The Me BF109E was the Luftwaffe's main fighter during the Battle of Britain when it was pitted against the new fighters of the RAF. This version was also used as a fighter bomber, and operated in the Mediterranean, North Africa and Russia.
Specification
Model Scale - 1:72
Number of Parts - 49
Dimensions (mm) - L120mm x W137mm
Skill Level - 2
Airfix Flying Hours - 1
Requires Painting - Yes
Research Help
Designed by Willy Messerchmitt, the Bf 109 fighter was the great adversary of the Hurricane and Spitfire during the Battle of Britain. When it first flew, in September 1935, the lightweight Bf 109 was probably the world's most advanced fighter aircraft, made entirely of metal, with a retractable undercarriage and an enclosed cockpit.
Blooded with the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War, the Bf 109 proved a good gun platform, steady and fast in combat, but it took considerable strength to pull it out of a dive and had a tendency to swing to port in take-off and landing. Combined with an unsatisfactory narrow undercarriage, this caused around one in 20 Messerschmitts to be written off in landing accidents.
The Bf 109E, the variant that fought in the Battle of Britain, had a 20mm cannon firing through its propeller spinner. Operating at the limit of its range over southern England, it proved more than a match for the RAF fighters. It was faster in a dive than the Hurricane or Spitfire and capable of impressive high-g turns. Later versions included the aerodynamically refined Bf 109F and the Bf 109G. Some 35,000 of all marks were built in total.
Incredible Aeroplanes by Philip Jarrett
"The new Bf 109 simply looks fabulous. The take-off is certainly unusual but... its flight characteristics are fantastic"
JOHANNES TRAUTLOFT, CONDOR LEGION PILOT
|
