Volume 1 Chapter 1 (1/2)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 variants

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Main article:

Bf 109

Bf 109G-10, with Erla Haube canopy and taller, wooden fin and rudder

Role

Fighter

Due to the 's versatility and tin air forces, nuht years of service with the and even n users

Contents

1 Bf 109 A/B/C/D

2 Bf 109E

21 E-1

22 E-2

23 E-3

24 E-4

25 E-5, E-6

26 E-7

3 Bf 109T

4 Bf 109F

41 Prototypes

42 Aerodynamic improvements

43 Armament

44 Bf 109 F sub-variants

441 F-0, F-1, F-2

442 F-3, F-4, F-5, F-6

5 Bf 109G

51 Introduction

52 Early Bf 109G models

521 G-1, G-2

522 G-3, G-4

523 G-5, G-6

53 Late Bf 109G models

531 In

532 Late-production G-6, G-14, G-14/AS

533 G-10

534 Miscellaneous variants: G-8, G-12

535 Bf 109G subtypes and variants

6 Bf 109H

7 Bf 109K

71 K-4

72 Other Bf 109K projects and prototypes

8 Bf 109X

9 Bf 109Z ”Zwilling”

10 Fieseler und Skoda FiSk 199

11 Developments after World War II

111 Czechoslovak production

112 Spanish production

12 References

121 Footnotes

122 Citations

123 Bibliography

13 External links

Bf 109 A/B/C/D[]

Bf 109B-2

Bf 109C-1

”The 109 was a dream, the non plus ultra Of course, everyone wanted to fly it as soon as possible”

— , Luftwaffe ace with 275 victories[1]

The Bf 109A was the first version of the Bf 109 Armament was initially planned to be just tl-mounted 792 mm (312 in)However, possibly due to the introduction of the and , each with eight 77 uns, experih the propeller shaft[2] V4 and soine driving a two-blade fixed- propeller, but production was changed to the 670 PS (661 hp, 493 kW) Jumo 210D as soon as it became available The A-0 was not of a unifores in their appearance Visible changes included engine, cockpit and un ventilation holes/slats, and the location of the cooler was changed several ti Many of these Bf 109 A-0 served with the and were often misidentified as B-series aircraft, and probably served in Spain with the tactical s 6-1 to 6-16 One A-0, marked as 6-15, ran out of fuel and was forced to land behind enemy lines It was captured by troops on 11 November 1937 and later transferred to the Soviet Union for a closer inspection[3] 6-15 incorporated several irah it had not been installed

According to RLM documentation 22 aircraft were ordered and delivered with V4 as the A-series prototype[4][5]

The first Bf 109 in serial production, the Bf 109 B-1, was fitted with the 670 PS (661 hp, 493 kW) Ju a two-bladed fixed-pitch propeller During the production run a variable-pitch propeller was introduced and often retrofitted to older aircraft; these were then unofficially known as B-2s The Bf 109B saw coh it was apparent that the armament was still inadequate Several aircraft were produced with an engine-un but it was very unreliable,Thus the Bf 109 V8 was constructed to test the fitting of two s; however, results showed that the wing needed strengthening[6] In the following V9 prototype, both wing guns were replaced by 20 mm MG FF cannons[7]

A total of 341 Bf 109 B-1s were built by Messerschmitt, , and the Erla Maschinenwerke[8][9]

Production of the short-lived Bf 109C began in the spring of 1938[10] The 109C was powered by a 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW) Juine with direct fuel injection Another i twofour 792 mm (312 in) MG 17s in total The C-0s were pre-production aircraft, the C-1 was the production version, and the C-2 was an experiun The C-3 was planned with 20 s, but it is not kno many C-3s (if any) were built or converted The C-4 was planned to have an engine-mounted Motorkanone MG FF, but this variant was not produced[11]

A total of 58 Bf 109Cs of all versions were built by Messerschmitt[8][9]

Messersch 1938

The next model, the V10 prototype, was identical to the V8, except for its Juine The V10, V11, V12 and V13 prototypes were built using Bf 109B airfra the performance of the aircraft The DB 600A was dropped as the improved with direct fuel injection was soon to become available

Developed from the V10 and V13 prototypes, the Bf 109D was the standard version of the Bf 109 in service with the Luftwaffe just before the start of World War II Despite this, the type saw only li the war, as all of the 235 Bf 109Ds still in Luftwaffe service at the beginning of the were rapidly taken out of service and replaced by the Bf 109E, except in some units where some examples were used into early 1940 Variants included the D-0 and D-1 ine and ar-mounted and two nose-mounted 792 mm (312 in) MG 17s> The D-2 was an experiun, but as previously tried, this installation failed The D-3 was sis

A total of 647 Bf 109Ds of all versions were built by Focke-Wulf, Erla, Fieseler, Arado and AGO[12][13] Messersch produced only four Bf 109Ds, probably the D-0 preproduction series with the serial production transferred to the licensed ary Switzerland bought 10 109D-1s (Serial Numbers frowerke GmbH factory located in Warnemünde

Bf 109E[]

In late 1938, the Bf 109E entered production To improve on the performance afforded by the 441-515 kW (600-700 PS) Ju an extra 223 kW (300 PS) at the cost of an additional 181 kg (400 lb) Aarea was needed to disperse the extra heat generated by the DB 601 and this led to the firstnose ine would have created extra weight and drag, negating soains afforded by the increased power, so it was decided to s' undersurfaces i root and wing panel, just forward of the trailing edges' inner ends, leaving the oil cooler under the nose in a small, streamlined duct The new radiator position also had the effect of counterbalancing the extra weight and length of the DB 601, which drove a heavier three-bladed Vereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke (VDM)-s were alned and reinforced, with several inboard ribs behind the spar being cut down toBecause the radiators were nowwith the increased speed of the airflow accelerating around the , the overall cooling installation was ined 109s, albeit at the cost of extra ducting and piping, which could be vulnerable to battle dae could throw upthe radiators[15]

To test the new 1,100 PS (1,085 hp, 809 kW) DB 601A engine, twoin their armament While the V14 was arine and one 20 , the V15 was just fitted with the two MG 17s hts, the V14 was consideredand a pre-production batch of 10 E-0 was ordered Batches of both E-1 and E-3 variants were shi+pped to Spain for evaluation, and first saw co the final phases of the Spanish Civil War

Bf 109E-3

E-1[]

The E-1 production version kept two 792 s Later, many were modified to the E-3 armament standard The E-1B was a small batch of E-1s that becadbomber (usually abbreviated to Jabo) These were fitted with either an ETC 500 bo (110 lb) bounsight Coerät 7 (radio set) short-range radio apparatus, effective to ranges of 48-56 km (30-35 mi) A total of 1,183 E-1 were built, 110 of them were E-1/B[12][13]

E-2[]

Only very limited numbers of the E-2 variant were built, for which the V20 prototype served as basis It was arine ave considerable trouble in service, as well as two synchronized MG 17s cowlthis type[17][18]

Bf 109E-3 of JG 51 'Mölders' at Deutsches Museum München

E-3[]

To improve the performance of the Bf 109E, the last two real prototypes (V16 and V17) were constructed These received some structural improvements and more powerful armament Both were the basis of the Bf 109 E-3 version The E-3 was arine and one MG FF cannon in each wing[19][20] A total of 1,276 E-3 were built, including 83 E-3a export versions[12][13]

Bf 109E-4

E-4[]

The E-3 was replaced by the E-4 (withat the beginning of the ), which was different in so theimproved head armour for the pilot With the MG FF/M, it was possible to fire a new and ieschoß (or ' drawn steel (the sa cast as was the usual practice This resulted in a shell with a thin but strong wall, which had a larger cavity in which to pack a e than was otherwise possible The new shell required modifications to the MG FF's mechanism due to the different recoil characteristics, hence the MG FF/M designation

The cockpit canopy was also revised to an easier-to-produce, ”squared-off” design, which also helped improve the pilot's field of view This canopy, which was also retrofitted to ed until the introduction of a welded, heavy-framed canopy on the G series in the autumn of 1942 The E-4 would be the basis for all further Bf 109E developments Some E-4 and later models received a further iine; known as the E-4/N; owing to priority being given to equipping Bf 110s with this engine, one fighter gruppe was converted to this version, starting in July 1940[21] The E-4 was also available as a fighter-bomber with equipment very similar to the previous E-1/B It was known as E-4/B (DB 601Aa engine) and E-4/BN (DB 601N engine) A total of 561 of all E-4 versions were built,[13] including 496 E-4s built as such: 250 E-4, 211 E-4/B, 15 E-4/N and 20 E-4/BN[12]

E-5, E-6[]

The E-5 and E-6 were both reconnaissance variants with a camera installation behind the cockpit The E-5 was a reconnaissance variant of the E-3, the E-6 was a reconnaissance variant of the E-4/N Twenty-nine E-5s were built and nine E-6s were ordered[12]

E-7[]

A standard Luftwaffe 300 litre drop tank

The E-7 was the nextcoust 1940[22] One of the lie of 660 kinally conceived as a short-range interceptor[23] The E-7 rectified this problem as it was the first Bf 109 subtype to be able to carry a , usually the standardized Luftwaffe 300 L (80 US gal) capacity unit e, which increased its range to 1,325 km (820 mi) Alternatively, a bohter-boressively retrofitted with the necessary fittings for carrying a drop tank from October 1940[24] Early E-7s were fitted with the 1,100 PS DB 601A or 1,175 PS DB 601Aa engine, while late-production ones received 1,175 PS DB 601N engines with inated as E-7/N[25] A total of 438 E-7s of all variants were built[26]

Bf 109E variants and sub-variants

E-0 (Pre-production aircraft with 4 × 792 uns)

E-1 (Similar to E-0)

E-1/B (Fighter-bomber version of E-1, usually with DB 601Aa)

E-2 (Liine mounted MG FF cannon, otherwise as E-3)

E-3 (Sis instead of the MG 17)

E-4 (Are of MG FF cannons to MG FF/M ”Square” canopy)

E-4/B (Fighter-bo/550 lb bomb, usually with DB 601Aa)

E-4 trop (Version of E-4 ions)

E-4/N (E-4 with DB601N engine)

E-4/BN (Fighter-bo/550 lb bomb)

E-5 (Recon version of E-3, camera equipment, 2 × 792 mm/312 in MG 17)

E-6 (Recon version of E-4/N, camera equipment, 2 × 792 mm/312 in MG 17)

E-7 (Similar to E-4 but with optional 300 L drop tank)

E-7/N (Similar to E-4/N but with optional 300 L tank)

E-7/NZ (also known as E-7/Z, an E-7/N with additional nitrous oxide injection system)

E-7/U2 (Ground attack variant of E-7 with additional armour)

E-8 (Long-range version of E-1 using drop tank installation of E-7, 4 × 792 mm/312 in MG 17)

E-9 (Recon version of E-7/N, drop tank, camera equipment, 2 × 792 mm/312 in MG 17)

Bf 109T[]

Bf 109T-1

Prior to the war, the had beco ideas from the British and japanese (mainly ), they started the construction of as part of the rebuilding of the navy The air group for the carrier was settled on Messerschhters and dive boer (carrier) in German use[27]

Despite references to a Bf 109 T-0 version[27] this version never existed Seven earlier versions (Bf 109 B, Bf 109 C, Bf 109 E) were converted to test carrier equips and increasing the wingspan to 1108 m (3635 ft) The ailerons were increased in span, as were the slats, and flap travel was increased The wings were notsince the shi+p Graf Zeppelin was designed around the intended aircraft, so the lifts could accos could, however, be detached froe for transport purposes, as in every version of the Bf 109[28][29][30]

Following flight tests, especially the catapult tests, 70 T-1 with DB601Ns were to be produced at in Kassel, but after seven T-1s were built, the carrier project was cancelled The re 63 of 70 T-1s were built as T-2s without carrier equipraded” to T-2 standard It was found that the performance of the T-2 was closely comparable to the E-4/N and, because of its ability to take off and land in shorter distances, these fighters were assigned to , deployed in Norway on landing strips which were both short and subject to frequent, powerful cross-winds[31] At the end of 1941 the unit was ordered to return their aircraft to Germany and received E-3s as replacements[32] The armament of the Bf 109T consisted of two 792 ine and one 20 [27]

Interest in Graf Zeppelin revived when the value of aircraft carriers became obvious, and in 1942 the shi+p was back in the yards for completion By this tihter would be needed Messerschmitt responded with the updated series, but work on the shi+p was again canceled and the Me 155 was later re-purposed as a high-altitude interceptor Design as transferred to and the aircraft was then known as the

The Bf 109Ts were issued to several training units in 1943 Then, in April 1943, the Jagdstaffel Helgoland was formed[33] and operated from Düne until late 1943, when the unit transferred to Lista in south Norway The unit was renamed as 11/JG 11 as of 30 November 1943[34] and the Bf 109Ts remained in operation until the su units in Germany

Bf 109F[]

Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2

Prototypes[]

Developun in 1939 After February 1940, an iine, the Daiineers at the Messerschmitt facilities took two Bf 109 E-1 airframes and installed this neerplant The first two prototypes, V21 (Werknummer (Works nu shape from the E-1, but the span was reduced by 61 cs incorporated the cooling system modifications described below V22 also became the testbed for the pre-production DB 601E The s so V23, Stammkennzeichen (factory Code)[Notes 1] CE+BP, WNr 5603, was fitted with new, se planform for all future Bf 109 combat versions The fourth prototype, V24 VK+AB, WNr 5604, fleith the clipped wings but featured a modified, ”elbow”-shaped air-intake, which was eventually adopted for production, and a deeper oil cooler bath beneath the cowling[35] On all of these prototypes, the fuselage was cleaned up and the engine cowling modified to improve aerodynamics

Aerodynamic improvements[]

Compared to the earlier Bf 109 E, the Bf 109 F was ned to be sed propeller spinner, adapted froine cowling[36] Underneath the cowling was a revised,A new ejector exhaust arrangement was incorporated, and on later aircraft a metal shi+eld was fitted over the left hand banks to deflect exhaust fuer air-intake was, fron that protruded further out into the airstreaht-alloy VDM propeller unit with a reduced diaed electrically, and was regulated by a constant-speed unit, though a manual override was still provided Thanks to the iines and the introduction of light-alloy versions of the standard Luftwaffe 300 litre drop tank, the Bf 109 F offered a e of 1,700 kure of only 660 km (410 miles) on internal fuel,[38] and with the E-7's provision for the 300 litre drop tank, a Bf 109E so equipped possessed double the range, to 1,325 km (820 mi)

The canopy stayed essentially the sah the handbook for the 'F' stipulated that the forward, lower triangular panel to starboard was to be replaced by a nal flares Many F-1s and F-2s kept this section glazed A two-piece, all-metal armour plate head shi+eld was added, as on the E-4, to the hinged portion of the canopy, although some lacked the curved top section A bullet-resistant windscreen could be fitted as an option[39] The fuel tank was self-sealing, and around 1942 Bf 109Fs were retrofitted with additional arht-alloy plate just aft of the pilot and fuel tank The fuselage aft of the canopy reed in its externals

The tail section of the aircraft was redesigned as well The was slightly reduced in area and the sy a sideways lift force that swung the tail slightly to the left This helped increase the effectiveness of the rudder, and reduced the need for application of right rudder on takeoff to counteract torque effects fro struts were rehtly below and forward of their original positions A see legs were raked forward by six degrees to i An unexpected structural flaw of the wing and tail section was revealed when the first F-1s were rushed into service; so surface wrinkling or fracturing, or by the tail structure failing In one such accident, the commander of JG 2 ”Richthofen”, , lost his life when he was attacked by a Spitfire during a test flight While s broke away and Balthasar was killed when his aircraft hit the ground Slightly thicker wing skins and reinforced spars dealt with the wing problems Tests were also carried out to find out why the tails had failed, and it was found that at certain engine settings a high-frequency in the tailplane spar was overlapped by vibrations froh to cause structural failure at the rear fuselage/fin attach plates were screwed onto the outer fuselage on each side, and later the entire structure was reinforced[35]

The entire as redesigned, the tips, and the slight reduction of the aerodynamic area to 1605 s included nehich were slightly shorter but had a slightly increased ; and new rounded, res and increased the span slightly over that of the E-series replaced the plain ailerons of the previous models The 2R1 profile was used with a thickness-to-chord ratio of 142 at the root reducing to 1135 at the last rib As before, was 653°[36]

The wing radiators were shallower and set farther back on the wing A new cooling systeulated by a thermostat with interconnected variable position inlet and outlet flaps that would balance the lowest drag possible with theA new radiator, shallower but wider than that fitted to the E was developed A duct allowed continual airflow to pass through the airfoil above the radiator ducting and exit froe of the upper split flap The lower split flap was mechanically linked to the central ”main” flap, while the upper split flap and forward bath lip position were regulated via a thermostatic valve which auto effectiveness[40] In 1941 ”cutoff” valves were introduced which allowed the pilot to shut down either wing radiator in the event of one being da coolant to be preserved and the daed aircraft returned to base However, these valves were delivered to frontline units as kits, the number of which, for unknown reasons, was limited[41] These cutoff valves were later factory standard fitting for Bf 109 G[42] and K series[43][44]

Armament[]

The armament of the Bf 109 F was revised and now consisted of the two synchronized 792 ine plus a Motorkanone cannon firing through the propeller hub The pilot's opinion on the new arht are pilot, while Major preferred to fly a Bf 109 E, and Oberst saw the single centreline Motorkanone gun as an improvement

With the early tail unit problereed that the F series was the best-handling of all the Bf 109 series[45] Mölders flew one of the first operational Bf 109 F-1s over England from early October 1940; he ht Hurricanes and four Spitfires while flying WNo 5628, Stammkennzeichen SG+GW between 11 and 29 October 1940[46][47]

Bf 109 F sub-variants[]

F-0, F-1, F-2[]

Bf 109 F-2/Trop

As the DB 601 E was not yet available in numbers, the pre-production F-0 (the only F variant to have a rectangular supercharger intake) and the first production series F-1/F-2 received the 1,175 PS (1,159 hp, 864 kW) DB 601N engine driving a VDM 9-11207 propeller[36] The F-0/F-1 and F-2 only differed in their ar fitted with one 20 h the propeller hub, with 60 rounds The F-1 first saw action in the in October 1940 with JG 51[48] The hter aces, like , were the first ones to fly the Bf 109 F-1s in combat in October 1940[46] A total of 208 F-1s were built between August 1940 and February 1941 by Messerschwerke (WNF)[49]

Messerscheschwader 51, Winter 1942/1943

The F-2 introduced the 1520 mm Mauser MG 151/20 version become available, a number of F-2s were retrofitted with it in the field About 1,230 F-2s were built between October 1940 and August 1941 by AGO, Arado, Erla, Messersch and WNF[49] No tropicalized version was built, although individual F-2s were retrofitted with sand filters in the field[51] The maximum speed of the F-1 and F-2 was 615 km/h (382 mph) at rated altitude

F-0 (Pre-production aircraft built from E series airframes, Adolf Galland was one of the few to fly one operationally)

F-1 (Armed with 1 × 20 mm MG FF/M Motorkanone cannon and 2 × 792 uns)

F-2 (Armed with 1 × 15 mm (59 in) and 2 × 792 mm/312 in MG 17)

F-2 trop (tropicalized version, only as field conversion)

F-2/Z (high-altitude fighter with GM-1 boost, cancelled in favour of the F-4/Z)

F-3, F-4, F-5, F-6[]

Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 in the

Bf 109 F-4

The 1,350 PS (1,332 hp, 993 kW) DB 601 E was used in the F-3 and F-4 ether with a VDM 9-12010 propeller with broader blades for improved altitude performance[35][52] The DB 601 E was initially restricted to 1,200 PS (1,184 hp, 883 kW) at 2,500 rp of 1,350 PS at 2,500 rpm was cleared for service use by February 1942 The DB 601 E ran on standard 87 octane ”B-4” aviation fuel, despite its increased performance; while the earlier DB 601 N required 100 octane ”C-3” fuel[53]

Only 15 examples of the F-3 are believed to have been produced by Messersch between October 1940 and January 1941 Like the F-1, the F-3 was armed with the 20 mm MG-FF/M and two 792 mm (312 in) MG 17s[54]

From the F-4 onward, the new 20 mm Mauser MG 151/20 with 200 rounds was used as the Motorkanone[50] The first F-4s reached frontline units in June 1941 Production lasted exactly a year between May 1941 and May 1942, with 1,841 of all F-4 variants produced[55] So two 20 ondolas with 135 rpg These were designated F-4/R1 and 240 of them were produced by WNF in the first quarter of 1942[56] This optional additional armament was standardized as field kit for later G and K series A special high-altitude variant, the F-4/Z featuring boost, was also built with a production run of 544 in the first quarter of 1942 and saw extensive use[53][57] Finally, the Erla factory produced 576 tropicalized F-4 trop in the first half of 1942[53]

Bf 109 F-6

With its initial engine rating of 1,200 PS, the maximum speed of the F-4 (and F-3) was 635 km/h (394 mph) at rated altitude; and with the clearance of the full rating of 1,350 PS, maximum speed increased to 659 km/h (410 mph) at 6,200 m (20,341 ft)[58]

F-3 (As F-1 but with 1350 PS DB 601E engine, produced in limited numbers)

F-4 (As F-2 but with DB 601E engine, 20the 15 mm MG 151)