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90-598: The La-5 descended from the LaGG-1 and LaGG-3, aircraft designed by Vladimir Gorbunov before the Second World War . The LaGG-1 was underpowered, and the LaGG-3 - with a lighter airframe and a stronger engine did not solve the problem. By early 1942, the LaGG-3's shortcomings led to Lavochkin falling out of Joseph Stalin 's favour, and LaGG-3 factories converting to Yakovlev Yak-1 and Yak-7 production. During

180-484: A 1,230 kW (1,672 PS; 1,649 hp) DB 601R racing engine, set a new world air speed record for landplanes with piston engines of 610.95 km/h (379.63 mph), winning the title for Germany for the first time. Converted from a Bf 109D, the V13 had been fitted with a special racing DB 601R engine that could deliver 1,230 kW (1,672 PS; 1,649 hp) for short periods. Heinkel , having had

270-494: A 20 mm MG FF/M autocannon, the "/M" suffix indicating the capability of firing thin-walled 20mm mine shells , installed internally in each wing. In place of internal wing armament, additional firepower was provided through a pair of 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons installed in conformal gun pods under the wings. The conformal gun pods, exclusive of ammunition, weighed 135 kg (298 lb); and 135 to 145 rounds were provided per gun. The total weight, including ammunition,

360-566: A cut-off system: if one radiator leaked you could fly on the second or close both down and fly at least five minutes more. The pilot was protected by armour-plate from the back, and the fuel tank was also behind armour. Our planes had fuel tanks in the centre of their wings: that's why our pilot got burnt. What else did I like about the Messer? It was highly automatic and thus easy to fly. It also employed an electrical pitch regulator, which our planes didn't have. Our propeller system, with variable pitch

450-447: A disadvantage for a light fighter, decreasing the aircraft's rate of roll and manoeuvrability. As a result, the He 112 V4 which was used for the trials had new wings, spanning 11.5 m (37 ft 8.75 in) with an area of 21.6 m (232.5 ft ). However, the improvements had not been fully tested and the He 112 V4 could not be demonstrated in accordance with the rules laid down by

540-409: A large extent. From the inception of the design, priority was given to easy access to the powerplant, fuselage weapons and other systems while the aircraft was operating from forward airfields . To this end, the entire engine cowling was made up of large, easily removable panels which were secured by large toggle latches. A large panel under the wing centre section could be removed to gain access to

630-499: A novel, complex retractable main undercarriage which proved to be unreliable. Initially, the Bf 109 was regarded with disfavour by E-Stelle test pilots because of its steep ground angle, which resulted in poor forward visibility when taxiing; the sideways-hinged cockpit canopy, which could not be opened in flight (but could be dropped by the emergency arm). They were also concerned about the high wing loading. The Heinkel He 112 , based on

720-456: A piston-engined aircraft was to stand until 1969, when Darryl Greenamyer 's modified Grumman F8F Bearcat , Conquest I , broke it with a 777 km/h (483 mph) record speed. When the Bf ;109 was designed in 1934, by a team led by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser , its primary role was that of a high-speed, short-range interceptor. It used the most advanced aerodynamics of

810-468: A problem with inexperienced pilots, especially during the later stages of the war when pilots received less training before being sent to operational units. At least 10% of all Bf 109s were lost in takeoff and landing accidents, 1,500 of which occurred between 1939 and 1941. The installation of a fixed "tall" tailwheel on some of the late G-10s and −14s and the K-series helped alleviate the problem to

900-537: A scaled-down Blitz , was the favourite of the Luftwaffe leaders. Compared with the Bf 109, it was also cheaper. Positive aspects of the He ;112 included the wide track and robustness of the undercarriage (this opened outwards from mid wing, as opposed to the 109s which opened from the wing root ), considerably better visibility from the cockpit and a lower wing loading that made for easier landings. In addition,

990-477: A single throttle lever. Due to airflow limitations, the engine boost system ( Forsazh ) could not be used above 2,000 m (6,562 ft). Stability in all axes was generally good. The authority of the ailerons was deemed exceptional but the rudder was insufficiently powerful at lower speeds. At speeds in excess of 600 km/h (370 mph), the forces on control surfaces became excessive. Horizontal turn time at 1,000 m (3,281 ft) and maximum engine power

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1080-495: A superior roll-rate. Lerche advised Fw 190 pilots to draw the La-5FN to higher altitudes, escape attacks by diving followed by a high-speed shallow climb, and avoid prolonged turning engagements. The most serious La-5 defects were the engine's thermal isolation, lack of cockpit ventilation, and a canopy that was impossible to open at speeds over 350 km/h. Furthermore, poor engine compartment insulation allowed exhaust gas to enter

1170-449: A top speed of 400 km/h (250 mph) at 6,000 m (20,000 ft), to be maintained for 20 minutes, while having a total flight duration of 90 minutes. The critical altitude of 6,000 metres was to be reached in no more than 17 minutes, and the fighter was to have an operational ceiling of 10,000 m (33,000 ft). Power was to be provided by the new Junkers Jumo 210 engine of about 522 kW (710 PS; 700 hp). It

1260-688: 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

1350-624: Is in storage at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia . Data from Istoriia konstruktskii samoletov v SSSR, 1938–1950, Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Goudkov LaGG-1 The Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-1 ( Russian : Лавочкин-Горбунов-Гудков ЛаГГ-1 )

1440-653: The ASh-82 FN engine with direct injection of fuel into the cylinders. It was perfected and had better maneuverability, acceleration, speed and climb rate compared to the early variants. Everyone was in love with the La-5. It was easy to maintain, too." Nevertheless, La-5 losses were high, the highest of all fighters in service in USSR, excepting those of the Yak-1. In 1941–45, VVS KA lost 2,591 La-5s: 73 in 1942, 1,460 in 1943, 825

1530-669: The Eastern Front . The highest-scoring, Erich Hartmann , was credited with 352 victories. The aircraft was also flown by Hans-Joachim Marseille , the highest-scoring ace in the North African campaign , who shot down 158 enemy aircraft (in about a third of the time). It was also flown by many aces from other countries fighting with Germany, notably the Finn Ilmari Juutilainen , the highest-scoring non-German ace. He scored 58 of his 94 confirmed victories with

1620-582: The Heinkel He 51 , they were very critical of the Bf 109 at first. However, it soon became one of the frontrunners in the contest, as the Arado and Focke-Wulf entries, which were intended as "backup" programmes to safeguard against failure of the two favourites, proved to be completely outclassed. The Arado Ar 80, with its gull wing (replaced with a straight, tapered wing on the V3) and fixed, spatted undercarriage

1710-603: The Me 209 V1 , set a new record of 755.14 km/h (469.22 mph). For propaganda purposes, the Me ;209 V1 aircraft (possibly from its post-July 1938 first flight date) was given the designation Me 109R , with the later prefix , never used for wartime Bf 109 fighters. The Me 209 V1 was powered by the DB 601ARJ, producing 1,156 kW (1,550 hp), but capable of reaching 1,715 kW (2,300 hp). This world record for

1800-543: The Soviet Air Force had been made plain by recent losses in the Winter War with Finland , and the aircraft, initially designated I-22 was ordered into production. Some 100 aircraft were sent to evaluation squadrons, where their shortcomings quickly became obvious. The new fighter proved clearly underpowered. It lacked agility and range. Furthermore, while the prototypes were carefully handmade and finished,

1890-409: The 1,350 PS (993 kW; 1,332 hp) DB 601E (F-3, F-4). Considered by many as the high-water mark of Bf 109 development, the F series abandoned the wing cannon and concentrated all armament in the forward fuselage with a pair of synchronized machine guns above and a single 15 or 20 mm Motorkanone -mount cannon behind the engine, the latter firing between the cylinder banks and through

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1980-423: The 109F-series onwards, guns were no longer carried inside the wings. Instead, the Bf 109F had a 20 mm gun firing through the propeller shaft. The change was disliked by leading fighter pilots such as Adolf Galland and Walter Oesau , but others such as Werner Mölders considered the single nose-mounted gun to compensate well for the loss of the two wing guns. Galland had his Bf 109F-2 field-modified with

2070-465: The 449 kW (610 PS; 602 hp) Jumo 210A engine. V3 followed, the first to be mounted with guns, but it did not fly until May 1936 due to a delay in procuring another Jumo 210 engine. After Luftwaffe acceptance trials were completed at their headquarters Erprobungsstelle ( E-Stelle ) military aviation test and development facility at Rechlin , the prototypes were moved to the subordinate E-Stelle Baltic seacoast facility at Travemünde for

2160-583: The Acceptance Commission, placing it at a distinct disadvantage. Because of its smaller, lighter airframe , the Bf 109 was 30 km/h (20 mph) faster than the He 112 in level flight, and superior in climbing and diving. The Commission ultimately ruled in favour of the Bf 109 because of the Messerschmitt test pilot's demonstration of the 109's capabilities during a series of spins, dives, flick rolls and tight turns, throughout which

2250-494: The Bf 109 "the skinny one" (худо́й, khudoy ), for its sleek appearance compared, for example, to the more robust Fw 190. The names "Anton", "Berta", "Caesar", "Dora", "Emil", "Friedrich", "Gustav", and "Kurfürst" were derived from the variant's official letter designation (e.g. Bf 109G – "Gustav"), based on the German spelling alphabet of World War II, a practice that was also used for other German aircraft designs. The G-6 variant

2340-546: The Bf 109 into production. At the same time, Heinkel was instructed to radically redesign the He 112. The Messerschmitt 109 made its public debut during the 1936 Berlin Olympics when the V1 prototype was flown. As with the earlier Bf 108, the new design was based on Messerschmitt's "lightweight construction" principle, which aimed to minimise the number of separate parts in the aircraft. Examples of this could be found in

2430-567: The Bf 109. Pilots from Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia and Italy also flew the fighter. Through constant development, the Bf 109 remained competitive with the latest Allied fighter aircraft until the end of the war. During 1933, the Technisches Amt (C-Amt), the technical department of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) ("Reich Aviation Ministry"), concluded a series of research projects into

2520-475: The Bf 109 was the K series or Kurfürst , introduced in late 1944, powered by the DB 605D engine with up to 2,000 PS (1,471 kW; 1,973 hp). Though externally akin to the late production Bf 109G series, a large number of internal changes and aerodynamic improvements were incorporated that improved its effectiveness and remedied flaws, keeping it competitive with the latest Allied and Soviet fighters. The Bf 109's outstanding rate of climb

2610-566: The Bf 109F replaced it in the pure fighter role. (Eight Bf 109Es were assembled in Switzerland in 1946 by the Dornier-Werke, using licence-built airframes; a ninth airframe was assembled using spare parts.) The second big redesign during 1939–40 gave birth to the F series . The Friedrich had new wings, cooling system and fuselage aerodynamics, with the 1,175 PS (864 kW; 1,159 hp) DB 601N (F-1, F-2) or

2700-461: The E series had a fuselage ordnance rack for fighter-bomber operations or provision for a long-range, standardized 300 litres (79 US gallons) drop-tank and used the DB ;601N engine of higher power output. The Bf 109E first saw service with the " Condor Legion " during the last phase of the Spanish Civil War and was the main variant from the beginning of World War II until mid-1941 when

2790-550: The Flugmeeting airshow in Zürich under the command of Major Seidemann. They won in several categories: First prize in a speed race over a 202 km course, first prize in the class A category in the international Alpenrundflug for military aircraft, and victory in the international Patrouillenflug category. On 11 November 1937, the Bf 109 V13, D-IPKY flown by Messerschmitt's chief pilot Dr. Hermann Wurster, powered by

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2880-665: The French Dewoitine D.520 , or the American Bell P-39 Airacobra , and dated back to World War I 's small run of SPAD S.XII moteur-canon , 37 mm cannon-armed fighters in France. When it was discovered in 1937 that the RAF was planning eight-gun batteries for its new Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters, it was decided that the Bf 109 should be more heavily armed. The problem

2970-506: The He 112 rejected in the design competition of 1936, designed and built the He 100 . On 6 June 1938, the He 100 V3, flown by Ernst Udet , captured the record with a speed of 634.7 km/h (394.4 mph). On 30 March 1939, test pilot Hans Dieterle surpassed that record, reaching 746.61 km/h (463.92 mph) with the He 100 V8. Messerschmitt, however, soon regained the lead when, on 26 April 1939, Flugkapitän Fritz Wendel , flying

3060-621: The Junkers Jumo 210 powered most of the pre-war variants. The most-produced Bf 109 model was the Bf 109G series (more than a third of all 109s built were the G-6 series, 12,000 units being manufactured from March 1943 until the end of the war). The initial production models of the A, B, C and D series were powered by the relatively low-powered, 670–700 PS (493–515 kW; 661–690 hp) Junkers Jumo 210 series engines. A few prototypes of these early aircraft were converted to use

3150-460: The L-shaped main fuel tank , which was sited partly under the cockpit floor and partly behind the rear cockpit bulkhead. Other, smaller panels gave easy access to the cooling system and electrical equipment. The engine was held in two large, forged, Elektron magnesium alloy Y-shaped legs, one per side straddling the engine block, which were cantilevered from the firewall. Each of the legs

3240-448: The V4 had a single-piece, clear-view, sliding cockpit canopy and a more powerful Jumo 210Da engine with a modified exhaust system. However, the He 112 was also structurally complicated, being 18% heavier than the Bf 109, and it soon became clear that the thick wing, which spanned 12.6 m (41 ft 4 in) with an area of 23.2 m (249.7 ft ) on the first prototype (V1), was

3330-510: The Yak-7, and intensive flight tests began in April. The aircraft was named LaG-5 ; the change from LaGG was because Mikhail Gudkov , one of the original LaGG designers, was no longer with the programme. By July, it was called La-5 , although Gorbunov was still involved. By July, the La-5 was ordered into full production, including the conversion of incomplete LaGG-3 airframes. Production based on

3420-425: The addition of MW-50 water injection boost and high-performance superchargers , boosting engine output to 1,800–2,000 PS (1,324–1,471 kW; 1,775–1,973 hp). From early 1944, some G-2s, G-3s, G-4s and G-6s were converted to two-seat trainers, known as G-12s. An instructor's cockpit was added behind the original cockpit and both were covered by an elongated, glazed canopy. The final production version of

3510-451: The additional armament increased the fighter's potency as a bomber destroyer, it had an adverse effect on the handling qualities, reducing its performance in fighter-versus-fighter combat and accentuating the tendency of the fighter to swing pendulum-fashion in flight. Some of the projected 109K-series models, such as the K-6, were designed to carry 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 cannons in

3600-594: The airfield located in the southernmost Augsburg neighborhood of Haunstetten , piloted by Hans-Dietrich "Bubi" Knoetzsch. After four months of flight testing, the aircraft was delivered in September to the Luftwaffe's central test centre at the Erprobungsstelle Rechlin to take part in the design competition. In 1935, the first Jumo engines became available, so V2 was completed in October using

3690-410: The cannon to be fitted with the ammunition feed forward of the spar, while the breech block projected rearward through the spar. A 60-round ammunition drum was placed in a space closer to the wing root causing a bulge in the underside. A small hatch was incorporated in the bulge to allow access for changing the drum. The entire weapon could be removed for servicing by removing a leading edge panel. From

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3780-516: The case, as all three competing companies—Arado, Heinkel and BFW—received the development contract for the L.A. 1432/33 requirements at the same time in February 1934. A fourth company, Focke-Wulf, received a copy of the development contract only in September 1934. The powerplant was to be the new Junkers Jumo 210, but the proviso was made that it would be interchangeable with the more powerful, but less developed Daimler-Benz DB 600 powerplant. Each

3870-598: The cockpit; in response, pilots frequently ignored orders by flying with open canopies. Soviet pilots were generally satisfied with the La-5. "That was an excellent fighter with two cannons and a powerful air-cooled engine", recalled pilot Viktor M. Sinaisky. "The first La-5s from the Tbilisi factory were slightly inferior, while the last ones from the Gorki plant, which came to us from Ivanovo , were perfect. At first we received regular La-5s, but then we got new ones containing

3960-480: The company. All Messerschmitt aircraft that originated after that date, such as the Me 210 , were to carry the "Me" designation. Despite regulations by the RLM, wartime documents from Messerschmitt AG, RLM and Luftwaffe loss and strength reports continued to use both designations, sometimes even on the same page. All extant airframes bear the official "Bf 109" designation on their identification plates, including

4050-563: The engine controls (throttle, mixture, propeller pitch, cowl flaps, and supercharger gearbox) had separate levers which forced the pilot to make constant adjustments during combat or risk suboptimal performance. For example, rapid acceleration required moving no less than six levers. In contrast, contemporary German aircraft with the BMW 801 used the Kommandogerät engine computer system that automatically controlled all of these settings from

4140-423: The engines available, a fighter would end up being slower than the bombers it was tasked with catching. A fighter was designed primarily for high-speed flight. A smaller wing area was optimal for achieving high speed, but low-speed flight would suffer, as the smaller wing would require more airflow to generate enough lift to maintain flight. To compensate for this, the Bf 109 included advanced high-lift devices on

4230-628: The final K-4 models. The aircraft was often referred to by the folk-designation, 'Me 109', particularly by the Allies. The aircraft was often nicknamed Messer by its operators and opponents alike; the name was not only an abbreviation of the manufacturer but also the German word for "knife". In Finland, the Bf 109 was known as Mersu , although this was originally (and still is) the Finnish nickname for Mercedes-Benz cars. Soviet aviators nicknamed

4320-464: The following year, and 233 in 1945. The La-5F arrived at the frontline in February 1943. It was able to challenge the Bf 109G-2 and the Fw 190A-4 on more or less equal terms, while at tree-top height it was even faster. One of the most successful La-5 units was 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, that flew 3,802 combat sorties, claiming 128 enemy aircraft shot down while losing 52 Lavochkins. An La-5 wreck

4410-447: The fuselage. It also allowed simplification of the wing structure, since it did not have to bear the loads imposed during takeoff or landing. The one major drawback of this landing gear arrangement was its narrow wheel track , making the aircraft unstable while on the ground. To increase stability, the legs were splayed outward somewhat, creating another problem in that the loads imposed during takeoff and landing were transferred up through

4500-457: The future of air combat. The result of the studies was four broad outlines for future aircraft: Rüstungsflugzeug III was intended to be a short range interceptor, replacing the Arado Ar 64 and Heinkel He 51 biplanes then in service. In late March 1933, the RLM published the tactical requirements for a single-seat fighter in the document L.A. 1432/33. The projected fighter needed to have

4590-446: The head-to-head portion of the competition. The aircraft participating in the trials were the Arado Ar 80 V3, the Focke-Wulf Fw 159 V3, the Heinkel He 112 V4 and the Bf 109 V2. The He 112 arrived first, in early February 1936, followed by the rest of the prototypes by the end of the month. Because most fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe were used to biplanes with open cockpits , low wing loading, light g-forces and easy handling like

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4680-467: The legs at an angle. The small rudder of the Bf 109 was relatively ineffective at controlling the strong swing created by the powerful slipstream of the propeller during the early portion of the takeoff roll, and this sideways drift created disproportionate loads on the wheel opposite to the swing. If the forces imposed were large enough, the pivot point broke and the landing gear leg would collapse outward into its bay. Experienced pilots reported that

4770-445: The loads being distributed through the structure via a series of strong-points. By concentrating the loads in the firewall, the structure of the Bf 109 could be made relatively light and uncomplicated. An advantage of this design was that the main landing gear, which retracted through an 85-degree angle, was attached to the fuselage , making it possible to completely remove the wings for servicing without additional equipment to support

4860-420: The lower radiator flap operated as part of the flap system), thereby increasing the effective flap area. When deployed, these devices effectively increased the wings' coefficient of lift. Fighters with liquid-cooled engines were vulnerable to hits in the cooling system. For this reason, on later Bf 109 F, G and K models, the two coolant radiators were equipped with a cut-off system. If one radiator leaked, it

4950-478: The mass-produced examples were comparatively crude. The subsequent modifications undertaken by Lavochkin's OKB would result at last in the LaGG-3 . Data from The Complete Book of Fighters General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109

5040-549: The more powerful DB 600. The first redesign came with the E series , including the naval variant, the Bf 109T (T standing for Träger , carrier ). The Bf 109E ( Emil ) introduced structural changes to accommodate the heavier and more powerful 1,100 PS (809 kW; 1,085 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, heavier armament and increased fuel capacity. Partly due to its limited 300 kilometres (190 miles) combat radius on internal fuel alone, resulting from its 660 km (410 mi) range limit, later variants of

5130-469: The north-west of Moscow. It was designed as a light-weight aircraft around the Klimov M-105 engine and built out of laminated wood to save on strategic materials . The first prototype flew on March 30, 1940, and once some initial difficulties had been worked out of the design, proved to be promising, if somewhat short of what its designers had hoped for. By this stage, however, the need to modernise

5220-488: The pilot was in complete control of the aircraft. In March, the RLM received news that the British Supermarine Spitfire had been ordered into production. It was felt that a quick decision was needed to get the winning design into production as soon as possible, so on 12 March, the RLM announced the results of the competition in a document entitled Bf 109 Priority Procurement , which ordered

5310-563: The pilot's exterior visibility with a cut down rear fuselage. The definitive La-5FN had a fuel-injected engine, a different engine air intake, and was further lightened. A full circle turn took 18–19 seconds. Very late-production La-5FN had two 20mm Berezin B-20 cannon installed in the cowling in place of the heavier two 20mm ShVAK ; both were capable of a salvo weight of 3.4 kg/s. 9,920 La-5s of all variants were built, including dedicated trainer versions, designated La-5UTI . The La-5

5400-534: The propeller hub, itself covered by a more streamlined, half-elliptical shaped spinner that better matched the streamlining of the reshaped cowling, abandoning the smaller, conical spinner of the Emil subtype. The F-type also omitted the earlier stabilizer lift strut on either side of the tail. The improved aerodynamics were used by all later variants. Some Bf 109Fs were used late in the Battle of Britain in 1940 but

5490-587: The prototype began almost immediately in factories in Moscow and the Yaroslav region. Changes to the main production model included slats to improve all-round performance. The La-5 was inferior to the best German fighters at higher altitudes, but equal at lower altitudes; it was suitable for air combat over the Eastern Front which typically took place at altitudes under 5,000 m (16,404 ft). The aircraft received further modifications. The La-5F improved

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5580-505: The rear spar. The wing profile was the NACA 2R1 14.2 at the root and NACA 2R1 11.35 at the tip, with a thickness to chord ratio of 14.2% at the root and 11.35% at the tip. Another major difference from competing designs was the higher wing-loading. While the R-IV contract called for a wing-loading of less than 100 kg/m , Messerschmitt felt this was unreasonable. With a low wing-loading and

5670-460: The spar and the leading edge. The tube channeled cooling air around the barrel and breech, exhausting from a slot at the rear of the wing. The installation was so cramped that parts of the MG 17's breech mechanism extended into an opening created in the flap structure. The much longer and heavier MG FF had to be mounted farther along the wing in an outer bay. A large hole was cut through the spar allowing

5760-407: The swing was easy to control, but some of the less-experienced pilots lost fighters on takeoff. Because of the large ground angle caused by the long legs, forward visibility while on the ground was very poor, a problem exacerbated by the sideways-opening canopy. This meant that pilots had to taxi in a sinuous fashion which also imposed stresses on the splayed undercarriage legs. Ground accidents were

5850-527: The time and embodied advanced structural design which was ahead of its contemporaries. In the early years of the war, the Bf 109 was the only single-engined fighter operated by the Luftwaffe, until the appearance of the Fw 190 . The Bf 109 remained in production from 1937 through 1945 in many different variants and sub-variants. The primary engines used were the Daimler-Benz DB 601 and DB 605 , though

5940-415: The use of two large, complex brackets which were fitted to the firewall. These brackets incorporated the lower engine mounts and landing gear pivot point into one unit. A large forging attached to the firewall housed the main spar pick-up points and carried most of the wing loads. Contemporary design practice was usually to have these main load-bearing structures mounted on different parts of the airframe, with

6030-608: The variant came into common use only in the first half of 1941. The G series , or Gustav , was introduced in mid-1942. Its initial variants (G-1 through G-4) differed only in minor details from the Bf 109F, most notably in the more powerful 1,475 PS (1,085 kW; 1,455 hp) DB 605 engine. Odd-numbered variants were built as high-altitude fighters with a pressurized cockpit and GM-1 boost, while even-numbered variants were un-pressurized, air superiority fighters and fighter-bombers. Long-range photo-reconnaissance variants also existed. The later G series (G-5 through G-14)

6120-458: The war years. Another example of the Bf 109's advanced design was the use of a single, I-beam main spar in the wing, positioned more aft than usual (to give enough room for the retracted wheel), thus forming a stiff D-shaped torsion box. Most aircraft of the era used two spars, near the front and rear edges of the wings, but the D-box was much stiffer torsionally , and eliminated the need for

6210-432: The wing to accommodate large ammunition boxes and access hatches, an unusual ammunition feed was devised whereby a continuous belt holding 500 rounds was fed along chutes out to the wing tip, around a roller, and then back along the wing, forward and beneath the gun breech, to the wing root, where it coursed around another roller and back to the weapon. The gun barrel was placed in a long, large-diameter tube located between

6300-445: The wings very thin and light. Two synchronized machine guns were mounted in the cowling, firing over the top of the engine and through the propeller arc. An alternative arrangement was also designed, consisting of a single autocannon firing through a blast tube between the cylinder banks of the engine, known as a Motorkanone mount in German. This was also the choice of armament layout on some contemporary monoplane fighters, such as

6390-483: The wings, including automatically opening leading edge slats , and fairly large camber-changing flaps on the trailing edge . The slats increased the lift of the wing considerably when deployed, greatly improving the horizontal maneuverability of the aircraft, as several Luftwaffe veterans, such as Erwin Leykauf, attest. Messerschmitt also included ailerons that "drooped" when the flaps were lowered (F series and later

6480-485: The wings. Originally the aircraft was designated as Bf 109 by the RLM, since the design was submitted by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (literally "Bavarian Aircraft Works", meaning "Bavarian Aircraft Factory"; sometimes abbreviated B.F.W., akin to BMW ) during 1935. The company was renamed Messerschmitt AG after 11 July 1938 when Erhard Milch finally allowed Willy Messerschmitt to acquire

6570-664: The winter of 1941–1942, Lavochkin worked unofficially to improve the LaGG-3. Design work was conducted in a small hut beside an airfield. In early 1942, Gorbunov replaced a LaGG-3's inline engine with the stronger Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engine . The nose was replaced with the nose of the ASh-82-powered Sukhoi Su-2 . The new engine required work to maintain the aircraft's balance. The prototype first flew in March, and demonstrated surprisingly acceptable performance; air force test pilots considered it to be superior to

6660-468: Was 215 kg. Installation of the under-wing gun pods was a simple task that could be quickly performed by the unit's armourers, and the gun pods imposed a reduction of speed of only 8 km/h (5.0 mph). By comparison, the installed weight of a similar armament of two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon inside the wings of the Fw ;190A-4/U8 was 130 kg (287 lb), without ammunition. Although

6750-518: Was 25 seconds. The La-5's top speed and acceleration were comparable to Luftwaffe fighters at low altitude. The La-5FN roll rate was slightly higher than the Messerschmitt Bf 109 ; the Bf 109 was slightly faster, and had higher climb and turn rates. The La-5FN climbed slightly faster and had a smaller turn radius than the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8. However, the Fw 190A-8 was faster at all altitudes and had significantly better dive performance and

6840-453: Was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II . Although not very successful, it formed the basis for a series of aircraft that would eventually become some of the most formidable Soviet fighters of the war. The LaGG-1 was designed in 1938 by Semyon Lavochkin , Vladimir P. Gorbunov  [ ru ] and Mikhail Gudkov  [ ru ] of design bureau OKB-301 in Khimki to

6930-513: Was asked to deliver three prototypes for head-to-head testing in late 1934. Design work on Messerschmitt Project Number P.1034 began in March 1934, just three weeks after the development contract was awarded. The basic mock-up was completed by May, and a more detailed design mock-up was ready by January 1935. The RLM designated the design as type "Bf 109", the next available from a block of numbers assigned to BFW. The first prototype ( Versuchsflugzeug 1 or V1 ), with civilian registration D-IABI ,

7020-518: Was called the Me 109 by Allied aircrew and some German aces, even though this was not the official German designation. The plane was designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser , who worked at Bayerische Flugzeugwerke during the early to mid-1930s. It was conceived as an interceptor . However, later models were developed to fulfill multiple tasks, serving as bomber escort , fighter-bomber , day -, night-, all-weather fighter , ground-attack aircraft , and aerial reconnaissance aircraft. It

7110-470: Was completed by May 1935, but the new German engines were not yet ready. To get the "R III" designs into the air, the RLM acquired four Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines by trading Rolls-Royce a Heinkel He 70 Blitz for use as an engine test-bed. Messerschmitt received two of these engines and adapted the engine mounts of V1 to take the V-12 engine upright. V1 made its maiden flight at the end of May 1935 at

7200-405: Was hydraulic, making it impossible to change pitch without engine running. If, God forbid, you turned off the engine at high pitch, it was impossible to turn the propeller and was very hard to start the engine again. Finally, the German ammo counter was also a great thing. Reflecting Messerschmitt's belief in low-weight, low-drag, simple monoplanes, the armament was placed in the fuselage. This kept

7290-477: Was nicknamed by Luftwaffe personnel as Die Beule ("the bump/bulge") because of the cowling's characteristic, bulging covers for the breeches of the 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns , with the separate Beule covers eliminated by the time of the G-10 model's introduction of a subtly reshaped upper cowling. In July 1937, not long after the public debut of the new fighter, three Bf 109Bs took part in

7380-479: Was overweight and underpowered, and the design was abandoned after three prototypes had been built. The parasol winged Fw 159, potentially inspired by the same firm's earlier Focke-Wulf Fw 56 , was always considered by the E-Stelle Travemünde facility's staff to be a compromise between a biplane and an aerodynamically more efficient, low-wing monoplane. Although it had some advanced features, it used

7470-512: Was possible to fly on the second or to fly for at least five minutes with both closed. In 1943, Oberfeldwebel Edmund Roßmann got lost and landed behind Soviet lines. He agreed to show the Soviets how to service the plane. Soviet machine gun technician Viktor M. Sinaisky recalled: The Messer was a very well designed plane. First, it had an engine of an inverted type, so it could not be knocked out from below. It also had two water radiators with

7560-500: Was produced in a multitude of variants, with uprated armament and provision for kits of packaged, generally factory-installed parts known as Umrüst-Bausätze ("conversion kits", usually contracted to Umbau ) and adding a "/U" suffix to the aircraft designation when installed. Field kits known as Rüstsätze were also available for the G-series but those did not change the aircraft title. By early 1944, tactical requirements resulted in

7650-480: Was secured by two quick-release screw fittings on the firewall. All of the main pipe connections were colour-coded and grouped in one place, where possible, and electrical equipment plugged into junction boxes mounted on the firewall. The entire powerplant could be removed or replaced as a unit in a matter of minutes, a potential step to the eventual adoption of the unitized-powerplant Kraftei engine mounting concept used by many German combat aircraft designs, later in

7740-562: Was supplied to several states during World War II and served with several countries for many years after the war. The Bf 109 is the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 34,248 airframes produced from 1936 to April 1945. Some of the Bf 109 production took place in Nazi concentration camps through slave labor . The Bf 109 was flown by the three top-scoring fighter aces of all time, who claimed 928 victories among them while flying with Jagdgeschwader 52 , mainly on

7830-458: Was that the only place available to mount additional guns was in the wings. Only one spot was available in each wing, between the wheel well and slats, with room for only one gun, either a 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun , a 20 mm MG FF or a 20 mm MG FF/M cannon. The first version of the Bf 109 to have wing guns was the C-1, which had one MG 17 in each wing. To avoid redesigning

7920-649: Was the basis for the further improved Lavochkin La-7 . A number of La-5s continued in the service of Eastern Bloc nations after the end of the war, including Czechoslovakia . In mid-1943, a new La-5 was captured by the Germans after making a forced landing at a German airfield. The aircraft was assessed by Luftwaffe test pilot Hans-Werner Lerche . Lerche noted that the La-5FN excelled at altitudes below 3,000 m (9,843 ft) but suffered from short range and flight time of only 40 minutes at cruise engine power. All of

8010-453: Was to be armed with either a single 20 mm MG C/30 engine-mounted cannon firing through the propeller hub as a Motorkanone , or two synchronized , engine cowl-mounted 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns , or one lightweight engine-mounted 20 mm MG FF cannon with two 7.92 mm MG 17s. The MG C/30 was an airborne adaption of the 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun, which fired very powerful "Long Solothurn" ammunition, but

8100-560: Was very heavy and had a low rate of fire. It was also specified that the wing loading should be kept below 100 kg/m . The performance was to be evaluated based on the fighter's level speed, rate of climb , and maneuverability, in that order. It has been suggested that Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) was originally not invited to participate in the competition due to personal animosity between Willy Messerschmitt and RLM director Erhard Milch ; however, recent research by Willy Radinger and Walter Shick indicates that this may not have been

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