Origin: Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (hence Bf 109), renamed Messerschmitt AG in 1938, very widely subcontracted throughout German-controlled territory and built under licence by Dornier-Werke, Switzerland, and Hispano-Aviación, Spain (post-war, Avia, Czechoslovakia)
Type: single-seat fighter, fighter-bomber
Engine: (B, C) one 635hp Junkers Jumo 210D inverted-vee-12 liquid-cooled; (D) 1,000hp Daimler-Benz DB 600Aa, same layout; (E) 1,100hp DB 601A, 1,200hp DB 601N or 1,300hp DB 601E; (F) DB 601E; (G) 1,475hp DB 605A-1 or other sub-type up to DB 605D rated 1,800hp with MW50 boost; (H-1) DB 601E; (K) usually 1,550hp DB 605ASCM/DCM rated 2,000hp with MW50 boost; (S-199) 1,350hp Jumo 211F; (HA-1109) 1,300hp Hispano-Suiza 12Z-89 upright vee-12 or (M1L) 1,400hp R-R Merlin 500-45
Armament: (B) three 7.92mm Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 17 machine guns above engine and firing through propeller hub; (C) four MG 17, two above engine and two in wings, with fifth through propeller hub in C-2; (early E-1) four MG 17, plus four 50kg or one 250kg bomb; (later E-1 and most other E) two MG 17 above engine, each with 1,000 rounds (or two MG 17 with 500 rounds, plus 20mm MG FF firing through propeller hub) and two MG FF in wings, each with 60-rounds drum; (F-1) two MG 17 and one MG FF; (F-2) two 15mm MG 151 and one MG FF; (F-4) two MG 151, one MG FF and one 20mm MG 151 in fairing under each wing; (G-1) two MG 17 or 13mm MG 131 over engine and one MG 151; (G-6) one 30mm MK 108, two MG 131 above engine and two MG 151 under wings; (K-4) two MG 151 above engine and one MK 108 or 103; (K-6) two MG 131 above engine, one MK 103 or 108 and two MK 108 under wings; (S-199) two MG 131 above engine and two MG 151 under wings; (HA-1109 series) two wing machine guns or 20mm Hispano 404. Many German G's and K's carried 210mm rocket tubes under wings or various bomb loads
Speed: maximum speed (B-1) 467km/h, (D) 517km/h, (E) 560-570km/h, (F-3) 624km/h, (G) 569-690km/h, (K-4) 729km/h
Climb: initial climb (B-1) 670m/min, (E) 1000m/min, (G) 1,219m/min, (K-4) 1,470m/min
Ceiling: service ceiling (B-1) 8,100m, (E) 10,500m to 11,000m, (F, G) around 11,600m, (K-4) 12,500m
Range: on internal fuel (all) typically 700km
Weight: empty (B-1) 1,583kg, (E) 1,900kg to 2,009kg, (F) around 1,968kg, (G) 2,667kg to 2,800kg, (K) typically 2,739kg; maximum loaded (B-1) 2,200kg, (E) 2,505kg to 2,665kg, (F-3) 2,750kg, (G) usually 3,400kg, (K) usually 3,375kg
Wingspan: (A-E) 9.87m, (others) 9.92m
Length: (B, C) 8.5m, (D, E) typically 8.64m, (F) 9m, (G) 9.04m, (K) 8.94m, (HA-1109-M1L) 9.12m
Height: (E) 2.28m, (others) 2.59m
Crew: one
History: first flight (Bf 109 V-1) early September 1935 (date unrecorded), (production B-1) May 1937, (Bf 109E) January 1939, (Bf 109F prototype) July 1940, replavement in production by Bf 109G, May 1942
Users: Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Germany (Luftwaffe), Hungary, Italy (ARSI), Japan, Romania, Slovakia, Slovak (CB Insurgent), Soviet Union (1940), Spain, Switzerland, Yugoslavia; (post-war) Czechoslovakia, Israel

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