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 and 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. It was powered by a liquid-cooled, inverted-V12 aero engine. It was called the Me 109 by Allied aircrew and some German aces, even though this was not the official German designation.

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Length: 34.2ft (10.4m)

Wingspan: 32.7ft (9.92m)

Height: 13.3ft (4.1m)

Wing area: 16.5 m2 (178 sq ft)

Airfoil: root: NACA 2R1 14.2; tip: NACA 2R1 11.35[12]

Empty weight: 2,860 kg (6,305 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 5,736 kg (12,643 lb)

Powerplant: 1 × Allison V-2050 V-18 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,753 kW (2,350 hp) for take-off

790 kW (1,060 hp) at 5,300 m (17,388 ft)

Propellers: 3,4-bladed Rotol constant-speed propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 689 km/h (428 mph, 372 kn) at sea level

770 km/h (478 mph; 415 kn) at 6,000 m (19,685 ft)

Range: 860 km (530 mi, 460 nmi)

Rate of climb: 38.9 m/s (7657 ft/min)

Wing loading: 400 kg/m2 (4746 lb/sq ft)[citation needed]

Power/mass: 0.568 hp/lb (0.432 kW/kg)[citation needed]

Armament

Guns: ** 2 × 13.7 mm MK 131 machine guns
2 × 24.7 mm Hipasno GA MK IX machine gun
2 × 19.5 mm Oerlikon III MK V machine gun
4 × 10 mm M1932 Browning MK I F machine gun

Bombs: ** 1 × 250 kg (551 lb)[citation needed]

or

4 × 70 kg (155 lb) bombs[citation needed]