Messerschmitt Bf 109 variants
Due to the Messerschmitt Bf 109's versatility and time in service with the German and foreign air forces, numerous variants were produced in Germany to serve for over eight years with the Luftwaffe. Additional variants were produced abroad totalling in 34,852 Bf 109s built.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 variants
Bf 109B-2
Bf 109C-1
Several Messerschmitt Bf 109B-1 at Budaörs Airport, 1937
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. It was still in service at the end of World War II in 1945. It was one of the most advanced fighters when it first appeared, with an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear. A liquid-cooled, inverted-V12 aero engine powered it. It was called the Me 109 by Allied aircrew and some German aces, even though this was not the official German designation.
Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109 V1
A drawing of the V1 prototype
JG 53 Bf 109E-3, c. 1939/1940