German Messerschmitt Bf109 Fighter

By Crusader1307

The workhorse of Germany's Luftwaffe (Air Force), The Messerschmitt 109 Series of Fighter Planes were invented by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser in 1935. Designed as a single seat Fighter, The most common type used with great success in World War II was the (G) Type. Designated the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bf), American and British Forces identified them as "Me 109". Over 31,000 were produced until The War's end. The 109 had 8 versions. Typically, they were 19 feet long with a 32 foot wingspan. The 109 had an operational ceiling of 39,000 feet. They were capable of achieving 6,000 feet in 17 minutes. The aircraft was powered by a 700 HP Engine. The 109 could achieve 386 mph. For armament, it carried (3) 120mm Cannon and two wing mounted 7.92mm Machine Guns. The Messerschmitt also could deploy (2) 8-inch Gr 21 Rockets as well as up to 200 pounds of ordnance. Over 2,500 German Aces were "made" using The 109. The Fighter was used by Germany during The Battle of Britain (1940). A common issue with The 109 was it's lateral control and speed acceleration once crushing altitude was achieved. This issue was to be corrected with The (K) Series, but The War ended. The 109 would still see many years more of operational service. The Spanish Air Force would use it until 1965.