WWII The Messerschmitt BF109 Plane

 

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft that was the 

backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational 

service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War and was still in service at the dawn 

of the jet age at the end of World War II in 1945. It was one of the most 

advanced fighters of the era, including such features as all-metal monocoque 

construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear. It was powered by a 

liquid-cooled, inverted-V12 aero engine. From the end of 1941, the Bf 109 was 

steadily being supplemented by the Focke-Wulf Fw 190.

It was commonly called the Me 109, most often by Allied aircrew and even among 

the German aces themselves, even though this was not the official German 

designation. The designation "Messerschmitt Bf 109" was issued by the Ministry of 

Aviation and represents the developing company Bayerische Flugzeugwerke. The 

confusion arises because design work began in 1934 at the Bavarian Aircraft 

Works, and, as was customary, the model was designated by the prefix Bf. In July 

1938 the company was renamed Messerschmitt AG, and the prefix Me was applied to 

all new models after that date, whilst existing types retained their Bf prefix.

It was designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser, who worked at 

Bayerische Flugzeugwerke during the early to mid-1930s.

Whilst the 109 was conceived as an interceptor, later models were developed to 

fulfill multiple tasks, serving as bomber escort, fighter-bomber, day-, night-, 

all-weather fighter, ground-attack aircraft, and as reconnaissance aircraft. It 

was supplied to and operated by several states during World War II, and served 

with several countries for many years after the war. The Bf 109 is the most 

produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 airframes produced 

from 1936 up to April 1945.