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Messerschmitt Bf 109A & B

Weimar and Nazi Germany, WW2, , ,

Nazi flag Nazi Germany (1935)
Fighter Aircraft– 20 to 22 Bf 109A and 341 Bf 109B Built

When the Nazis came to power in Germany during the early 1930’s they sought to modernize their armed forces with more modern military equipment. The founding of a new air force, the Luftwaffe as it was known in Germany, was one of the main priorities of the new regime. Massive resources were channeled into the construction of a great number of airfields and other forms of infrastructure necessary for the air force. In addition, many new and thoroughly developed military aircraft designs were requested. Among these new designs was the Bf 109, which would go on to later become the most widely produced fighter aircraft in the world.

The Bf 109B (R. Jackson Messerschmitt Bf 109 A-D series)

Rise of the Luftwaffe

After the collapse of the German Empire following their defeat in the First World War, the Allies prohibited the development of many new military technologies, including aircraft. The Germans bypassed this prohibition by focusing on developing gliders which provided necessary initial work in aircraft development and crew training. Another solution was to develop civil aircraft that could be relatively quickly rebuilt and modified for military use. The efforts to hide these developments were finally discarded when the Nazis came to power in 1933.  One of the first steps that they undertook was to openly reject the terms of the Treaty of Versailles that prohibited the Germans to expand their army and develop new military technologies.

The founding of the Luftwaffe was seen as a huge military priority among Nazi officials. The Luftwaffe would then begin a massive reorganization and expansion project that would see it expand into a formidable fighting force. Much of the Luftwaffe’s attention and energy during this period was focused on developing a new fighter aircraft to replace the then obsolescent Ar 68 and He 51 biplanes. For this reason, in 1934 the Reichsluftfahrtministerium RLM (German Air Ministry) issued a competition for a new and modern fighter plane that could reach speeds of 400 km/h. For this competition, four companies were initially contacted including Arado, Focke-Wulf, and Heinkel. Besides them was a rather small and less-known manufacturer, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke BFW (Bavarian Aircraft Works,) which was under the leadership of Willy Messerschmitt. Despite lacking the experience of their contemporaries in military aviation designs, this small company despite its inexperience would go on to win the contract and build what would become Germany’s then-most modern combat aircraft

The man behind the design

Wilhelm Emil ‘Willy’ Messerschmitt was from his early years interested in aviation. When he was 13, he met Friedrich Harth who was an enthusiast and a pioneering glider designer. He would become a mentor and help Messerschmitt develop his passion for building gliders,  together designing and building several gliders. When the First World War broke out in 1914, Harth was drafted into the Army, and in 1917 Messerschmitt would follow. Fortunately for both of them, however, they were stationed at the same flight training school near Munich and were thus able to continue their work. Both of them survived the war and went back to doing what they both loved: designing and building gliders. As gliding was something that became highly popular in Germany after the war, Messerschmitt undertook further education by enrolling in Munich Technical College. With this knowledge, Messerschmitt managed to design and build his first glider in 1921, which he designated simply as S9. After gathering sufficient financial resources, Messerschmitt and Harth together opened a flying school in 1922. This did not last long, however, and the following year disagreements between Messerschmitt and Harth arose.

Messerschmitt then decided to work on his own and opened a small aviation company which he named Flugzeugbau Messerschmitt. His first proper aircraft design was the M17. It was a small all-wood, high-wing, sport aircraft powered by a British Bristol 29 hp engine. This aircraft was quite successful and even managed a 14-hour flight from Bamberg to Rome in 1926. The pilot was a World War One veteran Theodor Croneiss. A little-known fact, this was actually the first flight of such a small aircraft over the Alps ever attempted successfully. The M17 would later be lost in an accident when Messerschmitt himself was learning how to fly an aircraft. He crashed, losing the aircraft but surviving the hard landing, after which Messerschmitt spent some time in hospital. This did not greatly affect Messerschmitt’s new company as his next design M18 also proved to have good overall performance. Now in partnership with Croneiss, they managed to make a deal with Lufthansa, a German civil airline, to use the M18 for passenger transport.

The high wing, sport aircraft M17, was the first Messerschmitt aircraft design. (www.histaviation.com)

Messerschmitt’s company received a number of production orders for their M18 aircraft. However, Messerschmitt lacked the money, resources, and production capabilities to actually deliver these aircraft. At some point, he came in contact with the Bavarian government in hope of finding a solution to his problem. He got an answer, that the Bavarian government was willing to help with one condition, Messerschmitt would have to merge his own company with the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke BFW. This company itself was in the midst of a huge financial crisis but possessed a great number of skilled workers and equipment that could greatly help Messerschmitt in his future work. While both companies would be technically independent, Messerschmitt was to give first production rights for any of his new designs to BFW. BFW on the other hand would provide the necessary manpower and equipment. Messerschmitt agreed to this condition and was positioned as chief designer of both companies. Representation of the company was relocated from Bamberg to Ausburg.

In 1928 Messerschmitt focused his work on a civil design intended for transporting passengers. His next design was the 10-passenger transport aircraft designated M20. During a flight test, part of the wing fabric cover peeled away, and pilot Hans Hackman possibly in a panic decided to bail out at a height of 76 m. His parachute failed to open properly and he died. This led to the cancellation of production orders for the M20 by Lufthansa. Messerschmitt developed an improved second M20 prototype which was presented to, and tested by Lufthansa officials.  After an evaluation, the aircraft was deemed safe and a production order for 12 improved M20. However, tragedy would strike in two serious accidents involving the M20 aircraft, in which 10 people were killed. The first accident happened near Dresden in October 1930, where two pilots and six crew members were killed. The second occurred in April of the next year, with the death of both pilots. To make matters even worse, German Army officers were among the casualties. This affected Messerschmitt’s further work, who despite developing more aircraft designs failed to gain many production orders for them. While his own company did not suffer much, BFW was not so lucky and was forced into bankruptcy in 1931. In the next few years, Messerschmitt’s work was relatively stable as he saw some success selling his aircraft aboard. With better financing, he managed to acquire sufficient funds to reinstate BFW in May of 1933. The name was changed to BFW AG, a publicly-traded company. Unfortunately for Messerschmitt, a newly appointed Secretary of State for Air, Erhard Milch, opposed the idea of BFW operating under Messerschmitt. Erhard Milch’s hatred for Messerschmitt was personal, as the test pilot who flew on the doomed M20 prototype was his friend. He never forgave Messerschmitt who he deemed responsible for the accident. He forced  BFW AG to accept production orders for Heinkel aircraft designs. This was also partly done to provide adequate financial resources so that the company could operate successfully.

Despite this distrust by Nazi officials, Messerschmitt was contacted in the summer of 1933 by the RLM to design a sports aircraft to represent Germany on the Challenge de Tourisme Internationale. Seeing a new opportunity Messerschmitt took great care in fulfilling this order. His ultimate design would be the highly successful Bf 108 (initially designated M37.) This aircraft would be crucial in the later stages of Bf 109 development. With the success of the Bf 108, Messerschmitt managed to gain support from some top Luftwaffe officials. One of these was the newly appointed Hermann Goring who replaced Erhard Milch in the position of commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe. While there were still some who wanted the Bf 108 to be canceled, with the support of Hermann Goring they could do little about it.

The highly successful Bf 108. (www.luftwaffephotos.com)

A new fighter

In March of 1933 RLM issued a document (designated L.A. 1432/33) that laid the foundations for the development of the future German fighter aircraft. In it a shortlist of general characteristics that this aircraft should meet was given. It was to be designed as a single-seat fighter that must be able to reach speeds of at least 400 km/h at a height of 6 km. In addition, that height had to be reached in no more than 17 minutes. The maximum service ceiling was set at 10 km. Armament was to consist of either two machine guns each supplied with 1,000 rounds of ammunition or one cannon with 100 rounds of ammunition.

In February 1934 this document was given to three aircraft manufacturers, with these being Arado Heinkel and BFW AG. The last to enter the competition was Focke-Wulf who received this document in September of 1934. While not completely clear as some sources suggest, Messerschmitt and the BFW AG were not initially contacted but were later included in this competition. Realizing this competition as a great opportunity, Messerschmitt gathered the best team he could find. Some of these included the former Arado fighter designer Walther Rethal, who became Messerschmitt’s deputy. Another prominent figure was Robert Lusser who took a great part in the Bf 108 development. He would also later play a great part in the future Bf 110 aircraft design.

According to RLM conditions, all interested companies were to provide a working prototype that was to be tested before a final decision was to be made. Arado and Focke-Wulf completed their prototypes, the Ar 80 and Fw 159, by the end of 1934. Heinkel and Messerschmitt’s prototypes took a bit longer to complete. Messerschmitt and his team set a simple but ambitious plan. Their aircraft would be simple, cheap, and possess lightweight overall construction. It was to be powered by the strongest engine they could get their hands on. Work on this new fighter began in March 1934, at this early stage, the project was designated as P.1034 (while sometimes in the sources it is also mentioned as Bf 109a). A simple airframe mock-up was completed shortly in May the same year, but the work on a more complex and detailed mock-up took some time. By January 1935 it was finally ready. The engine chosen for it was the Jumo 210A. As this engine was not yet available, the license-built 583 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine was used temporarily instead. Ironically this engine was available thanks to the good business relationship between Heinkel and the British Rolls Royce motor company. Thanks to this cooperation the Germans managed to purchase a number of these engines.

The first prototype named Bf 109 V1 (registered as D-IABI) was flight tested by Hans Dietrich Knoetzsch at the end of May 1935. The first flight was successful as no problems were identified with the design. While later prototypes would be tested with a weapon installation, the V1 was not outfitted with any armament.

The Bf 109 V1 (registered as D-IABI). (www.asisbiz.com)

Messerschmitt designation

Before we continue, it is important to clarify the precise designation of this aircraft. Sometimes it is referred to as Me 109 (or as Me-109). While technically speaking this is not completely incorrect given that it was designed by Messerschmitt and his team. The Bf stands for Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, the company which constructed the aircraft. While the 109 has no specific meaning, it was just next in the line after the 108 design.

In 1938 this company would be renamed Messerschmitt AG and all future designs from this point on would receive the prefix ‘Me’. The older designs including the 108 and 109 would retain the Bf prefix during the war. It is worth pointing out that both the Bf and Me designation was used in Messerschmitt’s own archives. In German service prior to and during the war, it was not uncommon to see both designations being used. So using either of these two designations would be historically accurate, this article would use the Bf 109 designation for sake of simplicity but also due to the fact that in most sources this designation was used.

The Bf 109 trials

As no major issue was noted in its design, the Bf 109 V1 was to be transported to the test centers located at Rechlin and Travemunde starting in October 1935. Here, together with all competitor designs, they would be subjected to a series of evaluations and tests. The Ar 80 and Fw 159 proved inadequate almost from the start after many mechanical breakdowns and even crashes, which ultimately led to both being rejected. The He 112 and Bf 109 on the other hand proved to be more promising designs. The Bf 109 had a somewhat bumpy start as the Rechlin airfield was unfinished and had a rough runway. During a landing, one of the Bf 109’s landing gear collapsed. Despite what appeared at first glance to be catastrophic damage, turned out to be only minor.

The He 112 V1, was used for the trials held at Rechlin and Travemunde. (www.luftwaffephotos.com)
The Bf 109V1 was damaged during a failed landing. (R. Jackson Messerschmitt Bf 109 A-D series)

The second prototype was completed and tested by the end of 1935. The V2 (D-IILU or D-IUDE according to some sources) was powered by a domestically developed 680 hp Jumo 210A engine. It was moved to Travemunde for evaluation and testing in February 1936. The V2 was put into a series of test flights where it showed superb flying performance, in contrast to the other competitors. Unfortunately, during one test flight undertaken in April, part of the pilot’s canopy peeled away, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing. A decision was made to not repair this prototype but instead to use its fuselage for ground testing and experimentation.

That same month that the V2 was damaged, the V3 (D-IQQY) was flight tested. This prototype served as the test aircraft for the installation of offensive armament. There is a disagreement between sources, as J. R. Beaman and J. L. Campbell mentioned that the armament was actually tested on the V2 aircraft. Regardless of which prototype was first armed, it possessed two 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns. These were placed above the engine, close to the cockpit. The engine was once again changed, this time with the installation of the even more powerful 700 hp Jumo 210C. Another experimental feature was the installation of a FuG 7 radio unit. This necessitated adding a triple wire antenna, which was connected to the top of the fin, and the edges of the stabilizers to the cockpit. This aircraft would be extensively used for testing, and would later serve as the basis for the first production version. Later prototypes were used to test various additional equipment and weapon installations.  For example, prototypes V4 to V7 were used to test various different armament arrangements. The V5 was used to test the installation of an automatic reload and firing system, among other features.

The V3 in a flight. (en.topwar.ru)

During the initial evaluation flights carried out on both the Bf 109 and He 112, the latter was favored by many test pilots. Heinkel at that time was among the largest and most well-known German aviation manufacturers. It supplied the new Luftwaffe with a series of aircraft, and thus was well connected to RLM top officials. Further examination of the Bf 109 showed that the aircraft had several persistent issues. The most serious problems were the Bf 109’s tendency to widely swing to the left during landing and take-off. Another major issue was the design of landing gear, which was too narrow and generally weak. This in turn would often lead to crash landings. In retrospect, these two problems would never be fully resolved, but with sufficient training and experience, these problems could be overcome by the pilots. Other complaints included the limited visibility due to the canopy’s small design. The cockpit interior was also regarded as too cramped. The Bf 109 was also notorious for its high wing loading, which was pointed out by the test pilots.

Most of these complaints do not necessarily indicate a flawed design.  We must take into account that the test pilots were mostly experienced in older biplanes. This new single-wing fighter concept was completely strange to them. For example, the biplanes had a simple and open cockpit, so complaints regarding the Bf 109 cockpit design represented a refusal to adapt to newer technologies rather than a bad design.

During the series of test flights, the performance of the two competitors was quite similar, with some minor advantages between them. In the case of the Bf 109, it was slightly faster, while the He 112 had lower wing loading. In addition, the He 112 had a better-designed and safer landing gear assembly. As the He 112 had to be constantly modified in order to keep pace with the Bf 109, the RLM commission was getting somewhat frustrated. Despite Heinkel’s connections and experience in designing aircraft, the Bf 109 was simply more appealing to the RLM commission, given that it was simpler, faster, and could be put into production relatively quickly. At that time the Germans were informed by the Abwehr intelligence service that the British were developing and preparing for the production of the new Spitfire. RLM officials were simply not willing to risk taking a chance on an aircraft design that could not quickly be put into production. Thus the Bf 109 was seen as the better choice under the circumstances.

Technical characteristics

The Bf 109 was a low-wing, all-metal construction, single-seat fighter. In order to keep the production of this aircraft as simple as possible, Messerschmitt engineers decided to develop a monocoque fuselage that was divided into two halves. These halves would be placed together and connected using simple flush rivets, thus creating a simple base on which remaining components, like the engine, wings, and instruments would be installed.

The central part of the fuselage was designed to be especially robust and strong. Thanks to this, it offered the aircraft exceptional structural integrity. It also provided additional protection during emergency crash landings. The fuselage itself and the remainder of the aircraft were covered with standard duralumin skin.

Its wings also had an unusual overall design. In order to provide room for the retracting landing gear, Messerschmitt intentionally used only a single wing spar which was positioned quite to the rear of the wing. This spar had to be sufficiently strong to withstand the load forces that acted on the wings during flight. The wings were connected to the fuselage by four strong bolts. This design enables the wings to have a rather simple overall construction with the added benefit of being cheap to produce. During the Bf 109 later service life, the damaged wings could be simply replaced with others on hand. The wings were also very thin, which provided the aircraft with better overall control at lower speeds but also reduced drag which in turn increased the overall maximum speed. At the wing’s leading edge were slats that automatically opened to provide better handling during maneuvers at lower speeds. This had a secondary purpose to greatly help the pilot during landing. The tail unit of the Bf 109 was a conventional design and was also built using metal components. It consists of a fin with a rudder, and two vertical stabilizers each equipped with an elevator.

The cockpit was placed in the center of the fuselage. It was a fully enclosed compartment that was riveted to the fuselage. The Bf 109 cockpit itself was quite cramped. Most of the available space was allocated to the control stick. Left and right of the pilot were two smaller control panels with the main instrumental panel being placed in front of him. While the side control panels were a bit small, their overall design was more or less the standard arrangement used on other aircraft. The front instrumental panel contained various equipment such as the compass, and an artificial horizon indicator. Messerschmitt engineers also added an ammunition counter, which was somewhat unusual on German fighters. Another innovative feature was the installation of a FuG 7 radio unit. In front of the cockpit, a firewall was positioned to shield the pilot in case of an engine fire.

The overall framework for the canopy was fairly small, but despite this provided decent all-around visibility for the pilot. Its main drawback was limited forward visibility during take-off. The canopy opened outwards to the right. This was a major issue as it could not be open during the flight. To overcome this, it was designed to be relatively easily jettisoned. In case of emergency, the pilot would actuate a lever positioned in the rear. It was connected to two high-tension springs. When activated, the lever would release the two springs, which in turn released the canopy, which would then simply fly away due to airflow.

The Bf 109 canopy opens outwards to the right, this causes problems as it was unable to be open during the ground drive or in flight. (R. Jackson Messerschmitt Bf 109 A-D series)

When designing the Bf 109 great care was taken for it to have a simple design. This is especially true for the engine compartment. The engine was easily accessible by simply removing a series of panels. The engine was mounted on two long ‘Y’ shaped metal bars and held in place by two quick-release screws. The necessary electrical wires were connected to a junction box which was placed to the rear of the engine. All parts inside the engine compartment were easily accessible and thus could be replaced in a short period of time.  The Bf 109 “L” shaped fuel tank was located aft of the pilot’s seat and slightly underneath it. It too had easy access by simply removing a cover located inside the center of the wing. The total fuel capacity was 250 liters.

Once the Bf 109 was accepted for service, a small production run of the Bf 109B-0 was completed. It was powered by a 610 hp Jumo 210B, and served mainly to finalize the later production version. The Bf 109B-1 was powered by a 635 hp Jumo 210D engine and had a fixed-pitch two-blade wooden propeller. Later during the production, it would be replaced with a new all-metal two-bladed variable pitch propeller. This engine was equipped with a two-stage supercharger. The maximum speed achieved with this engine at the height of 3,350 meters (11,000 ft) was 450 km/h (280 mph). The engine oil cooler, which was initially placed close to the radiator assembly, would be repositioned under the right wing.

The Bf 109 had a simple engine housing that could be easily removed if the engine needed to be removed. (R. Cross, G. Scarborough, and H. J. Ebert (Messerschmitt Bf 109 Versions B-E)

The Bf 109 possessed quite an unusual landing gear arrangement. The landing gear was mainly connected to the lower center base of the fuselage, which meant that the majority of the weight of the aircraft would be centered at this point. The two landing gear struts retracted outward towards the wings. The negative side of this design was that the Bf 109, due to its rather narrow wheel track, could be quite difficult to control during taxiing. Messerschmitt engineers tried to resolve this issue by increasing the span of the two wheels. This actually complicated the matter as it necessitated that the two wheels be put at an angle. In turn, this created a weak point where the wheels were connected to the gear strut, which could easily break during a harsh landing.  This also caused problems with the Bf 109 tendency to swing to the side prior to take-off. When the pilot was making corrections to keep the aircraft headed straight, excessive force could be applied to the pivot point of the landing gear leg, which sometimes cracked.

The Bf 109 possessed a quite unusual landing gear that retracted outward towards the wings. (www.worldwarphotos.info)

The first series of the Bf 109 were only lightly armed, with two 7.92 mm electrically primed MG 17 machine guns. While this may seem like underpowered armament, we must not forget that in the period between the wars, mounting larger caliber guns in fighters was rare. Larger calibers at this time used were usually 12.7 mm. The two machine guns were placed in the upper fuselage, just forward of the cockpit. The port-side machine gun was slightly more forward than the starboard. This was done to provide more space for ammunition magazines. These were fully synchronized to be able to fire through the propellers without damaging them. In the early stages, the ammunition load consisted of 500 rounds for each machine gun, but this was later increased to 1,000 rounds.

The MG 17 was used as the main armament of the early Bf 109’s. (airpages.ru)

However, the double MG 17 layout was eventually deemed somewhat weak, so Messerschmitt was instructed to increase the offensive firepower. As Messerschmitt initially did not want to add any armament in the wings, another solution was needed. The installation of a third machine gun inside the centerline of the engine block was tested. While this would be initially adopted, this installation proved to be problematic mostly due to overheating and jamming problems. So this machine gun was often not installed and removed on those aircraft that had it. A possible installation of a 20 mm cannon in its place was also tested. This was the 20 mm MG FF cannon, which was in fact a license-built version of the Swiss Oerlikon cannon. While it was tested on a few prototypes, it too proved unusable due to excessive vibration. On the other hand, the installation of two non-synchronized machine guns in the wings proved to be more promising, and this was implemented and installed on the later Bf 109E.  For the reflector gunsight, a Revi C/12C type was used.

Main armament side view. (Bf 109B LDv.228-1 Document)
The left machine gun was slightly moved forward in order to avoid problems with ammunition supply. (Bf 109B LDv.228-1 Document)

The Bf 109A and B versions

The Bf 109 A version is somewhat of a mystery in the sources. Usually this version, besides a few mentions, is rarely described in the sources. According to Messerschmitt’s own documents, a small series of 20 to at least 22 aircraft of this version were built. It appears that in every aspect, it was the same as the later B version. The only major difference between these two versions was that the A was solely equipped with the two machine guns in the upper engine cowling.

This is probably why most sources barely mentioned the A version, likely lumping them in with the B version. To further complicate matters author D. Nesić mentioned that while version A was planned to enter production, it was abandoned due to its weak armament.

Once the Bf 109 was accepted for service, a small pre-production run of 10 Bf 109B-0 was completed. It was powered by a 610 hp Jumo 210B, and served mainly to finalize the later production version. The Bf 109B-1 was powered by a 635hp Jumo 210D engine. This engine was fitted with a fixed-pitch two-blade wooden propeller. It was armed with three machine guns, with two placed above the engine compartment, and the third fired through the centerline of the engine and propeller hub. During the production run of the B-1, some minor changes were introduced. The three-wire radio antennas were replaced with a single one. To provide better cooling of the machine guns, several vent ports were added. The Bf 109B-1 was then replaced with the Bf 109B-2. The 109B-2 was initially powered by a 640 hp Jumo 210E but was replaced with a stronger 670 hp Jumo 210G. The wooden propeller was upgraded to a new completely metal, variable-pitch, two-bladed propeller.

During early production, three-wire radio antennas were used. These would be replaced with a single one. (www.luftwaffephotos.com)

While at first glance, the infamous Bf 109 seems to be a well-documented aircraft, this is not quite the case. Namely, there are significant differences in the sources regarding the precise designation of the B series. For example sources like R. Jackson (Messerschmitt Bf 109 A-D series) and J. R. Smith and A. L. Kay (German Aircraft of the WW2) divided the B series into three sub-series: the B-0, B-1, and B-2.

On the other hand sources like  R. Cross, G. Scarborough and  H. J. Ebert (Messerschmitt Bf 109 Versions B-E) mentioned that in the Messerschmitt archives, no evidence for the existence of a B-2 series was found. In addition, while the Jumo 210G may have been tested on the Bf 109B series, there is also little evidence that it was actually installed in them. This is also supported by sources like Lynn R. (Messerschmitt Bf 109 Part-1: Prototype). This particular source indicated that all alleged modifications to the B-2 were actually implemented on the B-1 aircraft.

Early Bf 109 operational use

The Bf 109 was shown to the general public for the first time during the 1936 Olympic Games held in Germany. The following year several Bf 109’s (including the V10, V13, two B-1, and one B-2) participated in the international flying competition held in Zurich, Switzerland, easily winning several awards including fastest dive, climbing, and flew a circuit of the Alps, etc. The event was not without incident, as the Bf 109 V10 had an engine problem, and its pilot Ernst Udet, was forced to crash land it.

In Spain

When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, Francisco Franco, who was the leader of the Nationalists, sent a plea to Adolf Hitler for German aid in providing military equipment including aircraft. At the early stages of the war, nearly all of Spain’s mostly outdated aircraft were in the hands of the Republicans. To make matters worse for Franco nearly all forces loyal to him were stationed in Africa. As the Republicans controlled the Spanish navy, Franco could not move his troops back to Spain safely. Franco was therefore forced to seek foreign aid. Hitler, seeing Spain as a potential ally, was keen on helping Franco and agreed to provide assistance. At the end of July 1936, some 86 aircrew personnel, together with 6 He 51 and 20 Ju 57 were secretly transported to Spain. This air unit would serve as the basis of the so-called German Condor Legion which operated in Spain during the war. The Ju 52 transport aircraft proved instrumental in transporting the Francoist forces to Spain. The operation was a success, but the enemy was quite busy with their own preparations.

On the other side, the Republicans were greatly supported by the Soviets, providing them with some 30 I-15 fighters in late 1936. Additionally, the Republicans operated a number of Soviet SB-2 bombers. The few He 51 fighters of the Condor Legion were outdated and outnumbered by the enemy air force, so a request was made to send additional and more modern aircraft. Seeing an opportunity to test the performance of the Bf 109 in real combat situations, it was agreed to send a few to Spain. One of the first Bf 109 V4 to be sent to Spain was unfortunately damaged in an accident. Several delays later on the 14th of December, the Bf 109 V3 arrived in Spain. These arriving aircraft were initially used for a few weeks for testing and training. Initial evaluation of these early aircraft proved to be more than satisfactory, and additional aircraft of this type was requested. Besides the V3 and V4, the V6 was also sent to Spain. The fate of the V5 is not clear; some sources mentioned (like R. Jackson) that it was also used in the Spanish Theater. Lynn R. (Messerschmitt Bf 109 Part-1: Prototype) on the other hand informs us that the V5 was used during 1937 for weapon trials and thus not sent to Spain.

In early 1937 the first of the Bf 109s began to arrive. It is unclear which exact version was first issued for service, these were either version A or B. Author  Lynn R. ( Messerschmitt Bf 109 Part-1: Prototype) mentioned that the first aircraft used were of the A version. He indicated that this was the case for several reasons, one of which was the use of only two machine guns. In addition, these were not equipped with the later-developed automatic cycling gun mechanism, which alleviated ammunition jam and misfeed issues.  In total, at least 16 aircraft of the early Bf 109 would be sent in this shipment. Sources like R. Jackson (Messerschmitt Bf 109 A-D series) mentioned that only the B version was used in Spain.

During the Spanish Civil war, initially only smaller quantities of Bf 109A and B were available for service. (me109.airwar1946.nl)

In March 1937, with the arrival of the first group of the new Bf 109, two fighter groups were formed. These were the I and II/Jagdgruppe J.88 under the command of Lieutenant Günther Lützow. Interestingly, these aircraft were initially to be given to JG 132 stationed at Döberitz-Elsgrund. Due to the urgent need to reinforce the Condor Legion, JG 132 pilots with the Bf 109 were transported to Spain instead. Besides markings, they also received numerical designations beginning with 6-1, 6-2, and so on. The precise method which was used to determine the numbering designation is not clear. For example, the V3, which arrived second, received the 6-2, and later 6-1 designation. The Bf 109 that served with the Condor Legion received a large black circle on the fuselage for identification. Two additional black circles with a large white “X” were painted on the wings. An additional black X was painted on the rear tail.

The Bf 109 that saw service during the Spanish Civil War could be easily distinguished by their unique markings. Those received a large black circle marking on the fuselage. Two additional black circles with a large white “X” were painted on the wings. An additional black X was painted on the rear tail. ( www.luftwaffephotos.com)

Initially, it was planned that the Germans would act as instructors for their Spanish allies. As the Spanish had problems piloting the newly supplied aircraft, many German instructors would themselves see extensive combat action during the war.

Lützow was also the one who achieved the first kill of the Bf 109B that was used in Spain. He managed to shoot down a Republican I-15 on the 6th of April 1937. Three more victories were achieved during that month. At the end of April, the II.J/88 provided protection for bombers that raided the small town of Guernica. Initially, the few Bf 109 that were available did not have much effect on the war efforts of the Nationalists. The Republicans had nearly 150 modern Soviet fighters and thus had a clear advantage. During the heavy fighting at Madrid in July 1937, the Bf 109 engaged the enemy I-16’s for the first time in the conflict.

In July of 1937, a Bf 109 from the II.J/88, managed to shoot down three SB-2 bombers, one Aero A.101 light bomber, and three I-16. But the J.88 also suffered its first casualty of the war, a Bf 109B which was piloted by Guido Honess was shot down by an I-16 on the 12th of July. On the 17th, another Bf 109 was shot down but the pilot Gotthard Handrick managed to survive. The next day, another Bf 109 was lost but the pilot was only lightly wounded.

In August 1937, the Nationalists launched an offensive toward Republican-held positions around Santander. The heavy fighting that lasted up to October saw extensive use of air forces on both sides. The Nationalists were reinforced with the I.J/88 under the command of Harro Harder. By late October this commander managed to bring down 7 enemy aircraft. At the end of 1937, an incident of note occurred where a Bf 109A piloted by Otto Polenz was forced to land on Republican-held territory. His aircraft was captured almost intact and shipped to the Soviet Union for examination. During the German Invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, this particular aircraft would be recaptured.

The captured Bf 109A was shipped to the Soviet Union for examination. Ironically it would be recaptured by the Germans in 1941. (Lynn R. (1980) Messerschmitt Bf 109 Part-1: Prototype to ‘E’ Variants, SAM Publication)

On the 16th of December, the Republicans launched an offensive toward the city of Teruel. Given the severe winter, the J.88 was unable to provide air support and the city fell to the Republicans.  From late January and early February on, thanks to better weather, the German Bf 109s were once again active. On the 7th of February 1938, Wilhelm Balthasar managed to alone shoot down four SB-2 bombers alone during one flight. He too was forced to a harsh landing having received numerous hits by the bomber’s defensive fire, but Balthasar survived the landing.

By April 1938 the Nationalists realized that a direct attack on Madrid would be almost impossible without heavy casualties, and decided on another approach. They instead focused on the southern parts of Spain. The J.88 too was repositioned there and took on the enemy aircraft. Several Bf 109s were lost during this time, but most of these were either to mechanical breakdowns or pilot errors. For example, on one occasion two Bf 109s collided in midair on the 4th of April. While one pilot was killed, the second managed to escape by using a parachute. The following month saw extensive fighting on the ground and in the air. The Bf 109 pilots, thanks to their better machines and experience, achieved a series of victories over their opponents. On one occasion in late July 1938, three squadrons of Bf 109 took on a group of 40 I-15 and I-16. After a long engagement, the enemy lost six planes, while the Nationalists lost none. The Germans pilots were achieving so many victories that they had to invent excuses in order to not be sent back to Germany. According to official regulations, once a pilot had achieved 5 kills, he was to be replaced by another pilot. This regulation was clearly ignored as pilots like Werner Molders achieved some 14 victories. Other pilots were also very successful, Otto Bertram achieved four victories during August. While Werner Molders scored 8 victories through this period. During 1938, an additional 26 Bf 109B-1 with coded numbers, ranging from 6-19 to 6-45 arrived in Spain.

By early 1939, the Nationalists managed to gain almost complete air supremacy, thus air to air combat became a rare event.  The J.88 aircraft were from this point on mostly used for ground attack operations. The last J.88 air victory of the war was achieved on the 5th of March when an I-15 was shot down. Out of some 130 Bf 109s that saw service in Spain, between 20 to 40 aircraft were lost (depending on the source). Not all were lost in air combat, most were lost due to mechanical breakdowns, pilot errors, or hard landings.

While the Republicans would fly in loose formations with any proper tactics, the Germans would employ a so-called Schwarm (swarm) tactic. This basically consisted of using a group of four aircraft, which would fly in a reverse ‘V’ shaped formation, with some 200 meters separating each aircraft. When attacking, these would be divided into two groups of two aircraft. Which were intended to provide each other with cover in the event enemy fighters gave chase.

In German Service

While the Bf 109 was initially used for various tests and participated in sporting events, these aircraft were soon allocated to Luftwaffe units. The first such unit to receive the Bf 109 B-1 was the Jagdgeschwader (fighter squadron) JG 132 in February of 1937, being supplied with 25 aircraft. Due to some delays in production, the second unit equipped with the Bf 109, II./JG 234, was formed nearly nine months later. In early 1938, the production of the Bf 109 was greatly increased which provided a sufficient number of aircraft to equip additional units.

The early Bf 109s were prepared to see potential action during the political crisis regarding the German relationship with Austria and later Czechoslovakia. Even by the end of 1937, the pressure on Austrian politicians was great as the Germans wanted to install a more friendly government. All these political machinations ended in March 1938 when German troops entered Austria without any resistance.

The German request for territories belonging to Czechoslovakia was initially met with fierce resistance from the Western Allies, France, and the United Kingdom. These tensions could have easily cascaded into open war. This particularly caused huge concern in the RLM, as the German Air Force was not yet ready for a war. The situation was so desperate that even some He 112 were accepted for service. In the end, the Western Allies backed down, not willing to go to war, and allowed the Germans to take disputed Czechoslovakian territory.

As the new and improved models of the C and D versions began to be available, the Bf 109B were slowly being allocated to secondary roles, such as training. In this role, some would survive up to 1943. By the time of the invasion of Poland in September, the majority of Bf 109 in use were the D version, with ever-increasing numbers of the new E version. While some Bf 109B were still present in frontline units, their fighting days were over.

Production

For the upcoming Bf 109 production, initially BFW AG was responsible. As it lacked production capabilities given that it was already under contract (made earlier with RLM) to build several other aircraft types, another solution was needed. When BFW AG completed all previously ordered aircraft, it was to focus its production capabilities on the Bf 109.

To increase overall Bf 109 production, other manufacturers were also contracted. Some 175 were built at Erla Maschinenwerk from Leipzig, with 90 more by Fieseler, and only 76 aircraft by BFW. The production run of the Bf 109A lasted from December 1936 to February 1937.  In 1937 some 341 Bf 109B would be built.

Production Versions

  • Bf 109 V –  Prototypes series aircraft
  • Bf 109 A –  Proposed production version built in small numbers
  • Bf 109 B-0 – A small pre-production series
    • Bf 109 B-1 –  Production version
    • Bf 109 B-2 –  Slightly improved B-1 version incorporating a new propeller. Note that the existence of this particular version is disputed in sources.

Surviving Aircraft

Today only one Bf 109B-0 V-10 is known to have survived. Given its rather low production numbers, this is not surprising. It is in a private collection of the “Bayerische Flugzeug Historiker” Oberschleissheim in Munich, Germany.

Conclusion

Despite focusing mainly on civilian aircraft, Messerchmitt and his team of engineers managed to design a fighter that bested all the other well-established manufacturers for Luftwaffe’s new fighter program. The Bf 109 was inexpensive to build and possessed good overall flight capabilities. While a good design, there was plenty of room for improvement, mainly regarding its armament and engine, which would be greatly improved in subsequent iterations.

Me 109B-1 Specifications
Wingspans 9.9 m / 32  ft 4  in
Length 8.7 m / 28  ft 6 in
Height 2.45 m / 8 ft
Wing Area 16.4 m² /  174 ft²
Engine Jumo 210D
Empty Weight 1,580 kg / 3,483 lbs
Maximum Takeoff Weight 1,955 kg / 4,310 lbs
Maximum Speed 450 km/h / 280 mph
Cruising speed 350 km/h / 220 mph
Range 690 km / 430 miles
Maximum Service Ceiling 8,200 m
Crew 1 pilot
Armament
  • Initially three 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, later changed to four same type machine guns

Illustrations

Credits

  • Written by Marko P.
  • Edited by Stan L. Henry H.
  • Illustrations by Hansclaw

Source

  • D. Nesić  (2008)  Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemačka. Beograd.
  • D. Monday (2006) The Hamlyn Concise Guide To Axis Aircraft OF World War II, Bounty Books.
  • R. Jackson (2015) Messerschmitt Bf 109 A-D series, Osprey Publishing
  • J. R. Smith and A. L. Kay (1972) German Aircraft of the WW2, Putham
  • R. Cross, G. Scarborough and  H. J. Ebert (1972) Messerschmitt Bf 109 Versions B-E Airfix Products LTD.
  • J. R. Beaman and J. L. Campbell (1980) Messerschmitt Bf 109 in action Part-1, Squadron publication
  • Lynn R. (1980) Messerschmitt Bf 109 Part-1: Prototype to ‘E’ Variants, SAM Publication
  • http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/luftwaffe_messerschmitt_bf109.html

 

Messerschmitt Me 163C

Weimar and Nazi Germany, WW2, , , ,

Nazi flag Nazi Germany (1944)

Rocket-Powered Interceptor Fighter: Reached Prototyping Stage

A diagram of the improved rocket interceptor. (Nevingtonwarmuseum)

When the Me 163B entered service, it was a unique aircraft by virtue of its rocket engine. It was used as a short range interceptor for German air defense, and while it could achieve extremely high speeds, its overall design left much to be desired. These faults included a highly restrictive view from the cockpit, a lack of retractable landing gear, and limited operational endurance. In order to address some of these issues,  Messerschmitt engineers developed the Me 163C.

 

History 

While the Me 163B Komet proved to be a remarkable design, it was quite dangerous to fly  and there was plenty of room for improvement.  In order to make the whole aircraft as cheap as possible, some limitations had been introduced. To save weight, the aircraft had rather small dimensions which, in turn, limited the fuel load that could be stored inside. This led to a limited powered flight time of fewer than 8 minutes. In combat operations, this proved to be insufficient, but there was little that the German engineers could do to improve this. Adding internal or external auxiliary fuel tanks was not possible given the design restrictions.

Me 163B rocket interceptor, accepted into limited service. (militaryimages.net)

The position and layout of the cockpit also offered a number of issues. Most importantly, it provided the pilot with a limited field of view behind his aircraft. Another issue was the lack of retractable landing gear. The Me 163 was instead forced to use a two-wheeled detachable dolly. This was intentionally done in order to reduce weight.

Once the aircraft was in the air, the dolly was jettisoned. There were accidents regarding this system when, for example, the dolly refused to be detached from the aircraft, or even worse, when it bounced off the ground and hit the aircraft from below. On landing, the Me 163 was to use a simple retractable landing skid, placed beneath the fuselage. After landing, the aircraft was immobile and became an easy target for enemy fighters. For this reason, a normal retracting landing gear unit was desirable, but once again for the same reason as the fuel load, this could not be implemented.

To redress the previously mentioned issues, engineers at Messerschmitt began working on an improved version, the Me 163C. It incorporated a longer fuselage, an improved cockpit, and had an engine with two combustion chambers. The development of this version likely started in late 1944 or early 1945.

Production and service

The precise development history, and how many aircraft of this version were built, are the subject of considerable speculation. The fact that there are no photographs of it complicates the matter further. Most sources mentioned that only a few incomplete airframes were built by the Germans. In some sources, for example B. Rose’s Secret Projects Flying Wings and Tailless Aircraft, it is mentioned that three prototypes were completed and flight-tested in early 1945.  Source E. T. Maloney and U. Feist on the other hand, mentions that only a few pre-prototype airframes were built by the time the war ended in Europe. So there are two completely different accounts in the sources.

Technical characteristics

The Me 163C, like its predecessor, was designed as a high-speed, rocket-powered, swept-wing, tailless aircraft. Given its experimental nature and its late development into the war, not much is known about its precise technical characteristics. Its overall construction would probably be similar to the previous version, with its fuselage being built of metal, and possessing wooden wings. The semi-monocoque fuselage was longer and was now 7 m compared to the original 5.84 m length.

The Me 163C was to be powered by an improved Walter 109-509C or an HWK 109-509A-2 rocket engine. In the case of the first engine, it could generate a thrust of some 1.500 kg.  An auxiliary HWK 509 rocket engine would be used to provide additional endurance once the aircraft reached its cruising altitude. The maximum speed of the Me 163C was estimated at 915 km/h while the operational range was 125 km.

While the introduction of retractable landing gear was desirable, the Me 163C was not to be equipped with one, but it still received some modifications in this regard. It was to have a fully retractable tail wheel located at the bottom of the tail assembly.

The cockpit was completely redesigned. It received a fully glazed bubble-type canopy. This offered the pilot a much improved all-around view. In addition, there were provisions for pressurization equipment.

The armament used on this aircraft is not quite clear in the sources. It would have consisted of either two 2 cm MG 151 with 100 rounds of ammunition for each cannon, two 30 mm MK108 cannons with 60 rounds, or less realistically, four 30 mm MK108 cannons with 40 rounds of ammunition.

Note the redesigned canopy, auxiliary engine, and extended fuselage. (www.walterwerke.co.uk)

Cancelation of the project

While the precise development of this aircraft is unclear, most sources agree on the reasons why it was not adopted, beyond the obvious end of the war. Basically, there were two main reasons for this. First, was the lack of landing gear. The Me 163C still had to take off and land using the take-off dolly and the landing skid. This was far from perfect as the dolly, as mentioned, could potentially damage the aircraft itself after release, and the use of a sliding skid made the aircraft immobile after landing. Lastly, the auxiliary engine only extended the operational flight by an additional 1-minute, which was deemed insufficient.  It was for these reasons that  the Me 163C would not be adopted, and instead the development of the much improved Me 163D was prioritized.

Conclusion

Given its experimental nature, it’s late introduction, and the disagreement between sources, it is quite difficult to make the final decision on the general properties of this aircraft. Given that the project was canceled by the Germans, it is likely that besides a few experimental prototypes, no actual production aircraft were be assembled. Regardless it served as a stepping stone for the next version, the Me 163D, which was built, but it too would not be adopted for service due to the end of the war.

Me 163C Specifications
Wingspans 32 ft 2 in / 9.8 m
Length 23 ft 1 in / 7 m
Height 3 m / ft  in
Wing Area 220 ft² /  20.41 m²
Engine Walther HWL 509C-1 liquid fuel  rocket engine with a max thrust of 1.500 kg
Empty Weight 4,850 lbs / 2,200 kg
Maximum Takeoff Weight 11,680 lbs / 5.300 kg
Maximum Speed 570 mph / 915 km/h
Operational range 78 mil / 125 km
Engine endurance 12 minutes
Maximum Service Ceiling 40,000 ft /  12,200 m
Crew One pilot
Armament
  • Two 20 cm MG 151 (100) / Two 30 mm MK108 cannons  60
Me 163C

Credits

  • Article written by Marko P.
  • Edited by  Henry H. and Medicman11
  • Ported by Marko P.
  • Illustrations by Carpaticus

Source:

  • D. Nešić (2008)  Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemcaka. Beograd.
  • E. T. Maloney and U. Feist (1968) Messerschmitt Me 163, Fallbrook
  • M. Emmerling and J. Dressel  (1992) Messerschmitt Me 163 “Komet” Vol.II, Schiffer Military History
  • J.R. Smith and A. L. Kay (1990) German AIrcraft of the Second World War, Putnam
  • W. Spate and R. P. Bateson (1971) Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, Profile Publications
  • M. Ziegler (1990) Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, Schiffer Publishing
  • D. SHarp (2015) Luftwaffe secret jets of the Third Reich, Mortons Media Group
  • M. Griehl (1998) Jet Planes of the Third Reich, Monogram Aviation Publication
  • B. Rose (2010) Secret Projects Flying Wings and Tailless Aircraft, Midland
  • http://www.walterwerke.co.uk/walter/me163d.htm

 

Messerschmitt Me 163D Komet

Weimar and Nazi Germany, WW2, , , ,

Nazi flag Germany (1944)
Rocket-Powered Interceptor Prototype – 1 Built

The Me 163D prototype [luftwaffephotos.com]
The Me 163 showed to have great potential as a fast rocket-powered interceptor, but its design had some shortcomings. These included a limited view from the cockpit, lacking of landing gear, increased fuel storage, etc. The German companies Messerschmitt and later Junkers tried to resolve this by implementing a number of improvements to its design leading to the Me 163D of which only a few prototypes were built given the late start of the program.

History 

The Me 163 small size, while reducing the overall cost of the aircraft, enforced limitation of the fuel that could be stored inside which in turn led to a limited operational powered flight time of fewer than 8 minutes. In combat operations, this proved to be insufficient but no auxiliary tanks could be added to the Me 163 wings not inside of it. Another issue was the lack of proper landing gear. The Me 163 was instead forced to use a two-wheel dolly. Once the aircraft was in the air, the dolly was jettisoned. On occasion, there were accidents regarding this system when for example the dolly refused to be detached from the aircraft or even worse when it bounced off the ground and hit the aircraft from below. On the landing, the Me 163 were to use a simple retractable landing skid, placed beneath the fuselage. After landing the aircraft was immobile and essentially an easy target for enemy crafts.  For this reason, a normal retracting landing gear unit was desirable but once again due to Me 163 small size impossible to install.

To redress the previously mentioned issues engineers at Messerschmitt began working on an improved version named Me 163C. It incorporated a longer fuselage, extended cockpit, having an engine with two combustion chambers, and other modifications. The work on this version was rather slow and by war end not much was done on it besides a few incomplete airframes.

Illustration of a Me 163C aircraft, which was to replace the Me 163B. [walterwerke.co.uk]
One or two Me 163B prototypes had their fuselage extended in order if such modification was possible. [walterwerke.co.uk]
Parallel with the Me 163C development another project was carried out in early 1944 once again by Messerschmitt. This project was initially designated as Me 163D and was to have substantial numbers of improvements mostly regarding the overall shape of the aircraft, engine use, weaponry etc. For testing this new concept of substantially extending the aircraft fuselage if it was feasible at all. One or two (depending on the source) Me 163 (BV13 and BV18) was to be experimentally modified with an extended fuselage. In addition, experimental landing gear was also to be added. The testing of this rebuilt aircraft proved to be feasible and so the work on a fully built prototype began in earnest.

Name

The Me 163D project, due to Messerschmitt being simply overburdened with the Me 262 production, would instead be given to Junkers company. Once in their hands, the project was renamed Ju 248. The Me 163D obviously had an identity crisis as in late 1944 it was once again given back to Messerschmitt. Once back to its original designers, the project once again changed its name, this time to Me 263. As all three designations are basically correct for this aircraft, this article will use the original Me 163D designation for the sake of simplicity and to avoid any possible confusion.

First Prototype

Despite being originally designed by Messerschmitt, it was actually assembled in Junkers factories sometime during August 1944 or in early 1945 (the sources are not clear here). After that it would be returned to Messerschmitt where it was planned to examine and test its overall performance. While it was intended to have an increase in fuel capacity and an improved engine, the first prototype had actually no engine installed at that time. The Me 163D V1 (DV-PA) prototype was also provided with a new retractable tricycle landing gear which was to help with the mobility during the ground drive.

Given that no engine was fitted to the Me 163D, first flight testing was done as a glider, in late 1944. After these were conducted the prototype was in a series of wind-tunnel testings. The results of these two test trials (flight and wind tunnel) showed that the Me 163D was not capable of safely achieving dive speeds that were greater than its normal flight speed. In this regard, it was inferior to the original Me 163 aircraft which could achieve extensive dive speed but still managed to preserve good flight controls. The Messerschmitt engineers at this phase even considered redesigning the rear tail unit, but nothing came of it. The tricycle landing gear units did not offer good mobility on the ground, this was mainly due to it being too narrow. The Germans had plans to test using a parachute that was to be released during landing to help reduce the need for a long airfield. If this was tested or even installed on a Me 163D is unknown.

Technical characteristics

The Me 163D like its predecessor was designed as a high-speed, rocket-powered, swept-wing tailless aircraft. Given its experimental nature and its late development into the war, not much is known about its precise technical characteristics. Its overall construction would probably be similar to the previous versions, with a fuselage being built of metal and wooden wings.

The semi-monocoque construction fuselage was longer and was now 7.88 m ( 25 ft 10 in) compared to the original 5.84 m (9 ft 2 in) length. It had a good overall aerodynamic shape. The wings were swept to the back at a 19° angle, compared to the Me 163B 23.3° angle.

The Me 163D like its predecessor had wings that were swept to the back at a 19° angle. The fuselage had an excellent aerodynamic shape. [forum.warthunder.com]
The pilot cockpit received a new ‘bubble-shaped canopy. This provided the pilot with a much greater field of view. Given that it was intended to operate at great heights, the Me 163 D cockpit was to be pressurized and for this was bolted to the fuselage.

The Me 163D received a much better canopy which offered a much better all-around view. It was also completely pressurized so that the pilot could effectively fly it, on great heights. [forum.warthunder.com]
Interior of the Me 163D pilot cockpit. [forum.warthunder.com]
The Me 163D was to be powered by an improved Walter 109-509C rocket engine. It was provided by two combustion chambers.  While the sources are not clear if this engine was ever installed in the Me 163D, the estimated maximum speed was noted to be 950 km/h (590 mph) or up to 1,000 km/h (620 mph) depending on the source. It should also provide more economical consumption of fuel providing an operational range of some 160-220 km (100-140 mile) once again depending on the source. The operational flight endurance was increased from 7 minutes and 30 seconds to 15 minutes.

To overcome the previous Me 163B version’s lack of proper landing gear, the Me 163D was provided with the retractable tricycle landing gear. It consisted of a forward smaller and two larger wheels in the rear, just below the wing roots. All three of these retracted to the rear into the fuselage.

The fuel load consisted of 1040 liters (229 gallons) of T-Stoff and 492 liters of C-Stoff. The Me 163 was notorious for having only a limited endurance flight ofOnce the fuel was spent the pilots were to simply glide the aircraft back to the base.

The armament consisted of two 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 cannons, which were placed in the wing roots. Depending on the source the ammunition storage for each cannon ranged between 40 to 75 rounds.

Production

It is often mentioned in the sources that one complete and one partially complete prototype were built, by the war’s end. According to M. Griehl (Jet Planes of the Third Reich)  on the other hand, mentioned that at least three prototypes were built with less than 20 aircraft being in various states of construction when these were captured by the Allies in 1945.

Service

The limited operational test use of the Me 163D  and the German plans for it is not clear. Once again depending on the sources, there are mostly two versions. It appears that despite some faults in its design the Germans were willing to proceed with its further development. Given the end of the war, it should not be surprising that this was ever achieved. In another version, the work on the Me163D after some testing flight in February 1945 was officially terminated by the Luftwaffe officials. Mostly due to the fact that production of its unique and dangerous fuel is no longer possible.

The fate of these aircraft is not clear, given either information that these were either destroyed or captured by the Soviets. The latter option seems more likely as some sources suggest that the Soviets based on the Me 163D after the war developed their own version of it, the I-270. The project led nowhere and it would be abandoned.

    • Me 163D V1 – Completed prototype
    • Me 163D V2 –  Incomplete second prototype
    • Me 163D V3 –  Possible third prototype being built with additional 18 airframes

Conclusion

Given its experimental nature and its late introduction, it is quite difficult to make the final decision on the general properties of this aircraft. While it introduced some improvements in comparison to the previous version it also had issues regarding its reaching speed during dive flights. Despite offering the Germans a relatively cheap aircraft the whole Me 163 project by 1945 was essentially over given the general impossibility of production of its unique fuel. Nevertheless despite its downsides, the Me 163 whole series was certainly an interesting concept that had some merits that unfortunately for the Germans were never completely implemented.

Me 163D V1 Specifications
Wingspans 31 ft 2 in / 9.5 m
Length 25 ft 10 in / 7.88m
Height ft  in  /  3.17 m
Wing Area 192.6 ft² /  17.91 m²
Engine HWL 509  rocket engine
Empty Weight 4,400 lbs / 2,000 kg
Maximum Takeoff Weight 11,660 lbs / 5.300 kg
Maximum Speed 590 mph / 950 km/h
Operational range 100 mil / 160 km
Engine endurance 15 minutes
Maximum Service Ceiling 52,480 ft /  16,000 m
Crew One pilot
Armament
  • Two 30 mm MK108 cannons

Gallery

Artist Conception of the Me 163C – by Carpaticus

Artist Conception of the Me 263 – by Carpaticus

Credits

  • Written by Marko P.
  • Edited by Henry H. & Ed J.
  • Illustrated by Carpaticus

Source:

  • D. Nešić (2008)  Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemcaka. Beograd.
  • E. T. Maloney and U. Feist (1968) Messerschmitt Me 163, Fallbrook
  • M. Emmerling and J. Dressel  (1992) Messerschmitt Me 163 “Komet” Vol.II, Schiffer Military History
  • J.R. Smith and A. L. Kay (1990) German AIrcraft of the Second World War, Putham
  • http://www.walterwerke.co.uk/walter/me163d.htm
  • W. Spate and R. P. Bateson (1971) Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet , Profile Publications
  • M. Ziegler (1990) Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, Schiffer Publishing
  • D. SHarp (2015) Luftwaffe secret jets of the Third Reich, Mortons Media Group
  • M. Griehl (1998) Jet Planes of the Third Reich, Monogram Aviation Publication

Messerschmitt Me 163A Komet

Weimar and Nazi Germany, WW2, , , ,

Nazi flag Nazi Germany (1943)
Rocket Powered Fighter – 10 Built

The first operational Me 163 prototype. [luftwaffephotos.com]
During the Second World War, the Luftwaffe experimented with a number of unorthodox designs. This included a handful of rocket-powered aircraft, like the Me 163. This particular aircraft was created thanks to the somewhat unexpected combination of two different projects. One was the airframe designed by Alexander Martin Lippisch, and the second was the rocket engine developed by Helmuth Walter. Following the testing of the first prototypes, a small series of some 10 aircraft were built that were mainly used for testing and training.

Alexander Martin Lippisch and Helmuth Walter

The history of Me 163 was closely related to the work and design of aircraft engineer Alexander Martin Lippisch and rocket development pioneer Helmuth Walter. Lippisch was somewhat unorthodox in his aircraft design work, to say the least. He was quite interested in the development of gliders and later aircraft that were either completely lacking a tail unit or of an all-wing configuration.

In 1921, Lippisch, together with a colleague, participated in the formation of the so-called Weltensegler GmbH (World Glider Ltd.) company. At that time, the Germans were prohibited from developing and building military aircraft. The Germans worked around this prohibition by instead focusing on gliders and civilian aircraft which if needed would be quickly converted for military use, and conducted secret experiments. While glider development may seem like a waste of effort, it actually provided the Germans with an excellent foundation on which they managed to develop the Luftwaffe during the 1930s, becoming a formidable force at the start of the war. In 1925, Lippisch joined Rhön Rossitten Gesellschaft RRG, where he soon began working on his first glider. It was named Storch I, and incorporated his unusual all-wing design.

Over the years, Lippisch also became interested in rocket technology. With assistance from Fritz von Opel, Lippisch managed to build a rocket-assisted glider. This contraption was flight tested in June 1928. This was actually the first-ever rocket-assisted flight in the world. While initially successful, the glider crash-landed, and caught fire. The plane would be lost in the accident.

This accident did not prevent Lippisch from experimenting with rocket-powered all-wing gliders. He focused his work on a powered version of his Storch V glider. For this project, he used an 8 hp DKW engine. His work was successful and he managed to find investors who were willing to provide funds for the project. This led to the development of the Delta I all-wing aircraft during the late 1920s, and it was followed by Delta II, III, and IV.

Lippisch Delta I prototype. [aviastar.org]
Following this, Lippisch joined the Deutsche Forschungsinstitut DFS, where he worked as an engineer. There, he developed a series of new glider designs, like the DFS 40. In 1938, the work of Helmuth Walter came to his attention. Walter was a young scientist who was highly interested in rocket propulsion. He managed to gain military funding, which greatly helped in his work. In 1937, he even managed to gain attention from the Reichsluftfahrtministerium RLM (German Air Ministry). The RLM formed a Sondertriebwerke (Special Propulsion System Department) with the aim of experimenting with rocket engines in the aircraft industry. While this department was mainly focused on developing rocket engines for short take-off assistance, Walter desired a more prominent role in rocket propulsion. He intended to develop a rocket engine that could replace standard piston engines. Walter managed to develop such an engine, named Walter TP-1, which was fueled by the so-called ‘T-Stoff’ (hydrogen peroxide) and ‘Z-Stoff’ (water solution of either calcium or sodium permanganate). His engine design would be tested in 1939 on the He 176. However, the final results were disappointing and the engine did not go into production.

The DFS 194 predecessor

Lippisch and his design team began working on a new project incorporating the Walter rocket engine. Initially, the project was designated simply as Entwurf X (Design X), before being changed to 8-194 and finally DFS 194. Work on the prototype came to a temporary halt as the DFS lacked proper production capabilities to finish the aircraft. To keep the project going, the RLM instructed Messerschmitt to provide the necessary manpower and production support.

Given the small chance of progression in the DFS and in order to increase the speed of the project, Lippisch and his team moved to Messerschmitt’s base at Augsburg at the start of 1939. He also tried to negotiate with Heinkel for the production and development of the DFS 194 project, but nothing came of this. At Augsburg, Lippisch and his team worked in Messerschmitt’s newly formed Department L (which stands for Lippisch).

The DFS 194 prototype served as the base for the future Me 163. [nevingtonwarmuseum.com]
The first calculations were promising, as the plane would be able to reach a speed of 550 km/h (342 mph). Once completed the DFS 194, was transported to the secret German rocket test center at Peenemunde-West Airfield during the summer of 1939. During ground tests, it was noted that the engine installation was poorly designed and too dangerous to be actually flight tested. Instead, it was decided to use the design as a glider. Surprisingly, despite this huge setback, production orders for three prototypes were given. Initially, these were designated simply as Lippisch V1, V2, and V3, but would be renamed to Me 163A V1 to V3. This was mainly done to mask the true purpose of this aircraft, as this was the name given to an older, rejected Bf 163 Messerschmitt reconnaissance aircraft project.

The Me 163A Prototype Series

The RLM was not satisfied with the general design of the engine compartment initially tested on the DFS 194. They requested that for further Me 163 development, it would need to be substantially changed. In addition, the engine was to be replaced with the Walter R II-203 engine. This engine was to have a manually regulated thrust ranging from 150-750 kg of thrust (330-1,650 lbs). The engine compartment was also to be completely redesigned in order to have easy access to the main components for maintenance.

Following the start of the Second World War in September 1939, the work on the Me 163 slowed down but still went on. The first unpowered flight by the Me 163 V1 prototype, in some sources marked as V4, (KE + SW) was carried out during early 1941. This prototype was towed by a Bf 110 heavy fighter. Once at a sufficient altitude, the V1 was released. During the test flight, the pilot, Heini Dittmar, managed to reach a speed of some 850 km/h (528 mph) during a dive. While this was a great starting point for the project, Hitler, following military victories in Poland and in the West, ordered that funds for such projects be reduced. In the case of the Me 163, this meant that only two more additional prototypes were to be built.

Side view of the Me 163 V1 (V4).[luftwaffephotos.com]
In May 1941, a wooden mock-up of a Me 163 was completed, which was then transported to the Walter Werke. Once there, it was to be equipped with the R II-203 engine. Once the first prototype was fully completed and equipped with this engine, the first tests were carried out at Peenemunde-West in August 1941. The test pilot was once again Heini Dittmar. After a series of test flights that lasted from August to September 1941, the Me 163 prototype showed promising results. The pilot managed to reach top speeds of 800 km/h (500 mph). At this time, the second V2 prototype was also equipped with a rocket engine and used in various test flights. Ernst Udet, Director-General of the Luftwaffe, was highly impressed with its performance. He even gave orders that an additional 8 prototypes were to be built, bringing the total to 13 at this time.

Once the prototype was equipped with the R II-203 engine, the first tests were carried out in August 1941. These proved to be highly successful, which led to an increase in interest for the Me 163 project. [Spate & Bateson]
At the start of October, Heini Dittmar said that, in order to fully test the Me 163’s flying performance, the fuel load had to be increased. On his personal insistence, the V3 (CD + IM) prototype, was fully fueled. This is according to W. Spate and R. P. Bateson (Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet). Other sources like M. Griehl (X-Planes German Luftwaffe Prototypes 1930-1945) this aircraft was described as being the V8 prototype instead. On the 2nd of October 1941, he took to the sky, initially towed by a Bf 110. At an altitude of 3,960 meters (13,000 ft), Dittmar activated the engine. After reaching a speed of 965 km/h (600 mph), he lost control of the aircraft as the result of compressibility effects. The prototype began a rapid descent toward the ground. He then switched off the engine, which enabled him to regain control, after which he landed safely on the ground. Later analysis of the flight indicated that Dittmar managed to reach a speed of 1002 km/h (623 mph). As the whole project was undertaken under great secrecy, this success was not published at the time.

The Me 163 in the middle was the aircraft that Heini Dittmar flew when he reached a speed of 1002 km/h (623 mph). [Spate & Bateson]
Following these events, the Me 163 project got a temporary boost in prominence, with Herman Goring himself placing great interest in it. Ernst Udet additionally placed an order for 70 new Me 163 airframes together with engines for the B version in October 1941. A month later, things changed dramatically for Me 163 after Udet committed suicide. His replacement, Erhard Milch, was less interested in unconventional aircraft designs, like the Me 163. Work on the project nevertheless continued.

A breakup with Messerschmitt

While the Me 163 project was underway, relations soured between Willy Messerschmitt and Lippisch. Messerschmitt personally disliked the Me 163, partly due to its unique overall design, but also given that he was not involved in its development. By 1943, Lippisch left Augsburg and moved to Vienna. While not physically present in the design bureau, he tried to maintain contact with the Me 163 development team at a distance.

In the meantime, Messerschmitt was unwilling to be involved in the Me 163 project, under the excuse that his company was already overburdened with the production of other aircraft. For this reason, the production of further Me 163 aircraft was instead given to Klemm Leichtflugzeugbau, a relatively small aircraft company owned by Hans Klemm.

Production of the A-0 series

While the V1 prototype was mainly used for initial testing, the V2 would serve as a base for the A-0 series. An initial order for ten A-0 aircraft was previously given to Messerschmitt, but only seven were completed. The remaining three aircraft were actually completed by the Klemm factory. These were all completed from 1941 to 1942. The number of prototypes built is not clear in the sources. The numbers range from 1 to 8 prototype aircraft. According to S. Ransom and H.H. Cammann (Jagdgeschwader 400), while three prototypes were meant to be built initially, not all met the requested specifications, except one, which received the V4 designation. Author M. Griehl (Jet Planes of the Third Reich) on the other hand noted that the V4 was the first prototype. He explained that the previous three prototypes were actually related to the initial Bf 163 reconnaissance project that was rejected.

In-Service

Of the 10 built Me 163 A-0 planes, not all were equipped with fully operational engines. A number of them were instead operated as unpowered gliders. This version was not intended for combat operations and was mainly used for crew training and further experimentation.

At the end of November 1943, the V6 aircraft was lost in an accident with the loss of the pilot. In another accident at the end of 1943, another pilot died when the engine stopped working during a takeoff. While the pilot tried to turn back for a landing, having limited control, the aircraft hit a ground station radio antenna before hitting the ground and exploding. It was discovered in an investigation that the undercarriage dolly bounced off the ground much higher than usual, and struck the aircraft, damaging the rocket engine. Some prominent pilots, like Hanna Reitsch, actually had the chance to flight-test the Me 163 aircraft. At least one aircraft was still operational by February 1945 and was used for testing the 55 mm R4M rockets by Erprobungkommando 16.

Me 163A at Peenemunde, 1943. [Ransom & Cammann]
At least one Me 163A survived up to February 1945. It was used by Erprobungkommando 16 (Eng. testing or evaluation-coomand) in Silesia to test the 55 mm R4M rockets. This unit had the primary function of testing and examining the newly built Me 163 and helping in the development and improvement of its overall design. Besides these, no other armament was installed on the Me 163 A series. Source Source: W. Spate and R. P. Bateson Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet

Technical Characteristics

The Me 163A was a high-speed, rocket-powered, swept-wing, short fuselage, mixed-construction tailless aircraft. The Me 163A fuselage was built using metal, divided into three sections, the front cockpit, central fuel tank, and the aft engine compartment.

The wooden wings had a very simple design consisting of two spars covered in thick fabric. If needed, the wings could be detached from the fuselage for transport. At the wings’ trailing edges ailerons were placed, which the pilot during flight used for pitch and roll. The wing area was 17.5 m² (57.4 ft²). The tail did not have the standard horizontal stabilizers, instead of having a single large vertical stabilizer. Despite this, no major problems during flights were ever noted on the Me 163A.

For the pilot to enter the cockpit he was provided with a ladder placed on the left side of the aircraft. The cockpit canopy opened upwards. Overall visibility was poor, and later versions would have an improved canopy. While it did offer some improvements for the pilot’s line of sight, it would not resolve the overall poor visibility of the aircraft. Given that the Me 163A was based on a DFS 194 glider, it was equipped with minimal instrumentation needed for the aircraft to be flown.

View of the Me 163A’s cockpit interior. [Spate & Bateson]
The Me 163A was powered by a single HWK R II 203 rocket engine, which gave 750 kg (1,650 lb) of thrust. The main fuel consisted of a mix of T and Z Stoff. These two chemicals were highly reactive, volatile, and prone to explosion. To avoid this, extensive preparation and security measures were necessary. The maximum speed this engine achieved was some 850 km/h (530 mph). This high speed was achieved to some extent thanks to the aircraft’s low weight. The empty weight was 1,140 kg (2,513 lbs) while the maximum takeoff weight was 2,200 kg (4,850 lbs).

Interestingly, in order to save weight, the Me 163 did not have a conventional landing gear unit. Instead, during take-off, it was provided with a specially designed two-wheel dolly. It would be jettisoned upon take-off. When landing on the airfield, the Me 163 used a retractable skid located beneath the fuselage.

Despite the A series having not been designed to have any weapon systems, at least one Me 163A was tested with the installation of the 5.5 cm (2.16 in) R4M air-to-air rockets.

Production Versions

  • DSF 194 – Prototype whose further development led to the creation of the Me 163
  • Me 163 Prototype Series– Prototype aircraft
  • Me 163A-0 – 10 Pre-production aircraft built

Conclusion

The Me 163A series, despite its unusual appearance and overall design, proved to be a rather successful aircraft. It had some shortcomings, mostly regarding its dangerous fuel load. Upon completion of successful testing, order for the Me 163B version was given.

Me 163A Specifications
Wingspans 8.85 m / 29 ft 3 in
Length 5.25 m / 17 ft 2 in
Height 2.16 m / 7 ft 8 in
Wing Area 17.5 m² / 57.4 ft²
Engine One HWK R II 203 rocket engine with 750 kg (1,650 lbs) of thrust
Empty Weight 1,140 kg / 2,513 lbs
Maximum Takeoff Weight 2,200 kg / 4,850 lbs
Maximum Speed 850 km/h / 530 mph
Crew 1 pilot

Gallery

Me 163A – Illustrated by Carpaticus

Credits

  • Written by Marko P.
  • Edited by by Ed Jackson & Henry H.
  • Illustrations by Carpaticus

Sources

  • D. Nešić (2008) Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemcaka. Beograd.
  • W. Spate and R. P. Bateson (1971) Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet , Profile Publications
  • M. Ziegler (1990) Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, Schiffer Publishing
  • M. Emmerling and J. Dressel (1992) Messerschmitt Me 163 “Komet” Vol.II, Schiffer Military History
  • E. T. Maloney and U. Feist (1968) Messerschmitt Me 163, Fallbrook
  • S. Ransom and H.H. Cammann (2010) Jagdgeschwader 400, Osprey publishing.
  • D. Donald (1990) German aircraft of the WWII, Brown Packaging books ltd
  • D. Monday (2006) The Hamlyn Concise Guide To Axis Aircraft OF World War II, Bounty Books.
  • M. Griehl (1998) Jet Planes of the Third Reich, Monogram Aviation Publication
  • M. Griehl (2012) X-Planes German Luftwaffe Prototypes 1930-1945, Frontline Book

Avia S-199 in Israeli Service

Cold War, Israel, , , , , , , ,

Israeli flag Israel (1948-1949)
Fighter – 25 Purchased 

The Avia S-199 was a post Second World War fighter produced in Czechoslovakia. A total of 532 airplanes of different versions were built and used by the Czechoslovenské letectvo (Czechoslovak Air Force) from 1947 to 1955, and 25 planes were used by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) of the newly formed State of Israel between 1948 and 1949.

An Avia S-199 of the Israeli Air Force. Source: m.calcalist.co.il

After the Second World War, the fate of many European Jewish survivors of the Holocaust was bleak. Some returned to their homes across war-ravaged Europe, starting their lives from scratch. Others, who had lost entire families in the concentration camps or had lost everything for the war, decided to move to Palestine to establish the State of Israel.

Many of these, however, were blocked at the border of Palestine by the British, who were worried that the thousands of Jewish migrants could overrun the region. Others still ended up in British camps for displaced persons in Cyprus.

Some World War II veterans of different nationalities, Jewish or not, decided to take matters into their own hands. One such person was Lou Lenart ,who had lost 14 relatives in concentration camps, who wanted to retaliate and help displaced persons by joining the Haganah, an Israeli military organization, and becoming a so-called ‘Mahal’ ,Mitnadvei Hutz LaAretz’ or “volunteer from abroad”. During the Independence War, the Mahal numbered about 3,500 persons from 58 different countries. At the start of the hostilities, of the 18 fighter pilots of the Haganah, 15 were Mahal.

Czechoslovakian Necessity

After World War Two, Czechoslovakia had a shaky democracy dominated by communists, many of whom were of Jewish descent and pro-Zionist, despite discrimination and oppresion of Jewish people by the Soviets.

Czechoslovakia had found itself in possession of a large quantity of German weapons, many of which had been produced under occupation within its borders. Some types remained in production after the war ended with raw materials left in warehouses and factories or surrendered by the Anglo-Americans.
The Czechoslovakian arms stockpile would continue to grow as its soldiers returned, often with foreign supplied weapons.

Czechoslovakia was looking for a way to restore its economy, which was at an all-time low after the German occupation and the destruction caused by the war. Selling weapons was an excellent way to do this.

Mutual Aid

The Czech delegation to the UN voted for a Jewish state only a few months before a communist coup turned Czechoslovakia into a Soviet satellite state. Czechoslovakia then became one of the most important partners in helping arm the Jewish people.

Surplus German and Czech arms from World War II were purchased by the Czechoslovakian government and shipped to Palestine. Not only did they provide light weapons, but the country became a center for all forms of material aid.

While light weapons were important, the Israelis needed tanks and an air force to counter neighbouring Arab armies. All of this aid incurred a huge financial burden for the Czechs. Joseph Stalin allowed support to continue after the Czechoslovak communist coup, not so much as to support the Israelis, but to undermine the British Empire. The first contract was signed on January 14th, 1948 by Jan Masaryk, the Czech foreign minister.

The contract included 200 MG 34 machine guns, 4,500 K98 rifles, and 50,400,000 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser rounds for these rifles and machine guns.

Syria also purchased a quantity of weapons from Czechoslovakia for the Arab Liberation Army, but the shipment arrived in Israel due to the intervention of the Haganah.

After the communist coup in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, military support for the nascent state of Israel increased temporarily. However, Stalin’s brief policy of support for the state of Israel soon faded, and in the wake of the Tito-Stalin split, all Communist parties had to put their foreign policy on par with that of the Kremlin in order to prove their loyalty. In this context, the Czechoslovakian communists put an end to arms sales to Israel.

The first shipment of 200 rifles, 40 MG 34 machine guns and rounds landed secretly on the night of March 31st-April 1st 1948 at an improvised airport in Beit Daras on an American Douglas C-54 Skymaster cargo plane. The second larger shipment, covered with onions and potatoes, consisting of 450 rifles, 200 machine guns and rounds, arrived at the port of Tel Aviv aboard the merchant ship Nora on April 2nd, while a third shipment of ten thousand rifles, 1,415 machine guns and rounds reached Israel by sea on April 28th. Finally, the Haganah command had a stockpile of thousands of small arms on hand, but, as mentioned, other equipment was also needed to create an air force and armored units.

The Aircraft

In the final phase of the Second World War, it was decided that the factory of the Avia company located in Prague-Cakovice would assemble the Messerschmitt Bf109G-6, Bf109G-14 fighters and the Bf109G-12 two-seater trainer aircraft for the needs of the Luftwaffe. This production was based around components supplied by German factories.

After the war, a large stock of remaining spare parts was left and it was studied, along with the original blueprints, by the new authorities in order to begin local production of the aircraft. With the remaining spare parts, some aircraft were assembled, but there was a shortage of engines.

On 31st July 1945, at about 15:30, the ammunition depot at Krásný Březno exploded, killing 27 people and injuring several dozen more. The explosion and subsequent fire destroyed the depot, including the chemical plant buildings. The explosion was interpreted as being a result of sabotage carried out by the local Germans. In retaliation, the locals carried out the Ústí Massacre, killing about 80-100 ethnic Germans.

In addition to munitions, the warehouses that exploded also contained almost all Daimler-Benz DB 605 engines available in Czechoslovakia.

As a result, the Czechoslovak Air Force had to equip the aircraft with the Junkers Jumo 211 F-12 engine ,produced in Czechoslovakia as M-211F, of which there were several left after the war.

The Jumo 211 was not very suitable for installation on fighters, as it was originally intended only for bombers, such as the Heinkel He 111, Focke-Wulf Ta 154 and Junkers Ju 87. It was less powerful and heavier than the Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine, at 720 kg and 1,350 hp versus the DB 605AM’s 700 kg and 1,775 hp (on the Bf109G-14 variant).

Engine maintenance on a Czechoslovakian Avia S-199. The enormous propeller is clearly visible. Source: valka.cz

In addition, the Junkers engines did not provide for the installation of synchronizers, so it was necessary for the Avia engineers to modify them to synchronize the turn of the propellers with the aircraft’s guns, and create a new propeller. The first Avia S-199 fighter ,C-210, took off on April 25th, 1947 from Prague-Kakovice airport, flown by test pilot Petr Široký. After solving some mechanical problems, the series production of the machine began almost immediately.

The Avia fighter differed from the original Messerschmitt Bf.109 only in terms of propulsion and armament. Because of the new engine, the engine cowling, propeller, and spinner were modified.

The armament of the S-199 consisted of two 13 mm Mauser MG 131 machine guns with 600 rounds above the engine, and either two 7.92 mm machine guns in the wings or two 20 mm MG 151 cannons mounted under the wings in gunpods.

Because of the new engine, the Czechoslovakian aircraft was inferior to the German Bf 109 G-10. The maximum speed of the S-199 was 590 km/h compared to 690 km/h of the Messerschmitt. The maximum altitude was 9,000 m compared to 11,000 m. The worst problem was the change in the center of gravity of the aircraft, which greatly complicated takeoff and landing.

An Avia S-199 of the Czechoslovenské letectvo. Source: smartage.pl

The S-199 had another serious defect: the machine guns placed under the engine hood were not always synchronized with the propeller, which led to serious accidents.

Several plants were set up for the production and assembly of the Avia S-199, the Prague Automobile Plant, Plant No. 2 of Avia, and the plants of the Aero company where they assembled the aircraft. Rudders and ailerons were supplied by Letecké Závody in Letňany. The Letov company in Malešice produced the M-211 engines and the propellers and spinners were manufactured in Jinonice.

A total of 450 S-199 single-seaters and 82 CS-199 two-seaters were produced for training purposes, of which 24 were later converted from single-seater fighters.

First Aircrafts

The Czechoslovaks helped create the Israeli Air Force by selling the nascent Israeli state 25 Avia S-199 fighter planes in 1948.

The agreed cost was 180,000 USD (~2 million USD adjusted for inflation) per aircraft, including armament, ammunition, spare parts, pilot training and support equipment. This was a disproportionate price for what was, by now, a mediocre aircraft. At that time, an American surplus P-51D Mustang was sold second hand for only 4,000 USD (~44,000 USD adjusted for inflation).

Unfortunately, due to the embargoes imposed on Israel, it would have taken weeks or months to find other offers, time that Israel did not have given the conflict with the neighboring Arab states. A few weeks could make the difference between destruction and survival for the new state.

David Ben Gurion, the Prime Minister of Israel, did not hesitate and gave the order to buy the planes and to send the pilots to training as quickly as possible. A contract was signed for 25 Avia S-199 at a total cost of 4.5 million USD (~50 million adjusted for inflation).

Pilot Training

The first 10 Israeli pilots departed from Sde Dov on 6th May 1948 and arrived at the Czechoslovakian air base in České Budějovice on May 11th, 1948. Of the 10 pilots, 2 were US volunteers and one was South African, these last three were veteran pilots of the Second World War, having served with the US Army Air Force and Royal South African Air Force respectively. The other seven were British or Palestinian Jews, some of which were World War II veterans, while others had only completed Royal Air Force training in Rhodesia in early 1945, failing to actively participate in World War II.

The first to fly the Czechoslovakian fighter was former Marine Corps pilot Lou Lenart. As soon as he started to gain speed, due to the larger propeller, the aircraft started to yaw to the left. He was aware of this problem but he was likely unable to do anything about it.

When he returned to the runway, he managed to take off after several attempts, having to fight against the plane to avoid going off the runway. After a few minutes, he returned to the airfield and the pilot again had to fight to keep the plane straight during landing.

When all 10 pilots made their first flights, they gave their impressions of the plane. None were positive. The landing gear was narrow and made the S-199 difficult to keep straight during take off due to the huge torque of the propeller. The plane was unwieldy and very hard to handle, the cockpit was cramped and the canopy was hard to open.

The Jewish volunteers discovered that the Czech pilots called the S-199 ‘Mezec’, which means “mule,” and they quickly understood why.

The Jewish volunteers were accustomed to spacious, agile and fast Allied fighters, such as the Spitfire, P-51D Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt. The shock of flying an aircraft with completely different characteristics upset them, but the Avia was all they had and they had to make do.

IAF foreign pilots on an Avia S-199 in Israel. Some of them are US, British, Canadian and South African, Jewish and non-Jewish. Source: asisbiz.com

After only 4 days from the beginning of the training, on May 15th, the pilots of the Sherut Avir, Air Service in Hebrew, the ancestor of the Israeli Air Force, were recalled to Israel.

During training in Czechoslovakia, only five of the volunteers, those with World War II experience, had qualified to fly the Avia and none had flown it more than twice. The first S-199s were disassembled and loaded, along with other equipment, onto a Douglas C-54 Skymaster named Black-5. This plane landed on May 20th, 1948 at Be’er Tuvia, 40 km south of Tel Aviv, with the first disassembled Avia S-199, some bombs, Avia’s machine-gun rounds for the aircraft’s guns, artillery spare parts, and five fighter pilots who had “completed” their training in Czechoslovakia, American Lou Lanart, American Milton Rubenfeld (former RAF and USAF), South African Eddie Cohen (former RAF), Israeli Ezer Weizmann (former RAF) and Israeli Mordecai ‘Modi’ Alon (former RAF).

On the night between 23rd and 24th May 1948, one of the Douglas C-54 Skymasters carrying the fifth Avia for the fifth pilot crashed during landing due to poor visibility. The navigator, Moses Rosenbaum, died crushed by the fuselage of the Avia S-199 they were carrying, while the other three crew members were only injured.

Some sources report that the number of Avia S-199s that arrived in Israel was only 24. This could be a simple error or it could mean that Czechoslovakia delivered all the Avia but that the one that crashed on the night of May 23rd, perhaps because of the damage suffered, could not fly anymore and was used for spare parts.

Operational Use

The Israeli Air Force gave the Czechoslovakian fighter the nickname “סכין”, meaning “knife” in Hebrew. After being reassembled, the aircraft received the Israeli air force’s coat of arms and a number ranging from 100 to 125 for identification.

Aviator Rudy Augarten on board a Willys Jeep. In the background is the Avia S-199 D. 123 (123 .ד‎). Source: asisbiz.com

After the outbreak of hostilities, the war was going badly for the State of Israel, which had been invaded by anArab force composed of Egyptians, Syrians and Iraqis with the support of other nations such as Jordan and Lebanon. The Egyptian Army was advancing north along the Mediterranean coast, arriving less than 30 km from Tel Aviv.

Despite the fact that the Israeli engineers of the Givati Brigade had blown up the bridge over the Lachish river, the Egyptians continued to amass along the south bank of the river. It would take them a few hours to repair the bridge and they could arrive in Tel Aviv during the next day.

That evening, the last phases of the assembly of the first four aircraft had been completed in a hangar. An attack was being organized for the following days against the Royal Egyptian Air Force airport in El Arish, in order to take the REAF by surprise and announce in a very daring way the existence of the IAF.

Due to the proximity of the Egyptians to Tel Aviv, the Israeli pilots were ordered to take off with the only four S-199s that had arrived from Czechoslovakia. The planes had not yet been tested in flight, not all four had radios and those that had them did not work. The guns had never been tested, not even during the training of the pilots, who had flown on these fighters only twice.

Lou Lenart watches the ground crew during the final assembly of one of the four Avia S-199s, May 29th, 1948. Source: wikipedia.org

The four S-199s, piloted by Lou Lenart, Ezer Weizman, Modi Alon and Leonard Cohen, took off one hour before dark. Lenart, who commanded the unit, had never flown in Israel before, and he did not know where Ashdod, which was less than 15 km away from their airport, was located.

Anachronistically, he gestured to the other pilots the direction to go. Having clarified the direction to go, there was another problem, as the villages along the coast looked similar. Fortunately, columns of smoke were seen and, shortly afterwards, a column of Egyptian trucks and light armored vehicles was spotted stretching for more than a mile south of the Ashdod bridge. These belonged to engineering units trying to repair the bridge for the forces that were to take Tel Aviv the next day.

The pilots of the four planes attacked the column, which immediately dispersed. The Egyptians were not aware of the existence of an Israeli air force, lacked sufficient anti-aircraft weapons and, in some cases, had never seen an aircraft before.

The fighters swooped down on the Arabs, dropped the two 70 kg bombs they had and started to strafe the scattering soldiers. After a few shots, the guns jammed. In reality, the bombs and the following machine gun strafing did little damage. However, the psychological impact on the Egyptian troops was so devastating that, the next day, the order to attack Tel Aviv was cancelled. After that, the Egyptian offensive strategy became purely defensive.

During the attack, South African Leonard ‘Eddie’ Cohen’s Red Four plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. Cohen was the first loss of the Israeli Air Force. During landing, Modi Alon’s Red Two aircraft went off the runway and was damaged.

At 0530 hrs on May 30th, in order to take advantage of the surprise appearance of the IAF, the two remaining S-199s, piloted by Weizman ,Red 1, and Milt Rubenfeld,Red 3, attacked the village of Tulkarm in northern Israel, which controlled by a Jordanian-Iraqi force.

In this case as well, the real damage was insignificant but the psychological effect was devastating. A bomb had hit the police station where the Arabs were hiding themselves and 4 tanks were machine-gunned.

Rubenfeld’s plane was hit, probably by two anti-aircraft cannon shots, one in the wing and one in the fuselage. Due to the damage sustained by the aircraft, he could only return to the territory controlled by the Israeli Defense Force and then bail out at low altitude into the sea. He jumped from about 370 meters, but the parachute did not open properly and he fell into the water and was injured. He swam towards the shore, andafter two hours, he realized that the water in which he was swimming was very shallow and he had reached land.

He became the target of rifle shots from a nearby kibbutz, being mistaken for an Arab pilot ,the Israeli Air Force had remained a secret until the day before. He was then rescued and, after treatment, brought back by cab to Tel Aviv and then returned to the United States.

Ezer Weizmann sitting on the wheel of the landing gear of an Avia S-199 with the 101st Squadron’s coat of arms. Weizmann would become the seventh president of Israel some year after. Source: wikipedia.org

On May 30th, the unit was officially named the 101st Squadron or First Fighter Squadron, a name that was very impressive for a unit that had two fighters, one of which was operational, and four pilots, one of which was wounded.

On June 3rd, 1948, two Douglas C-47 Dakotas, escorted by two Egyptian Supermarine Spitfires, arrived from over the sea to bomb Tel Aviv. This practice had been ongoing for a long time and had cost the lives of hundreds of civilians in the city. The Egyptian tactic was to drop bombs out the back door onto the city below.

That day, late in the afternoon, 101st Squadron was alarmed that the Egyptian bombers were again on their way to Tel Aviv. Modi Alon took the only available S-199 and took off.
Arriving in the skies over the city, he spotted the two C-47s with two Spitfires escorting them.

Modi Alon first flew west over the Mediterranean Sea, thus being able to approach with the sun behind him. The enemy aircraft would thus have a hard time seeing him, a tactic RAF instructors in Rhodesia had taught him.

Arriving behind the first C-47, he hit it with a long burst of cannons and machine guns and sent it crashing to the ground. With a very risky maneuver, he passed in front of a Supermarine Spitfire and then turned around again to attack the second C-47 head-on.

The slow and clumsy Douglas tried to turn around to get rid of the attacker while the two Spitfires tried to line up the Avia, trying to hit it to defend the bomber.

Alon’s S-199 shots hit the second C-47, which crashed into the Mediterranean shortly after. Alon then pushed the throttle to full and sped away at top speed, without the Spitfires being able to hit it.

Alon’s Avia S-199 attack on the first C-47 in Tel Aviv’s sky on 3rd June 1948. Source: fly.historicwings.com

On June 8th, 1948, during his first mission aboard an S-199, Gideon Lichtman, who had trained for only 35 minutes aboard the Avia, flew the first dogfight of the war against an Egyptian Spitfire that was strafing civilians in Tel Aviv.

Lichtman didn’t even know which trigger to fire, so he kept pressing buttons, levers and switches until he found the right one, and chasing one of the Spitfires, he opened fire, shooting it down. The U.S. pilot was forced to land without fuel because he had only 40 minutes of fuel when he intercepted the enemy plane.

Gideon Lichtman left, Modi Alone (center) and Defence Minister Ben Gurion (right) in front of an Avia S-199. Photo taken the day when Gurion visited the 101 Squadron during the Independence War. Source: pinterest.com

Exactly one month later, on July 8, (some other sources claim 18 July) Modi Alon left with other 2 Avias to attack an Egyptian reinforcement column at Bir Asluj in the Negev Desert.
After the successful attack, on their way back Alon noticed two Egyptian Spitfires Mark VCs in flight, attacked them and managed to shoot down one of them which was the one of the Wing Commander Said Afifi al-Janzuri.

Although the career of the few Israeli Avias seemed good, due to its poor handling characteristics on the ground, no more than four planes were operational together, recalled pilot Mitchell Flint, veteran of the Pacific Campaign.
On the morning of July 9 Lou Lenart was ordered to attack the Egyptian air base of El Arish with four fighters. The fuel was low and the tanks could not be filled to capacity.
During takeoff the Avia S-199 number two piloted by ex-USAF aviator Stan Andrews swerved to the left during takeoff, flipped over and blocked the runway for 15 minutes causing the other fighters to consume fuel.

An Israeli Avia D. 107 (107 .ד‎). overturned on an airstrip side. Source: asisbiz.com

The three remaining operational S-199s running out of fuel hit the much closer Egyptian-controlled Gaza port.

Only two S-199s returned to base while the third, piloted by former USAF Bob Vickman, had not returned. Despite efforts Vickman was never found again.

The next day there was a similar situation, a pair of S-199s attacked two Syrian bombers near the Sea of Galilee. Ex-RAF pilot Maury Mann, shot down one of the two bombers within seconds while his South African ex-RAF wingman Lionel Bloch , in aircraft 108 .ד‎, attacked the second one chasing it as it retreated into Syria.That was the last time Bloch was seen, neither he nor his S-199 returned to base.

The next morning Sydney ‘Syd’ Cohen, a former South African medical student, member of 101 Squadron and future leader of the squadron, took off to search for Bloch or the remains of his plane.

Syd had spent more time training in Czechoslovakia so he realized that there was something wrong with the disappearance of two planes in two days, he acted on instinct and fired a very short burst with the machine guns mounted in the engine cowling.

When he landed, everyone noticed that all three propeller blades had bullet holes in them. The synchronizer was faulty, Vickman, Bloch and some thought also Leonard Cohen had all likely shot their own propellers while firing their guns.

On October 16, 1948, Airman Rudy Augarten, a former USAF pilot who had shot down two Messerschmitt Bf.109s during World War II, was on a reconnaissance mission over El Arish Air Base, which had been attacked the previous day. As he flew south toward the coast in the distance, he saw two Spitfires flying in formation.

Augarten followed the two Egyptian planes, trying not to be detected.
Augarten lined up with one of the Spitfires and fired a burst, sending the Egyptian plane plunging toward the Israeli lines. The other Spitfire, pursued by Augarten’s wingman Leon Frankel, fled the battle.

Rudy Augarten on the doorstep of the Airbase. Note the coat of arms probably cutted from the Spitfire he shooted down. He had the possibility to visit the site where its victim landed some days after it’s victory. Source: pinterest.com

That same day Alon and Weizmann departed at 1658 hrs for a mission near Ashdod where both had done the first IAF mission. After the success of the mission Alon had returned and during the approach to the runway he reported by radio that he had a problem with the landing gear, a common problem on Avias that was never solved. One or both of the pistons that lowered the struts would not extend fully. The Israeli pilots learned the hard way that they had to pull the nose of the fighter up and down to get the landing gear fully retracted into the wing.

While Alon was working out his problem, observers on the ground noticed something more troubling. A trail of gray smoke was coming out of his fighter’s nose.
Alon was told over the radio to check the temperatures of the plane’s various gauges. “They were fine” Alon replied seconds before his fighter crashed in flames next to the runway, killing him. His daughter born 6 months later could not meet him but served in the same squadron as her father.

From that moment on, the Avia S-199 were more and more rarely used by the Israelis.
Very few of them were still operational and, starting from September 25, 1948, about fifty ex-Czech Supermarine Spitfires IX were arriving in Israel, which would have been much more reliable.
The S-199 fighters flew with the Coat of Arms of the Israeli Air Force until June 1949.

The last surviving examples of Avia S-199 in Israel in the Isaeli Air Force Museum, the 120 .ד‎. during a takeoff in 1948 and today. Source: m.calcalist.co.il and asisbiz.com

The aircraft maintained the Czechoslovakian sand coloration but the Israeli Air Force coat of arms (Stars of David) were applied in light blue on a white circular background on the sides of the fuselage and on the wings, top and bottom.

Two views of the Avia numbered 106 .ד‎. The Israeli letter was written behind the David’s Star. Sources: asisbiz.com

During the first missions the Stars of David were painted without paying attention to size, but later they were painted in standard size. Behind the David’s Star there were three bends white-light blue-white and the Israeli identification number, from 100 .ד‎ to 125 .ד‎.

The Avia S-199 numbered 107 .ד‎ with a non standard dimensions David’s Star in the first weeks of war. Note that the star was painted between the number and the Hebrew letter ד‎. Source: asisbiz.com

In front of the propeller nosepiece (which was painted red or blue in some cases) was painted the 101 Squadron coat of arms, a skull with wings inscribed in a red circle.

From September 1948 the rudders were painted with red and white oblique lines but photographic evidence shows that not all aircraft received them, at least until December 1948.

At least one aircraft, towards the end of the war, was painted in two-tone camouflage, dark brown and sand yellow with the underside of the aircraft in Mediterranean blue.

The 123 .ד‎ at the Tel Mid airfield. Note the two tone camouflage and the identification number now painted bigger and in white. Source: asisbiz.com

Conclusion

The Avia S-199, although an extremely unreliable aircraft, was the first aircraft of the Israeli Air Force, the only one that at that time they could acquire due to UN embargoes.
During the 13 months of IAF service the Israeli pilots shot down a total of 8 Arab aircraft without losing a single Avia to Arab aircraft.
The major losses were due to mechanical problems of the aircraft leading to the conclusion that the Avia S-199s were more dangerous for the Israeli pilots than for the Arab pilots.

Avia S-199 Specifications
Wingspans 32 ft 6.5 in / 9,92 m
Length 29 ft 2 in / 8,98 m
Height 8 ft 5.9 in /2,59 m
Wing Area 54134 ft² / 16,500 m²
Engine 1x 1350 hp ( 790 kW ) M-211F V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine
Empty Weight 6305 lb / 2,860 kg
Climb Rate 44.9 ft/s / 13.7 m/s
Maximum Speed 371 mph at 19685 ft / 598 km/h at 6,000 m
Range 534 mi / 860 km
Maximum Service Ceiling 37729 ft/ 11,500 m
Crew One Pilot
Armament
  • 2x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns
  • 2x 20mm MG 151/20 cannons

Gallery

Avia S-199 D. 115 (115 .ד‎) 101 Squadron (Tajeset) IDF Herzliya Sep 1948
Avia S-199 D. 107 (107 .ד‎) 101 Squadron (Tajeset) IDF Herzliya Jun 1948
Avia S-199 D. 123 (123 .ד‎) 101 Squadron (Tajeset) IDF Herzliya Sep 1948

Credits

  • Written by Arturo Giusti
  • Edited by Stan L. & Henry H.
  • Illustrations by Ed Jackson
  • airspacemag.com
  • fly.historicwings.com
  • miamiherald.com
  • tabletmag.com
  • machal.org.il
  • valka.cz
  • Avia S-199 – Miroslav Khol
  • vhu.cz
  • iaf.org.il
  • m.calcalist.co.il