able tail wheel. The wings were rounded off at the tips and performance at all altitudes was better than all previous models. Production ran from the initial F-1 to the F-6. It weighed 4330 lbs. empty and 6054 fully armed. The performance of the Bf109F was astounding; its top speed was 390mph. Many German fighter pilots felt that he 109F carried the basic design to its peak. More than 2000 Bf109Fs were built, but it was replaced by the Gustav or Bf109G less than a year later.PlaneMesserschmitt Bf109FMesserschmitt Bf109GEngine1300hp DB601E1475hp DB605A-1DimensionsLength: 9mLength:9.04mWeights4330lb empty, 6045lb full5893lb empty, 6940lb fullPerformanceMax. speed 390mphMax. speed 428mphArmament2 15mm machine-guns1 20mm cannon2 13mm machine-guns plus 2 20mm cannons or1 30mm cannonHistoryFirst flight: 1939First flight: 1940 The 109f and Spitfire V were fairly closely matched, but when the Spitfire IX was introduced to combat the Focke Wulf 190, the 109F was outclassed. Fighter pilots always wanted to fly faster and higher, and Messerschmitt came to the rescue with the Bf109G, with the more powerful Daimler Benz 605A. The introduction of the Gustav was not greeted with enthusiasm by the German fighter pilots. Its tremendous speed and good high altitude performance were welcomed, as was the powerful armament.The Bf109G or Gustav had particularly good high-altitude performance, so a new high pressure cabin had to be fitted. The aircraft was very heavy. It was fast but it did not handle well. Engineers then fitted a nitrous oxide injection system, which resulted in 406mph at 28 500ft. The Gustav, which had started to come off production lines in 1942, was perhaps the first aircraft to be designed as a platform for a variety of weapons systems. A well-flown Gustav presented the RAF’s Spitfire pilots with a formidable foe- they could out-turn the Spitfire, yet the Gustav was out-gunned. During 1942 a total of 2664 Messerschmitt Bf109s were ...
