There are only several authentic airworthy Messerschmitt Bf 109's still in existence. The following video shows one which was filmed mid last year in Germany. You can clearly hear its powerful Daimler-Benz 12 cylinder engine. Seeing this video it's no wonder why this aircraft with it's no bullshit sharp edged appearance brought fear to the many allied pilot's unlucky enough to meet one.
Video (12mb): http://www1.flightlevel350.com/videos/1136497352.wmv
Just thought you'd like to also read some interesting facts on the Messerschmitt Bf 109:
1- Later Bf 109 models were equipped with Daimler-Benz DB605D Inverted V 12 cylinder, Liquid cooled engine producing 1,800 hp with water-methanol injection and giving a speed of 685 km/h (428 mph). Ironically, the first 109 prototypes were powered by British Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines, Obviously these prototypes were made before the outbreak of WWII (1935 to be exact).
2- At the time of its early development, the Bf 109 was probably the most advanced flying war machine in the world.
3- The Bf 109 was credited with shooting down more enemy aircraft (twice as many aircraft as any other fighter in history to be exact) and producing more aces than any single fighter in the history of aerial warfare.
4- Every high scoring WWII German ace flew the 109 at one time in their career. Fifteen German pilots accounted for 200 hundred aircraft each, two achieved the shooting down of in excess of 300 each. Erich Hartman (“Black Devil of the Ukraine” ) was feared and hated by Russian pilots so much that when they saw his aircraft with the Black petal markings on the nose of his aircraft, the tried in vain to avoid him. Hartman finally had to remove these petals on account of this. Eric Hartman is to this day is the top scoring ace of all time. He flew 1425 missions, engaged in 800 aerial battles, suffered 13 accidents or engine failures but he only bailed out of his aircraft once, over Romania. His skill as a fighter pilot in the destruction of 352 aircraft will probably never be equaled in air warfare again. All of this was achieved in 2 ½ years.
5- In 1944, the average German fighter pilot went into action with less than one third the flying training hours of his American counterpart. About 150 hours compared to 450 hours for American training pilots. As their veteran pilots ranks were thinned the Luftwaffe had failed to develop a mass production of new quality pilots.
6- The greatest weakness especially in the Battle of Britain was the limited fuel capacity. This only allowed them 20 minutes in battle at full throttle over England. Many crashed on the beaches of northern France on account of fuel starvation on their way home.
Some interesting information on the Bf 109's famously flawed landing gear:
The landing gear design and geometry caused an extraordinary number of landing accidents. It's thin and closly separated landing gear plagued the Bf 109 for its entire career. They would snap and bend on hard landings and made the fighter very unstable on the ground while taxiing. More Bf 109s were grounded from landing gear damage than from enemy fire.
"Only on takeoff, if you raised the tailwheel before you had enough speed to control the yaw with the rudder, you would be in serious trouble. The torque of the prop would take over and the plane would veer to the side. Without enough speed to control it with the rudder, this usually lead to a broken plane. Therefore it was important to keep the tailwheel down until you had enough speed for rudder control. Flying and landing was easy. Like it is well known, many young pilots wrecked 109's's on takeoff, usually because they lifted the tailwheel too soon."
- Olli Sarantola, Finnish fighter pilot.
Video (12mb): http://www1.flightlevel350.com/videos/1136497352.wmv
Just thought you'd like to also read some interesting facts on the Messerschmitt Bf 109:
1- Later Bf 109 models were equipped with Daimler-Benz DB605D Inverted V 12 cylinder, Liquid cooled engine producing 1,800 hp with water-methanol injection and giving a speed of 685 km/h (428 mph). Ironically, the first 109 prototypes were powered by British Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines, Obviously these prototypes were made before the outbreak of WWII (1935 to be exact).
2- At the time of its early development, the Bf 109 was probably the most advanced flying war machine in the world.
3- The Bf 109 was credited with shooting down more enemy aircraft (twice as many aircraft as any other fighter in history to be exact) and producing more aces than any single fighter in the history of aerial warfare.
4- Every high scoring WWII German ace flew the 109 at one time in their career. Fifteen German pilots accounted for 200 hundred aircraft each, two achieved the shooting down of in excess of 300 each. Erich Hartman (“Black Devil of the Ukraine” ) was feared and hated by Russian pilots so much that when they saw his aircraft with the Black petal markings on the nose of his aircraft, the tried in vain to avoid him. Hartman finally had to remove these petals on account of this. Eric Hartman is to this day is the top scoring ace of all time. He flew 1425 missions, engaged in 800 aerial battles, suffered 13 accidents or engine failures but he only bailed out of his aircraft once, over Romania. His skill as a fighter pilot in the destruction of 352 aircraft will probably never be equaled in air warfare again. All of this was achieved in 2 ½ years.
5- In 1944, the average German fighter pilot went into action with less than one third the flying training hours of his American counterpart. About 150 hours compared to 450 hours for American training pilots. As their veteran pilots ranks were thinned the Luftwaffe had failed to develop a mass production of new quality pilots.
6- The greatest weakness especially in the Battle of Britain was the limited fuel capacity. This only allowed them 20 minutes in battle at full throttle over England. Many crashed on the beaches of northern France on account of fuel starvation on their way home.
Some interesting information on the Bf 109's famously flawed landing gear:
The landing gear design and geometry caused an extraordinary number of landing accidents. It's thin and closly separated landing gear plagued the Bf 109 for its entire career. They would snap and bend on hard landings and made the fighter very unstable on the ground while taxiing. More Bf 109s were grounded from landing gear damage than from enemy fire.
"Only on takeoff, if you raised the tailwheel before you had enough speed to control the yaw with the rudder, you would be in serious trouble. The torque of the prop would take over and the plane would veer to the side. Without enough speed to control it with the rudder, this usually lead to a broken plane. Therefore it was important to keep the tailwheel down until you had enough speed for rudder control. Flying and landing was easy. Like it is well known, many young pilots wrecked 109's's on takeoff, usually because they lifted the tailwheel too soon."
- Olli Sarantola, Finnish fighter pilot.
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