Messerschmitt Bf 109

Models

Bf 109A-D

The planned Bf 109A series was canceled, before production begun, because of the weak armament. Instead of this, the Bf 109 V4 was constructed, carrying a third MG 17, mounted behind the engine, firing through the propeller axis. In the following three prototype planes, the new Jumo 210B engine was installed. They also were armed with three machine guns and were quite identical with the Bf 109B-0 pre-production series.

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The first Bf 109 model that went in serial production, the B-1, got the more powerful Jumo 210D engine.

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When the new Jumo 210E engine was developed with 670 hp (493 kW), it was fitted to the cell of the Bf 109B. The resulting plane was called the B-2. This Bf 109B-2 was the first Bf 109 to see combat: 24 of them were assigned to Legion Condor in Spain and demonstrated the armament was still inadequate, so the Bf 109 V8 was constructed to test the fitting of two more machine guns in the wings. In the following V9 both wing guns were replaced by 20 mm MG FF cannons. Both planes therefore had no gun in the propeller axis.

Related Topics:
Legion Condor - MG FF

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So Bf 109C-0, the pre-production series, carried four MG 17, the C-1 series was identical to this C-0. The C-2 again got one machine gun in the nose, carrying now five MG 17 (but it might only have been a prototype). The C-3 was tested with a 20 mm MG FF cannon in each wing - again only prototype.

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The next model, the V10 prototype, was identical to the V8, except for the engine: It had a Jumo 210Ga engine at first, later replaced by a Daimler-Benz DB600A (V8 was fitted with a Jumo 210Da instead). The V10, V11, V12 and V13 were built (using a Bf 109B airframe) and tested the DB600A engine to follow the goal of increasing the performance. But the DB600A was found to be unreliable and the improved DB601A was known to be available soon so the DB600A was dropped. The Bf 109D-0 pre-production series fell back to the reliable Jumo210D engine, armament consist of the known four MG 17 installation. Quite identical to the Bf 109D-0 was the D-1 series but production was not very high in numbers and many planes were exported to Switzerland and Hungary amongst others.

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Bf 109E "Emil"

To test the new DB601A engine, with its 1.100 hp (808 kW), two more prototypes, the V-14 and V-15, were built, that differed in their armament. While the V-14 was armed with the two MG 17 above the engine and one 20 mm MG FF cannon in each wing, the V-15 got the two MG 17 and one cannon firing through the propeller axis. The Bf 109E-0 was identical to the V-14 except for the armament, as the E-0 had two additional MG 17 in the wings instead of the MG FF in the propeller shaft.

Related Topics:
DB601A - MG 17 - MG FF

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The production version E-1 kept the four MG 17 but many of them were later field modified to E-3/E-4 weapon standard by exchanging the wing-mounted MG 17 with MG-FF(/M) cannons. The E-1/B was the first operational use of a Bf 109 as fighter bomber with a 250 kg bomb carried under its fuselage. The E-2 was not built for unknown reasons.

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To improve the performance of the Bf 109E, the last two real prototype planes were constructed, the V-16 and V-17. They got some structural improvements and stronger armament. These prototypes were the basis of the Bf 109E-3 version. They were armed with the two MG 17 and one MG FF cannon in each wing. The E-3 also received heavier armor than the E-1 and optional an improved DB601Aa with 1.175 hp. The E-3a was an export version without special secret equipment.

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The E-3 was replaced by the E-4 (with most airframes being upgraded to E-4 standards at beginning of the Battle of Britain) which was different in some small details, most notably by the modified MG-FF/M wing cannon that fired improved explosive projectiles called "mine shells" (thus the /M) and by improved head armor for the pilot. The E-4 would be the base for all further Bf 109 E developments. Some E-4 and later models got an further improved 1.175hp DB601N engine resulting in a slightly changed model number like E-4/N. The DB601N was the standard engine used in most E-6 and onwards production versions.

Related Topics:
MG-FF/M - DB601N

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The E-5 was the recon version of the E-3, the E-6 the recon version of the E-4/N, both equipped with only two MG 17.

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The E-7 was the first production series with a standardized drop tank installation to have the plane's range increased by at least 50% and many older E-series planes were upgraded to E-7 standard by upgrading armament, armor and equipment to the latest standards but often retained their older engines.

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The E-8 was an E-1 modified to carry a drop tank for lang range operations, the armament of four MG 17 was not changed.

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The E-9 was the recon variant of the E-8 with only two MG 17.

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Bf 109T "Trägerflugzeug" (Carrier Aircraft)

Prior to the war the German Navy had become fascinated with the idea of the aircraft carrier. Borrowing ideas from the British and Japanese (mainly the Akagi), they started the construction of the Graf Zeppelin (not to be confused with the airship Graf Zeppelin) as part of Plan Z in 1936. The air group for the carrier was settled on Messerschmitt Bf 109T fighters and Ju 87C dive bombers.

Related Topics:
German Navy - Aircraft carrier - British - Japanese - ''Akagi'' - Graf Zeppelin - Airship - Graf Zeppelin - Plan Z - Ju 87C

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The ten Bf 109T-0 were originally Bf 109E-3, which were modified by adding a tail-hook, catapult fittings, structural strengthening and increased wingspan (to 11.08 m). Also the landing gear track was a little wider. Thus prepared, the Bf 109T probably would have been proven much better for carrier operations than the British Supermarine Seafire, a hardly modified landplane that suffered from a bad accident rate flying from carriers.

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Following the flight tests, especially the catapult tests, a series of 70 T-1 with DB601N engine was to be produced at Fieseler in Kassel, but after seven T-1 were built, the carrier project was canceled. The remaining 63 of 70 T-1 were built as T-2 without carrier equipment and all T-1 "upgraded" to T-2 standard. These planes were assigned to JG5 "Eismeergeschwader", deployed in Norway. The armament of the Bf 109T consisted of two MG 17 above the engine and one MG FF/M cannon in each wing.

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Interest in the Graf Zeppelin grew when the value of the carrier became obvious, and in 1942 the ship was back in the yards for completion. By this time the Bf 109T was hopelessly outdated and a new fighter would be needed. Messerschmitt responded with the updated Me 155A series, but work on the ship was again canceled and the Me 155 was later re-purposed as a high-altitude interceptor.

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Bf 109F "Friedrich", aerodynamic perfection

After February 1940 an improved engine, the Daimler-Benz DB601E, was developed for use with the Bf 109.

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The constructors at the Messerschmitt facilities took a Bf 109E-1 and installed this new engine. The cell and especially the cowling were modified and in the end more aerodynamic. Its relation to the E-1 was obvious, because the trapeziform wings were taken from the E-1, but changed in the production planes. This plane was the prototype for the Bf 109F series. As the DB601E was not yet available in numbers the pre-production F-0 and the first production series F-1/F-2 got the 1.175 hp DB601N engine. The 1.350 hp DB601E was first used in the F-3 model.

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F-1 to F-4 had been fighters or figher-bombers, the F-5 was the recon version of the F-4 with only two MG 17.

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Externally the Bf 109F differed from the E-series, resulting from many aerodynamic improvements. The stabilizer struts were removed, the cowling was shaped to be more streamlined, the big underwing radiators were much smaller, the opening for the supercharger was improved, the flaps were completely changed, the wingspan was increased to 9.92 m, and the wing tips now were formed elliptically, which supposedly caused some confusions with the Spitfire. The redesigned wing made the internal mounting of guns impractical, so armament was revised. The armament of the Bf 109F consisted of the two MG 17 above the engine plus a cannon firing through the propeller hub: The early F versions were equipped with the MG FF/M cannon, the F-2 got the 15mm MG 151, and from F-4 on the 20 mm MG 151/20 was used.

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The first Bf 109F planes were not well tested, and so some planes crashed or nearly crashed, due to vibrations which caused either the wing surface to curve or break, or caused the stabilizer to break away. In one such accident, the commander of JG2 "Richthofen", Wilhelm Balthasar lost his life when he was attacked by a Spitfire during a test flight. Making an evasive maneuver, his wings broke away and Balthasar was killed when his plane hit the ground. When the wreck was investigated, not a single bullet hole was found.

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Bf 109G "Gustav", the most produced version

When the 1475 hp Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine was available, a new Bf 109 series, the G-series, was developed. The early versions of the Bf 109G looked quite similar to the Bf 109F-4, and at first carried the same armament. The G-series saw the appearance of the notorious bulges in the cowling (caused by the DB605 (additional cooling) and by replacing the 7.92 mm MG 17 with 13 mm MG 131 machine guns (G-5 onwards)) and on the wings (due to larger main gear wheels, G-4 onwards), leading to the Bf 109G's nickname "The Bulge" (German: "Die Beule"). The DB 605 suffered several reliability problems during the first year of operation forcing Luftwaffe units to lower max power to ~1310 hp until october/november 1943.

Related Topics:
Daimler-Benz DB 605 - MG 131

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Other changes included an enlarged supercharger for the DB 605 and the enlarged vertical stabilizer (G-5 onwards).

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The G-6 model, the most produced Bf 109 version, had very heavy armament. The G-6/U4 variant with Rüstsatz R6 was armed with two MG 131 above the engine, a 30 mm MK 108 cannon shooting through the propeller axis and one 20 mm MG 151/20 in each wing. The G-6 was very often fitted with assembly sets, used to carry bombs or a drop tank, for use as nightfighter, or to increase fire power by adding rockets or extra guns.

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All following Bf 109G versions were modified older Bf 109Gs. So the G-10 was not an uniform type, but consisted of all kinds of Bf 109Gs being transformed partially to Bf 109G-10 specifications. The most recognizable change was the use of the "Erla-Haube" canopy. This canopy improved the pilots view, which was often criticized before. The Bf 109G-10, also called "Super-Bulge" (German: "Super-Beule"), saw a refinement of the bulges covering the breeches of the cowl mounted MG 131, these taking on a more elongated and streamlined form.

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A similar varying product was the Bf 109G-12. This was a two-seat trainer version of the Bf 109 and was rarely armed.

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Bf 109G variants and sub-variants

Variants could be equipped with a "Rüstsatz" add-on kit or a "Umbausatz" conversion kit; the former was a field modification, whilst the latter involved more extensive work at the factory. In either case, the modified aircraft were identified with a /R or /U suffix.

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Known Variants

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• G-1 (Pressurized fighter)

G-1/R2 (Lightened high altitude fighter - GM1, and armor removed);

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G-1/U2 (High altitude fighter with GM1);

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G-1 Trop (Never actually existed a ?made up? version);

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• G-2 (Light fighter)

G-2/R1 (Fighter-bomber- 2 underwing drop tanks, extra tail wheel);

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G-2/R2 (Reconnaissance fighter);

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G-2 Trop (Tropicalized fighter);

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• G-3 (Pressurized fighter); - based on G-1 with new radio equipment; only 50 built
• G-4 (Reconnaissance fighter)

G-4/R2 (Reconnaissance fighter);

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G-4/R3 (Reconnaissance fighter);

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G-4 Trop (Tropicalized Reconnaissance fighter);

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G-4/U3 (Reconnaissance fighter with MW50);

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G-4y (Command fighter);

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• G-5 (Pressurized fighter)

G-5/U2 (High altitude fighter with GM1 boost);

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G-5/U3 (Fitted with MW-50);

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G-5/AS (High altitude fighter with DB605AS);

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G-5y (Command fighter);

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• G-6 (Light fighter)

G-6/R2 4x 50kg wing bombs(fighter bomber), two rockets (heavy fighter);

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G-6/R3 (Reconnaissance fighter);

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G-6/R6 (Heavy fighter - two additional 20 mm guns);

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G-6 Trop (Tropicalized fighter);

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G-6/U2 (Fitted with GM-1);

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G-6/U3 (Fitted with MW-50);

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G-6/U4 (MK108 30 mm engine cannon);

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G-6y (Command fighter);

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G-6/AS (High altitude fighter with DB605AS);

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G-6/ASy (High altitude command fighter);

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G-6N (Night fighter); usually with R6 and FuG 350Z Naxos;

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G-6/U4 N: as G-6N but with 30 mm MK 108 engine cannon

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• G-8 (Reconnaissance fighter);

Armed with only the 30 mmm MK 108 engine cannon, standard drop tank installation

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• G-10 (Light fighter with DB605D/DM/DBM engine)

G-10/R5 (Reconnaissance fighter);

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G-10/R6 (Heavy fighter - two additional 20 mm guns);

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G-10/AS (High altitude fighter with DB605ASM);

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G-10/U4 (Fitted with MK 108 30 mm engine cannon);

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• G-12 (Two-seat trainer); built from older G-1/G-5 usually with R3 (300l drop tank)
• G-14 (Light fighter, evolution of G-6)

G-14/R6 (Heavy fighter - two additional 20 mm guns);

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G-14/AS (High altitude fighter with DB605ASM);

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G-14/ASy (High altitude command fighter);

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G-14y (Command fighter);

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G-14/U4 (Fitted with MK 108 30 mm engine cannon)

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• G-16 (Fighter Bomber); based on G14 with additional armor - production started but soon after war was over

Most common Umbausatz numbers

U1 special propeller; U2 GM1 boost; U3 MW50 boost; U4 30 mm MK108 engine cannon

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Common Rüstsatz numbers

• R1 belly bomb rack for 250 or 500 kg bomb
• R2 wing bomb racks for 4x50 kg bombs or 2xWGr21 rockets (or, for the G-1 to G-4 series, recon equipment)
• R3 belly drop tank (300l)
• R4 two 30 mm MK108 underwing gunpods
• R6 two 20 mm MG151/20 underwing gunpods

Bf 109H/K, last developments

Somewhere between the drawing board and full production was the Bf 109H. This was a special high-altitude fighter, developed from the Bf 109F series. The wingspan was increased to 11.92 m, the stabilizer again received a strut leading to the fuselage, and it was also widened. In fact only a low number of Bf 109 H-0 and H-1 were produced, because of problems with vibration.

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More of the planes of the Bf 109K "Kurfürst" series saw duty. This series was the evolution of the Bf 109G-10, being very similar, at least the K-0, K-2 and K-4 models. In the K-6, K-8 and K-14, the armament saw some changes. The K-6 like the K-8 was planned to carry two MG 131 above its engine, one MK 108 in each wing and a MK 103M behind its propeller hub. The engine gun was changed in the K-14 and replaced by a MK 108.

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Only the K-4 saw action in numbers, approximately 700 being delivered to squadrons before the end of hostilities. Armament consisted of a 30 mm MK 108 engine-mounted cannon and two 13 mm MG131 in the nose with optional wing armament (20 mm or 30 mm cannons and/or R4M rockets).

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The Me 109K-4 was the fastest 109 of WW2 reaching ~455 mph (~732 km/h).

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In Japan, the Kawasaki Company utilized the Messerschmitt Me Bf-109 E, which Germany had sent over, in their design evaluations. This lead to the creation of one of the best Japanese Army fighters in operation at the time, the unique In-line engined japanese fighter the Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien aka the "Tony".

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Note: Originally, Luftwaffe aircraft were designated by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium according to the company manufacturing the aircraft, e.g. "He" for Heinkel, "Do" for Dornier and as the company manufacturing the 109 was Bayerische Flugzeugwerke?, so the 109 received the "Bf" prefix. Willy Messerschmitt tried to establish the Name "Me 109", but when the RLM refused to acknowledge correspondence not in line with the official "Bf" designations, he had to give in. Only when the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke were merged into the Messerschmitt AG, was Willy Messerschmitt allowed to use the "Me" designation for new designs. Ironically, this also included designs by others, like Lippisch' Me 163 which was never actually produced by the Messerschmitt AG. In wartime literature and records within Germany, both "Bf" and "Me" prefixes have been used, and both are considered valid and accurate.

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