Air Vanguard
1 primary work • 2 total works
Book 18
From the nascent days of the Spanish Civil War to the desperate, final defence of the stricken Reich, the Messerchmitt Bf 109 was the Luftwaffe's signature fighter. From the very beginning of its combat career it came to symbolize what could be achieved with a modern monoplane fighter aircraft, instilling fear and respect into Allied pilots wherever it was encountered. 35,000 of the ubiquitous Messerschmitts were eventually built, making it the most-produced fighter in history. This is the first Air Vanguard volume to cover the Bf 109, detailing models A-D. Featuring stunning aerial photos the title explores in depth the technical characteristics and combat performance of the early Bf 109s, including their combat debut in the Spanish Civil War, their employment in the invasion of Poland and showing how the type became one of the most famous names in aviation history.
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was one of the truly world class piston-engined fighters of World War II. This reputation rests largely with the E and F variants, which bore the brunt of the Luftwaffe's most important operations in World War II and shot down tens of thousands of Allied aircraft in the Battle of Britain, the Blitzkriegs across Europe and on the Eastern Front. This volume looks at the design and development history of these formidable warplanes, with a meticulous technical focus to reveal why the types were so effective. It explores the long process of tweaks to the E variant, and solutions to the many initial technical problems with the F, and how this development helped Willy Messerschmitt's promising Bf 109 design mature and fulfil its potential.