Schnellbomber, to penetrate Allied air superiority during the expected invasion of France. His edict resulted in the development of the Sturmvogel (Stormbird) variant. It is debatable to what extent Hitler's interference extended the delay in bringing the Swallow into operation.

The aircraft was originally designed with a tail wheel undercarriage and the first four prototypes (Me 262 V1-V4) were built with this configuration, but it was discovered on an early test run that the engines and wings "blanked" the stabilizers, giving almost no control on the ground, as well as serious runway surface damage from the hot jet exhaust. Changing to a tricycle undercarriage arrangement, initially a fixed undercarriage on the "V5" fifth prototype, then fully retractable on the sixth (V6, with code VI+AA) and succeeding aircraft, corrected this problem.

Although it is often stated the Me 262 is a "swept wing" design, the production Me 262 had a leading edge sweep of only 18.5°. This was done primarily to properly position the center of lift relative to the centre of mass and not for the aerodynamic benefit of increasing the critical Mach number of the wing. The sweep was too slight to achieve any significant advantage.^[10] This happened after the initial design of the aircraft, when the engines proved to be heavier than originally expected. On 1 March 1940, instead of moving the wing forward on its mount, the outer wing was positioned slightly backwards to the same end. The middle section of the wing remained unswept. Based on data from the AVA Göttingen and windtunnel results, the middle section was later swept.

The first test flights began on 18 April 1941, with the Me 262 V1 example, bearing its Stammkennzeichen radio code letters of PC+UA, but since its intended BMW 003 turbojets were not ready for fitting, a conventional Junkers Jumo 210 engine was mounted in the V1 prototype's nose, driving a propeller, to test the Me 262 V1 airframe. When the BMW 003 engines were finally installed, the Jumo was retained for safety, which proved wise as both 003s failed during the first flight and the pilot had to land using the nose mounted engine alone.

In April 1944, Erprobungskommando 262 was formed at Lechfeld in Bavaria as a test unit (Jaeger Erprobungskommando Thierfelder)^[14] to introduce the 262 into service and train a core of pilots to fly it. On 26 July 1944, Lt. Alfred Schreiber with the 262 A-1a W.Nr. 130 017 downed a Mosquito reconnaissance aircraft. It was the first victory for a turbojet fighter aircraft in aviation history.^[15] Major Walter Nowotny was assigned as commander after the death of Werner Thierfelder in July 1944, and the unit redesignated Kommando Nowotny. Essentially a trials and development unit, it holds the distinction of having mounted the world's first jet fighter operations. Trials continued slowly, with initial operational missions against the Allies in August 1944 allegedly downing 19 Allied aircraft for six Me 262s lost, although these claims have never been verified by cross-checking with USAAF records. The RAF Museum holds no intelligence reports of RAF aircraft engaging in combat with Me 262s in August, although there is a report of an unarmed encounter between an Me 262 and a Mosquito. Despite orders to stay grounded, Nowotny chose to fly a mission against an enemy formation. After an engine failure, he was shot down and killed on 8 November 1944 by 1st Lt Edward “Buddy” Haydon of the 357th Fighter Group, USAAF and Capt Ernest “Feeb” Fiebelkorn of the 20th Fighter Group, USAAF. The "Kommando" was then withdrawn for further training and a revision of combat tactics to optimise the 262's strengths.

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 10.60 m (34 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 12.60 m (41 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 21.7 m² (234 ft²)
• Empty weight: 4,404 kg (9,709 lb)
• Loaded weight: 7,130 kg (15,720 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 6977 kg (15,381 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Junkers Jumo 004B-1 turbojets, 8.8 kN (1,980 lbf) each
• Aspect ratio: 7.32

Performance

• Maximum speed: 900 km/h (559 mph)
• Range: 1,050 km (652 mi)
• Service ceiling 11,450 m (37,565 ft)
• Rate of climb: 1,200 m/min (3,900 ft/min)
• Thrust/weight: 0.28

Armament

• Guns: 4x 30 mm MK 108 cannons (A-2a: two cannons)
• Rockets: 24x 55 mm (2.2 in) R4M rockets
• Bombs: 2x 250 kg (550 lb) bombs (A-2a only)