Sunday, January 25, 2015

Bf 109 - Historical Facts

During World War II many so-called experts claimed that the German Bf 109 warbird was inferior to the Supermarine Spitfire and North American P-51 Mustang as a fighting machine. However, test of captured airplanes proved that it was not only excellent but in some ways superior to its enemies.
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was the first high-powered, single-seat, low-wing monoplane fighter in the world. I t was also built in larger numbers than any other type; official records indicate that more than 33,000 of the planes were produced, each model better and faster than previous types.
The first production model of the Messerschmitt was the Bf 109B-1, which was built in 1937. It had a top speed of only 292 miles per hour. The Bf 109K-14, which was just going into production at the end of the war, had a top speed of 455 miles per hour – 163 miles per hour more than the original service type. One special racing version of the plane, the Bf 109R, also set a world’s speed record of 469.2 miles per hour. This record was made on April 26, 1939.
Germany’s greatest trouble with the Bf 109 was that there were never enough of them. In 1940, when the Battle of Britain was being fought, monthly production was only 125. This was raised to 375 a month in 1941, 1,000 in 1943, and 2,500 in 1944. There is little doubt that if Germany had achieved its 1943 or 1944 production rate earlier, the final outcome of the war might well have been delayed.
Improved model of the Spitfire were kept slightly faster than the Bf 109, but the Messerschmitt had a better rate of climb, a higher ceiling, and a faster diving speed. It was also better than Spitfire at high altitudes.
Armament of early Bf 109s consisted of two 20-milimeter cannon and two machine guns, but later model mounted a 30-milimeter cannon as well. General H. H. Arnold, former chief of the U. S. Amiy Air Forces, called the final model of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 the best fighter plane in the world for shooting down bombers.
Other data (Bf 109K-4): Wing span, 32 feet 7 inches; length, 29 feet 4 inches; engine 2,000-h.p. liquid-cooled Daimler Benz; loaded weight, 7,438 pounds; maximum speed, 452 m.p.h.; service ceiling, 41,000 feet.

Bf 109 in Combat

The Bf 109 HAD become the Luftwaffe’s main fighter by the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939. Thereafter, it played a key role in the Germans gaining air superiority during their Blitzkrieg. Although not intended for the role, the type was employed as an escort fighter during the Battle of Britain, and it was utilised a great deal as a fighter-bomber and a photo reconnaissance aircraft. With the introduction of the improved Bf 109F into widespread service in the spring of 1941, the type again demonstrated its effectiveness in the invasions of Yugoslavia and the USSR, and the Crete and Malta campaigns.
In 1942, it began to be partially replaced by the new Focke-Wulf Fw190 in western Europe, but the Bf 109 remained a mainstay elsewhere, such as on the Eastern Front, in the Mediterranean theatre and in the defence of the Reich. Bf 109s were also supplied to several of Germany’s allies, including Finland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. No World War 2 fighter was perfect as designers worked to a compromise with an emphasis on one or two qualities. For example, the Spitfire was designed for the defence of Britain. It had a short range but was a true interceptor with excellent climb and turning circle. The P-51 Mustang was a fast and long-range escort fighter with an eight-hour endurance. Like the P-47 Thunderbolt, it could dive like the devil, leaving the Spitfire and Bf 109G in its wake. However, in a climb, the Bf 109G could outpace the Mustang up to 20,000ft whereas the Spitfire XIV could beat them all from sea level upwards.
That said, the Bf 109G had its advantages and bitter vices. It had a reasonable top speed and a good rate of climb, the DB engine would not cut out under negative ‘g’ and was reliable in the field, it possessed good control and response at low speeds and was not easy to stall. However, as the war progressed, the Bf 109 in its ‘Gustav’ form began to suffer against an enemy growing stronger by the day. Hitler’s gambit was that his war was a Blitzkrieg and would be won quickly – losses were acceptable so long as victory was achieved. But when the Third Reich was on the defensive, the limitations of the Bf 109 were profound. Even in the early years of the war, the Bf 109 had been in development for several years and had reached its zenith without a major change in engine or aerodynamics. As the war worsened for Germany, the need for a new design was obvious, and as the Bf 109 and Fw190s were thrown against the bomber streams over the Fatherland, Hitler put promise in his jet fighters.
As history illustrates, it was too little, too late. But despite its limitations, the Bf 109, when flown by an experienced pilot, was a fast and agile killer. A compact machine with brutish aesthetics, it had attitude, raw power and cannon, and was beloved by its pilots who flew it to defend their homeland.

Bf 109 - Surving the History

As the Bf 109 was a mass-produced fighter, there are many to be seen in museums as well as a small number of flying examples, mostly replicas and Spanish-built HA1109 or HA1112 variants. As there is a growing interest in flying German warbirds, several restoration projects are under way, notably involving crashed Bf 109s found in the former Soviet Union.
Airworthy Bf 109s are extremely rare. The Flying Heritage Collection, located in Everett, Washington, USA, is home to one of the earliest examples of the Bf 109E. Flown by Eduard Hemmerling, it saw action in the skies over southern England during the Battle of Britain. On 7 July 1940, Hemmerling shot down a Spitfire while escorting Stukas that were bombing convoys off Dover. In the same month, Hemmerling shot down a Blenheim but was mortally wounded, the Bf 109 crash-landing on a beach near Calais. In 1998, the protruding wingtip was exposed and the aircraft recovered for restoration back to flying condition. At the moment, the world’s only other airworthy Bf 109E-4 is to be found in Canada. This example was flown in combat several times by the legendary Jagdwaffe ace Hans-Joachim Marseille. Today, the Bf 109 is in its ‘White 14’ markings as worn when Marseilles flew it in the Battle of Britain where he shot down a Spitfire over the Thames Estuary. The Bf 109 then saw action over the Eastern Front where it was damaged and abandoned. In the 1990s, the fighter was recovered and restored to flying condition.
There are around 120 static Bf 109s in museums and displays. It is believed that there is a single Bf 109B, 19 Bf 109Es, 14 Bf 109Fs, 37 Bf 109Gs, 35 HA1109s and HA1112s, and four S-199s throughout the world. In the UK there are around 11 Bf 109s, perhaps the most famous being Bf 109G-2 ‘Black 6’ at the RAF Museum Hendon.

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