Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun

what is it?

The Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun (English: Typhoon) is a single-engine sport and touring aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Introduced in 1935, it was the first aircraft of its size to feature all-metal stressed skin construction.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 10.5 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 305 km/htop speed
• range 1,000 kmwithout refuelling
• size 1,350 kgmax take-off weight
• built 885made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 92 years ago, in 1934.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.3× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 10.5 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,000 km: 6× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1934

introduced

1935

retired

1945

status

retired

number built

885

role

sport and touring aircraft

makers

Messerschmitt

engines

1× Argus As 10C

length

8.3 m

wingspan

10.5 m

height

2.3 m

max take-off weight

1,350 kg

top speed

305 km/h

cruise speed

260 km/h

range

1,000 km

ceiling

6,200 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family