General Background

The first German mass produced 109 fighter was the Bf-109E that has been mistakenly referred to as the Me-109. The Bf is the designator for the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) (Bavarian Aircraft Works) that produced the original aircraft. In 1938 Messerschmitt took over BFW but throughout WWII German handbooks and documents referred to the aircraft as the Bf-109. By the end of 1939 the Bf-109E (Emil) had replaced all other 109 variants and equipped 13 Gruppens with 40 aircraft each. The Bf-109 was the main single-engine aircraft until the Fw-190 came along.

The Aircraft

In 1940 Erich “Bubi” Hartmann joined the Luftwaffe and in 1942 was posted to JG 52 on the Eastern Front. Flying with some of the most experienced pilots Hartmann soon developed his formidable tactics. On October 29, 1943; having scored 148 victories; Hartmann was awarded the Knight’s Cross. On August 25, 1944 he was decorated with the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds having a total of 301 victories. By the end of WWII Hartmann had 352 victories; all on the Eastern Front. Soviets called him the “Black Devil”.

Specifications

• Production timeline: February 1943 – October 1943
• Number produced : 5,000+
• Dimensions
• Wingspan – 9.92m (32ft 6.5in)
• Length – 9.04m (29ft (8in)
• Height – 2.5m (8ft 2.25in)
• Weight: Empty - 2,700kg (5,900lb)
• Gross Loaded – 3,400kg (7,500lb)
• Performance
• Powerplant – Daimler-Benz DB605A-1, 12 cylinder inverted vee, liquid cooled, 1,475hp
• Maximum Speed – 640km/h (398mph)
• Range – 850km (528miles)
• Service ceiling – 12,000m (39,370ft)
• Armament
• 2 X 13mm (.51in) synchronized MG 131 machine guns with 300 rounds each
• 1 X 20mm (.78in) MG 151/20 cannon as centerline Motorkanone firing through propeller hub with 200 rounds, Or
• 1 X 30mm (1.18in) MK 108 cannon as centerline Motorkanone with 65 round per gun (G-6/U4 variant)
• 2 X 20mm MG 151/20 under-wing cannon pods with 135 round per gun (Rustsatz V option)
• Rockets - 2 X 21 cm (8 in) Wfr. Gr. 21 rockets (G-6 with BR21)
• Bomb
• 1 X 250 kg (551 lb) bomb, Or
• 4 X 50 kg (110 lb) bombs, Or
• 1 X 300 litre (79 US gal) drop tank