Designed by Professor Willy Messerschmitt to meet a 1934 Reichfluftfahrtministerium requirement for a single-seat monoplane fighter, the prototype Bf1 09A first flew in September 1935 and was the winning competitor in a fly-off that involved three other designs – Focke-Wulf submitted the Fw 159V1, Arado the Ar 80V1 and Heinkel the He 112.

When it first flew, the Bf 109 VI was powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine which was being sold to international air force customers. For the second prototype the engine was replaced by the Junkers Jumo 210 which was the normal powerplant through Bf 109B/C and D variants.
Variants
The Bf 109 proved to be a versatile design and several variants and sub-variants of the 109 (the ‘Emil’) were produced allowing it to remain in service for over 8 years with around 34,852 Bf 109s being built.
The first major production variant, the Bf 109E, was introduced into Luftwaffe service in December 1938. Built for fighter, reconnaissance and fighter-bomber roles, the production-standard Bf 109s proved their worth in the Spanish Civil War. By the time Poland was invaded the powerplant had been changed to the more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine. Come the summer of 1940, over 500 were in service for the offensive against Great Britain.
Specification
Crew: One
Length: 28 ft 0 in (8.55 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 4.5 in (9.87 m)
Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
Empty weight: 4189 lb (1900 kg)
Max T/o: 5875 lb (2665 kg)
Performance
Max speed: 348 mph (560 km/h)
Range: 410 miles (660 km)
Powerplant: Daimler-Benz DB 601A2
Output: 1175 hp (876 kw)
Armament
Four 7.9 mm MG 17 machine guns – two in wings, two in nose

Bf 109F

The formal successor to the ‘Emil’ was the Bf 109F (‘Friedrich’) which had improved aerodynamics and machine guns firing through the engine hub. It saw limited service against Britain, but was the main fighter against the Soviet Union and re-equipped Luftwaffe units in North Africa.

Records for the aircraft depicted above show that it was a Norwegian patrol aircraft which flew the Murmansk sector of Russia and was shot down in World War II by Russian forces. Bf 109F-4/trop WNr 10145 was coded ‘Yellow 3’ with II./JG 5 and was shot down in aerial combat with multiple soviet fighters during an escort mission for Ju 88 bomber aircraft on July 19th 1942. As of February 2024 Warbird Recovery has begun restoring this aircraft to original flying condition with Legend Flyers in Everett, WA. It is offered for sale at $6.0 Million USD.
Specification of the Bf109F-4
Crew-One
Construction-All metal stressed-skin
Engine-One 1,475hp Daimler-Benz DB605A liquid cooled inverted V12
Armament-One 20mm MG151 engine mounted cannon with 150 rounds
Two 7.9mm MG17 fuselage mounted machine guns with 500 rounds per gun
Maximum speed 398mph (640kph)
Service ceiling 39,370 (12,000m)
Range 340 miles (540km)
Wingspan-32ft. 6 1/2 in.
Length-29ft 7 1/2in.
Height-8ft 2 1/2in.
Weight empty – 5,687lb.
Weight loaded – 6,834lb.
Bf 109G
The ‘Gustav’ was the most successful variant with around 24,000 Bf 109G/KS being manufactured from early spring 1942. A plethora of modifications were made throughout its life such as additional armament, radios, a boosted DB 605D engine, larger main wheels, larger tail wheel, pressurized cockpit, including silica gel pellets and an air scoop on the left engine cowling, above the supercharger intake.

The accumulation of modifications added to the weight of the airframe and diminished the fighter’s manoeuvrability as well as highlighting its low-speed performance and lateral control.
Specification
Crew: One
Length: 29 ft 7.5 in (9.03 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 6.5 in (9.92 m)
Height: 8 ft 2.5 in (2.50 m)
Empty weight: 5893 lb (2673 kg)
Max T/o: 7496 lb (3400 kg)
Performance
Max speed: 386 mph (622 km/h)
Range: 620 miles (998 km)
Powerplant: Daimler-Benz DB 605AM
Output: 1800 hp (1342 kw)
Armament
One MG FF 20 mm cannon in propeller hub and two under wings, and two MG 131 13 mm in upper cowling
Bf 109K
Bf 109K Kurfurst (Elector) was a modified version of the Bf 109G-10 and was based around the latest DB 605DM engine. It was the last of the series to be mass produced with variant BF 109K-4 predominating. By now ground crews were facing an ever-increasing range of conversion kits and equipment changes. When the Allies crossed the Rhine, the number of Bf 109s in the Luftwaffe was still quite large – about 800 machines equally divided into the G and K series.
Using Methanol Warter injection and maximum boost the Bf 109 K-4 was the fastest 109 of World War II, reaching a maximum speed of 710 km/h (440 mph) at 7,500 m (24,600 ft) altitude

Sources for above include:
Jane’s Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide by Tony Homes. Collins 2005. ISBN 0-00-719292-4
German Aircraft of World Watt II by Thomas Nedock. Amber Books 2020. ISBN 978-1-78274-968-4
Messerschmitt Bf 109 Wikipedia
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Aviation History |Online Museum