Messerschmitt Bf 109

what is it?

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the Bf 109 formed the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force during the Second World War. It was commonly called the Me 109 by Allied aircrew and some German aces/pilots, even though this was not the official model designation.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · retractable tailwheel (taildragger) · 9.9 m wingspan

base stats

• built 34,248made 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 91 years ago, in 1935.
• 🚗Wingspan of 9.9 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.4× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

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

spec sheet

first flight

1935-05

introduced

1937

retired

1965

status

retired

number built

34,248

role

fighter

origin

German Reich

makers

Messerschmitt

engines

1× Jumo 210 / Daimler-Benz DB 605 / Daimler-Benz DB 601

length

9 m

wingspan

9.9 m

height

2.6 m

top speed

—

range

—

ceiling

12,000 m

landing gear

retractable conventional landing gear

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

family