Messerschmitt Bf-109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is the most-produced fighter aircraft in history, with roughly 34,000 built between 1936 and 1945. Designed by Willy Messerschmitt, it introduced all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear at a time when many rival air forces still flew fabric-covered biplanes. It first saw combat during the Spanish Civil War, refining the fighter tactics German pilots carried into WWII, then became the Luftwaffe's principal fighter, dueling the Spitfire over southern England in the Battle of Britain. Postwar, Spain kept the airframe flying with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine as the Hispano Buchón, and Czechoslovakia built it as the Avia S-199.
_und_N.N.,_Vrba-Ost,_Bulgarien,_April_1941.jpg){kind=link}
Did you know?
The most-produced fighter in history: the Luftwaffe's backbone that dueled the Spitfire over Britain in 1940.
Specifications
| Length | 8.7 m (29 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 9.9 m (32 ft) |
| Height | 2.4 m (8 ft) |
| Maximum take-off weight | 3.3 t |
| Range | 400 NM (741 km) |
| Service ceiling | 38,500 ft (11,735 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 23,000 ft (7,010 m) |
| Rate of climb | 2,360 ft/min (12 m/s) |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Messerschmitt Bf-109 starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Messerschmitt, the Bf-109 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
Browse all aircraft types, or learn to tell Airbus from Boeing.