Posted on 07/18/2010 6:41:53 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The UK's 70th anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Britain attracted an unusual visitor to the Royal International Air Tattoo: a rare Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter.
Owned by EADS, the aircraft is one of only a handful of the more than 34,000 Bf 109-class fighters produced which remain airworthy. Also known as "Red Seven", the aircraft was built in 1958 and served with the Spanish air force until 1965, before later taking a starring role in the 1969 film The Battle of Britain.
Now carrying Luftwaffe markings, the Bf 109 was due to mark the anniversary by flying in formation with two of the type's former adversaries: the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire.
Designed by Willy Messerschmitt, the aircraft is now piloted by EADS historic flight pilot Klaus Ecker. But 93-year-old Bf 109 fighter ace Maj Hans-Ekkehard Bob also climbed into the cockpit at RIAT.
(Excerpt) Read more at flightglobal.com ...
Uh, isn’t that sweet.
I don’t believe they are actual Bf’s; the ones made in Spain had a different engine, the original was an inverted V, the Spanish version an un-inverted.
Oddly, Israel used these aircraft, as did an eastern bloc country also, IIRC.
The German 109s used a Daimler-Benz V-12, and the Spanish versions used one made by Hispano-Suiza.
They were made post-war in Czechoslovakia. That's where the Israeli planes came from.
A few seconds of research shows this aircraft was restored in Germany to Me109G4 specs with a DB605 engine.
To me they will always remain ME109s, that is what they were called back in the day, the BF is relatively new.
Some models were designated BF by the Luftwaffe. Me simply stood for Messerschmidt. Not all 109s had the BF designation though.
Doesn’t Jay Leno have a car with a Hispano-Suiza (Hisso-Wheezer ;-) ) engine in it?
When I was a kid they were all called Me109s because Willy invented them, who built them is a non issue, IMO. Feel free to call them BF if you wish, as I said I will call them ME109s.
Originally the aircraft was designated as Bf 109 by Reichsluftfahrtministerium (German Aviation Ministry, RLM), since the design was submitted by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (literally “Bavarian Aircraft Factory”) company. However, the company was renamed Messerschmitt AG after 11 July 1938 when Erhard Milch finally allowed Willy Messerschmitt to acquire the company. Subsequently, 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.[30] All extant airframes are described as “Bf 109” on identification plates, including the final K-4 models,[31] with the noted exception of aircraft either initially built or re-fitted by Erla Flugzeugwerke, which sometimes bore the Me 109 stamping. “Me-109” is usually pronounced in German as may hundert-neun (”hundred-nine”) while English-speakers usually say “emm ee one-oh-nine”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109
Cool!
Actually the power plants are Rolls-Royce merlins.The spanish built aircraft versions are casa 1112.
Did you notice the American Army tents in the background.It wasnt long before they bulldozed all those planes into a hole.There are places all over Germany where they bulldozed and buried all those planes.Really a shame but thats what happens to the losers stuff.
By 1971 I had a huge 1/72 scale model WWII air force of pretty much everything I could get my hands on from any country (even Italy). I was confused at the time because some model kits were called “ME109” and others were “BF109”. I was in high school and had lots of books on the subject, however, this was always a mild mystery to me. I knew where the ME came from, but not the BF.
I just used both prefixes interchangeably.
Yes it was.
Heck of a nice guy.
I remember a bunch of pilots asking a German War Ace who were better pilots during the Second World War? He said, "They were all good pilots. Some just landed at different airfields than others."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.