Messerschmitt Me109 B, C and D
Type: German fighter plane from Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War.
History: For 25 years the Me109 was in production somewhere in the world. It served the Luftwaffe for eight years, production during the years 1936-45 accounting for nearly two-thirds of Germany's entire output of single-seat fighters; and exported or licence-built versions equipped the air forces of nearly a dozen other nations. The total number of Me109 built was well in excess of 33,000.
Designed by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG in 1933 around Germany's most powerful aero-engine of the time, the 610 hp Junkers Jumo 210A, the Me109 V1 first prototype (D- IABI) actually made its first flight, in early September 1935, using a 695 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel V.
A Jumo 210A
powered the V2, which flew in January 1936, followed by the intended prototype for the initial production series, the V3.
The Me109 V-3 was tried out in the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
First in service fighter versions were the Me109 B-1 and B-2, based on the V 4 and V7 prototypes and armed with two 7.9mm MG 17 machine-guns on top of the engine and a third MG 17 firing through the hollow propeller shaft.
The fourth Bf 109 B with it's designer Franke, right.
Deliveries of the B-1 (680 hp
Jumo 210Da) began in April 1937 to JG 132, which was dispatched to join the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion fighting in the Spanish Civil War.
On 11 November 1937 the Bf 109 V13 (D-IPKY), with a specially boosted DB 601 engine, set a new world absolute speed record of 379.38 mph.
Despite its successful combat record in Spain, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 B's armament left room for improvement, and the number of MG 17s was increased to four in the C-1 (two over the engine and two in the wings) and five in the C-3 (by restoring the centre gun). The Bf109Cs, which had 700hp Jumo 210Ga engines, joined the Bs in Spain in 1938.
In this year also, Arado, Erla, Fieseler, Focke-Wulf and WNF were brought into the Bf 109 production programme, and the BFW changed its name to Messerschmitt AG.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 C from Legion Condor.
Installation of the 986hp DB600Aa produced the Bf109D series, with improved performance; small batches of Messerschmitt Bf 109Ds were also exported to Hungary and Switzerland.
One of the 36 Bf 109 D-1 which were used in the Spanish Civil War.
At the outbreak of WW2 the Luftwaffe had a strength of 1,056 Me109. Many of these were Messerschmitt Bf 109Ds, but this series was already being replaced in increasing numbers by the Bf109 E.
Users: Germany, Spain, Hungary, Switzerland (Me109 B-D).
|
Messerschmitt Bf 109 B-2 from a fighter school in 1939.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 B-1 |
| Type |
fighter |
| Power plant |
one 635 hp Junkers Jumo 210D inverted-vee-12 liquid-cooled engine |
| Accommodation |
1 |
| Wing span |
32 ft 4.5 in |
| Length overall |
27 ft 11 in |
| Height overall |
8 ft 6.0 in |
| Weight empty |
3,483 lb |
| Weight maximum loaded |
4,850 lb |
| Maximum speed |
292 mph |
| Initial climb |
2,200 ft/min. |
| Service ceiling |
26,575 ft |
| Range |
aprox. 435 miles |
| Armament |
three 7.92mm Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 17 machine guns [1,200 rpm, velocity 2,477 ft/sec]
|
| First flight (Me109 V-1) |
early September 1935 |
| Production delivery B-1 |
May 1937 |
| Price per unit |
100,000 RM =
45,000 $ =
11,250 £ |
| Total production figure (all) |
35,000+
(of this 30,480 during WW2) |
| Accepted by Luftwaffe 1/39-12/44 |
29,350 |
| Bf 109's in Luftwaffe First Line Units 1.9.39 |
850 Me109 E-1 and E-1/B, 235 D-1, unknown small number of B's
(200 used against Poland) |
| Losses in Poland |
67 (all by ground fire) |
3d model Messerschmitt Bf 109 B
This Bf 109 B-2 was flown by Jagdgeschwader (fighter groups) JG 131, 132, 234 and 334 and at the time of this picture it is in use by a fighter training school.
|
