Messerschmitt Me 209

Me 209/Bf 109R
Me 209/Bf 109R
	Messerschmitt Me 209 V4
General information
Type	Propaganda, Technology demonstration
Manufacturer	Messerschmitt
Designer	Willy Messerschmitt
Number built	4
History
First flight	1 August 1938

Last updated January 03, 2025

The first Messerschmitt Me 209 was a single-engine racing aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt. It successfully established several new speed records.

The design work on what was originally designated P.1059 commenced in 1937; the Me 209 was a completely original aircraft whose sole purpose was to set new international speed records. As originally built, it has a relatively compact airframe, incorporated a steam cooling system, a unique cross-shaped tail section, and lacked any armaments. On 1 August 1938, Me 209 V1 conducted its maiden flight; a further three prototypes would be completed by May 1939. On 26 April 1939, this same aircraft established a new international speed record of almost 756 km/h (469 mph); this record was not officially broken by another piston-engined aircraft until 16 August 1969.

In addition to the Me 209 designation, the type was also assigned the Me 109R designation for propaganda purposes as part of an effort to conflate the aircraft with the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Luftwaffe 's primary fighter throughout the Second World War; it was hoped that the Me 109R designation would cause its accomplishments to be associated or confused with the Bf 109.^[1] Despite using the same Daimler-Benz DB 601 inline engine, the Me 209 and Bf 109 had little in common with one another. Messerschmitt undertook some work to adapt the Me 209 into a combat-capable fighter, but it proved to be inferior to the existing Bf 109 in this role, and this was never produced in quantity. The Me 209 designation was subsequently reused for a wholly separate aircraft that was the proposed successor to the Bf 109.^[1]^[2]

Design and development

Background and design

Throughout much of the 1930s, various high-ranking officials within Germany advocated for the demonstration of supposed German superiority, particularly in the aviation sector, which benefitted greatly from state backing in the form of numerous development and production contracts. Some of these contracts were aimed at boosting national prestige as well as advancing Germany's aeronautical capabilities, such as the establishment of new international aviation records. It was within these active trends that the aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt embarked on the P.1059, a clean-sheet aircraft designed solely to perform high speed flights with the specific object of setting a new absolute speed record.^[3]

During 1937, design work formally commenced, headed by the German aeronautical engineer Willy Messerschmitt. Prior to the year's end, the construction of three prototypes had commenced, by which point the aircraft had been officially designated as the Me 209.^[3]

In terms of its basic configuration, the Me 209 was a compact low-wing monoplane that was designed around a specially-produced model of the Daimler-Benz DB 601 inline engine (early flights were performed with conventional models of the DB 601).^[4] While this engine produced up to 1,800 hp under most circumstances, it could be temporarily boosted to 2,300 hp in limited bursts for additional acceleration. While the Me 209 did share a few elements, such as the DB 601 engine, with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aircraft, it was a completely separate aircraft and had many differences. One of the more atypical feature of the Me 209 was its use of a steam cooling system, which facilitated the elimination of traditional radiator-based cooling and the resulting aerodynamic drag incurred.^[5]^[6] This system involved stored water being piped through the engine, where it absorbed heat, after which it travelled to the wings where it was cooled down before being circulated around again. Due to the constant loss of water (between 4.5 liters and 7 liters per minute), the engine could only be ran for up to 30 minutes at a time.^[6]

Considerable efforts were made into minimising the equipment fitted as well as having the airframe be as small as was feasibly possible.^[4] The cockpit of the Me 209 was positioned relatively rearwards in relation to the fuselage, just forward of its unique cross-shaped tail section. Both the tailplane and elevators had a relatively small area while the fin featured a substantial ventral section.^[6] The wing's design, which aimed to minimise the wing area, resulted in relatively high wing loading of the era. While these aspects favoured the Me 209's speed capabilities, they also increased the pilot's difficulty in flying it.^[6]

Unlike the Bf 109, the Me 209 featured a wide track, inwardly-retracting undercarriage that was mounted in the wing section.^[7] There was seemingly little consideration given towards its potential use in combat.

Flight testing

On 1 August 1938, the first prototype, Me 209 V1, performed its maiden flight, piloted by chief test pilot J. H. Wurster.^[6] Early observations included the flight controls being heavy and unwieldy, the aircraft's general instability, and an undesirable tendency for it to nose down without warning or provocation. Another negative flight characteristic was its relatively high sink rate during landing approaches, contributing to a typically heavy landing, during with the aircraft could easily and inadvertently swerve.^[6]Me 209 V2 made its first flight on 8 February 1939, but was lost in a non-fatal accident two months later that was attributed to a seized engine.^[6]

The Me 209 achieved its primary purpose when, on 26 April 1939, a new world speed record of almost 756 km/h (469 mph) was set by the first aircraft, bearing the German civil registration D-INJR and flown by test pilot Fritz Wendel.^[8]^[9] This record was not officially broken by another piston-engined aircraft until 16 August 1969 by Darryl Greenamyer's highly modified Conquest I F8F Bearcat,^[10]^[11] The absolute speed record set by the Me 209 V1 stood until October 1941, at which point it was broken by another Messerschmitt aircraft, the Me 163A V4 rocket fighter prototype, flown by Heini Dittmar, which attained a speed of 1,004 km/h (624 mph).^[12]

By the end of May 1939, both Me 209 V3 and Me 209 V4 entered flight testing.^[13] Largely due to the upcoming outbreak of the Second World War, any thought of international speed records had been set aside in favour of their use as experimental aircraft. The fourth prototype has been alleged to be involved in efforts to convert Me 209 into a fighter aircraft.^[13]

The idea of adapting the Me 209 to perform the fighter role gained momentum when, during the Battle of Britain, the Bf 109 failed to gain superiority over the Royal Air Force's fighters, such as the Supermarine Spitfire. Key changes made to the aircraft included the installation of a standard DB 601 engine, a new wing and automatic leading edge slots; efforts were made to improve the Me 209's challenging flight and landing characteristics.^[13] Armaments were envisioned to be installed in several locations, including the wing, upper nose, and within the propeller shaft.

Despite the efforts made, the Me 209 was not up to the task of aerial combat. Its wings were almost completely occupied by the engine's liquid cooling system and therefore prohibited the conventional installation of armament.^[13] The aircraft also proved to be relatively difficult to fly and extremely hard to control while on the ground. Nevertheless, Messerschmitt's design team made several attempts to improve the aircraft's performance, such as through the adoption of longer wings, a taller vertical stabilizer, and installing a pair of synchronized 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns in the engine cowling. Its various modifications, however, added so much weight that the Me 209 ended up slower than the contemporary Bf 109E.^[8]^[14] In light of this disappointing performance, the conversion project was promptly abandoned in favour of other efforts.^[15]

Propaganda use

The Me 209's designation was used by Messerschmitt as a propaganda tool. Although the aircraft was a "single purpose" high-speed experimental prototype, it was hoped that its designation would associate it and its world-beating performance with the Bf 109 already in combat service.^[7]

During 1939, the speed record achievement of the Me 209 was used for a propaganda disinformation campaign, wherein the aircraft (possibly from its post-July 1938 first flight date) was given the designation Me 109R, with the later prefix, never used for wartime Bf 109 fighters.^[16] This disinformation was naturally designed to give an aura of invincibility to the Bf 109, which was not dispelled until the conclusion of the Battle of Britain.^{[ citation needed ]}

Surviving aircraft

The fuselage of the Me 209 V1 is currently on display, at the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków, Poland and was once a part of Hermann Göring's personal collection.^[15]

Specifications (Me 209 V1)

Data fromDie Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945^[17]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Length: 7.24 m (23 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
Height: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Powerplant: 1 × Daimler-Benz DB 601ARJ inverted V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,324 kW (1,775 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 755 km/h (469 mph, 408 kn)

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References

Citations

1 2 Lepage 2009, p. 220.
↑ Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 524-525.
1 2 Smith and Kay 1972, p. 520.
1 2 Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 520-522.
↑ Matthews 2001, p. 45.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Smith and Kay 1972, p. 522.
1 2 Green 1960, p. 160.
1 2 Green 1960, p. 161.
↑ Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 522-523.
↑ "Conquest I". Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
↑ "Grumman F8F-2, Bearcat, "Conquest I"". National Air and Space Museum. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
↑ Stüwe 1999, pp. 207, 211–213.
1 2 3 4 Smith and Kay 1972, p. 523.
↑ Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 523-524.
1 2 Smith and Kay 1972, p. 524.
↑ Wagner and Nowarra 1971, p. 229.
↑ Nowarra 1993, pp. 215–218.

Bibliography

Green, William (1960). War Planes of the Second World War, Fighters, vol. I. London, UK: Hanover House.
Lepage, Jean-Denis G.G. (2009). Aircraft of the Luftwaffe, 1935-1945: An Illustrated Guide. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-3937-9.
Matthews, Birch (2001). Race with the Wind: How Air Racing Advanced Aviation. Zenith Imprint. ISBN 0-7603-0729-6.
Nowarra, Heinz J. (1993). Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945: Band 3 Flugzeugtypen Henschel - Messerschmitt (in German). Bonn, Germany: Bernard & Graefe Verlag. ISBN 3-7637-5467-9.
Smith, John Richard; Kay, Antony L. (1972). German Aircraft of the Second World War. London, UK: Putnam. ISBN 978-0-370-00024-4.
Stüwe, Botho (1999). Peenemünde West (in German). Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany: Bechtermünz Verlag. ISBN 3-8289-0294-4.

External links

Famous Record-Breaking and Racing Aircraft: Messerschmitt Me 209 V1

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[Jean_p._220-1] 1 2 Lepage 2009, p. 220.

[Smith_&_Kay_p5245-2] Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 524-525.

[Smith_&_Kay_p520-3] 1 2 Smith and Kay 1972, p. 520.

[Smith_&_Kay_p5202-4] 1 2 Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 520-522.

[Matthews_p._45-5] Matthews 2001, p. 45.

[Smith_&_Kay_p522-6] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Smith and Kay 1972, p. 522.

[Green_p._160-7] 1 2 Green 1960, p. 160.

[Green_p._161-8] 1 2 Green 1960, p. 161.

[Smith_&_Kay_p5223-9] Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 522-523.

[10] "Conquest I". Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2015.

[11] "Grumman F8F-2, Bearcat, "Conquest I"". National Air and Space Museum. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2011.

[12] Stüwe 1999, pp. 207, 211–213.

[Smith_&_Kay_p523-13] 1 2 3 4 Smith and Kay 1972, p. 523.

[Smith_&_Kay_p5234-14] Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 523-524.

[Smith_&_Kay_p524-15] 1 2 Smith and Kay 1972, p. 524.

[16] Wagner and Nowarra 1971, p. 229.

[Nowarra3-17] Nowarra 1993, pp. 215–218.

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v t e Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) and Messerschmitt aircraft
BFW Idflieg designations	CL.I CL.II CL.III CL.IV N.I
BFW/Messerschmitt company designations	M 17 M 18 M 19 M 20 M 21 M 22 M 23 M 24 M 25 M 26 M 27 M 28 M 29 M 30 M 31 M 33 M 35 M 36 M 37
RLM designations 1933–1945	Bf 108 Bf 109 Bf 110 Me 155 Bf 161 Bf 162 Bf 163 Me 163 MeC 164 Bf 165 Me 209 Me 210 Me 261 Me 262 Me 263 Me 264 Me 265 Me 309 Me 310 Me 321 Me 323 Me 328 Me 329 Me 334 Me 409 Me 410 ZMe 423 Me 509 Me 609
Project numbers	P 08.01 P.1034 P.1061 P.1062 P.1064 P.1065 P.1070 P.1073 P.1075 P.1079 P.1091 P.1092 P.1095 P.1099 P.1100 P.1101 P.1102 P.1103 P.1104 P.1106 P.1107 P.1108 P.1109 P.1110 P.1111 P.1112
USAAC designations	XC-44
RAF assigned names	Aldon

v t e Reich Air Ministry (RLM) aircraft designations (list)
1 to 100	8-1¹ Fi 2 8-3¹ 8-4¹ Fi 5 DFS 6 8-7¹ Gö 8 Gö 9 Do 10 Do 11/Wn 11 8-12 ⁴/Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Do 16/Wn 16 Do 17 Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 8-21¹ Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Do 25³/Kl 25 Do 26/Kl 26 8-27/Do 27³/Kl 27 ⁵ 8-28¹ 8-29/Do 29 Fw 30 Kl 31 Kl 32 Ju 33 Ju 34 Kl 35 Kl 36 He 37³ He 38/Ju 38 DFS 39 BV 40/DFS 40 He 41³ Fw 42/He 42 Fw 43 Fw 44 He 45 He 46/Ju 46 Fw 47/He 47 Ju 48 He 49/Ju 49 He 50/Ju 50 He 51 He 52/Ju 52 Ju 53 DFS 54/NR 54 Fw 55/NR 55 Fw 56 8-57 ⁴/Fw 57 Fw 58/He 58 He 59 He 60/Ju 60 Fa 61/Fw 61/He 61 Fw 62/He 62 8-63 ⁴/He 63 Ar 64/He 64 Ar 65/He 65 Ar 66/He 66 Ar 67 Ar 68 Ar 69 He 70 8-71 ⁴/He 71 He 72 He 73³ He 74 Al 75 Ar 76/FZG 76 ⁶ Ar 77 Ar 78³ Ar 79 Ar 80 Ar 81 8-82 ⁴ 8-83¹ Al 84 Ju 85 Ju 86 Ju 87 Ju 88 Ju 89 Ju 90 Ju 91³ Ju 92 Ju 93³ Ju 94³ Ar 95 Ar 96 Fi 97 Fi 98 Fi 99 Fi 100³/He 100
101 to 200	Al 101 Al 102 Al 103/Fi 103 R Fh 104 Kl 105 Kl 106 Kl 107 Bf 108 Bf 109/Bf 109R ⁶ Bf 110 He 111/He 111U ⁶ He 112 He 113 ⁶ He 114 He 115 He 116 He 117³/Hs 117 He 118 He 119 He 120 Hs 121 Hs 122 Hs 123 Hs 124 Hs 125 Hs 126 Hs 127 Hs 128 Hs 129 Hs 130 Bü 131 Bü 132³/Hs 132 Bü 133 Bü 134 Ha 135 Ha 136/Hü 136 Ha 137 BV 138 Ha 139 Ha 140 BV 141 BV 142 BV 143 BV 144 Go 145 Go 146 Go 147/Ju 147 Go 148³ Go 149 Go 150 Kl 151 Kl 152/Ta 152 Kl 153³/Ta 153 Kl 154³/Ta 154 BV 155/Kl 155³/Me 155 Fi 156 Fi 157 Fi 158 Fw 159 Ju 160 Bf 161 Bf 162/He 162 Bf 163/Li 163/Me 163 Me 164/MeC 164 Bf 165 Fi 166/FK 166 Fi 167 Fi 168 Fi 169³ He 170 He 171³ He 172 He 173³ He 174³ 8-175 ⁴ He 176 He 177 He 178 He 179 ⁵ Bü 180/He 180 Bü 181 Bü 182 Bü 183³/Ta 183 Fl 184 Fl 185 Fw 186/Ju 186 Fw 187/Ju 187 ² Fw 188³/Ju 188 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 191 Ao 192 Ao 193³/DFS 193 DFS 194/Me 194 Ar 195 Ar 196 Ar 197 Ar 198 Ar 199/FiSk 199 Do 200 ^4,6/Fw 200
201 to 300	Si 201 Si 202 DFS 203 Si 204 8-205¹ Fw 206 8-207¹ Me 208 Me 209 (I)/Me 209 (II) Me 210 Hü 211 8-212 ⁴/Do 212 8-213¹ Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217/Hs 217 Do 218³ He 219 He 220 Do 221³ BV 222 Fa 223 Fa 224 Ao 225/Fa 225 BV 226/Ho 226 FGP 227 DFS 228 Go 229/Ho 229 8-230/DFS 230 Ar 231 Ar 232 Ar 233 Ar 234 Do 235⁵ Fa 236³ BV 237 BV 238 8-239¹ Ar 240 Go 241 Go 242 Me 243³ Go 244 Go 245³ BV 246 8-247¹ Ju 248 BV 250/Ho 250 Ho 251 Ho 252 Ju 252 Fi 253/Ho 253 Ho 254/Ta 254 8-255¹ Fi 256 SK 257 8-258¹ Fw 259 8-260¹ Me 261/Me 261w Me 262 Me 263 (1941)/Me 263 (1942)/Me 263 (1945) Me 264 Fl 265/Me 265 Fa 266/Go 266³ Ho 267 Ju 268 Fa 269 He 270 We 271 He 272³ He 273³ He 274 He 275 ⁵ He 276³ He 277 He 278 He 279³ He 280 He 281³ Fl 282 Fa 283 Fa 284 Fl 285 Ju 286 Ju 287 Do 288 ^4,6/Ju 288 Ju 289³ Ju 290 Hs 291 As 292/Hs 292³ Hs 293 Hs 294 Hs 295 Ar 296/Hs 296 Hs 297 Hs 298 Ju 299³ Fw 300
301 to 349	DFS 301 8-302¹ 8-303¹ 8-304¹ 8-305¹ 8-306¹ 8-307¹ 8-308¹ Me 309 Zwilling Me 310 8-311¹ 8-312¹ 8-313 ⁴ 8-314¹ Hs 315 8-316¹ Do 317 Do 318 He 319 Me 320³ Me 321 Ju 322 Me 323/ZMe 323 8-324¹ Fa 325/Fw 325³ 8-326¹ Me 327 Me 328 Me 329 Fa 330 DFS 331 DFS 332 Fi 333 Ar 334³/Me 334 Do 335 Fa 336 Ju 337³ 8-338¹ Fl 339 Ar 340 8-341 WNF 342 He 343 Rk 344/So 344 ⁵ Go 345 DFS 346 Rk 347 8-348¹ Ba 349
Post-349 (non-sequential)	Ju 352 Fi 356/Ju 356 Me 362 Me 364 ² Me 368³ Ju 388 Ju 390 Fw 391 Ar 393³ Ar 396 Ta 400 Me 409 Me 410 Do 417 He 419 ZMe 423 Ar 430/Ka 430 Ar 432 Do 435 Ar 440 8-445 ⁴ DFS 446 Ju 452 Me 462 ² DFS 468 Ju 488 Fw 491 He 500 Me 509 Me 510 He 519 8-520 ⁴ ZSO 523 Ar 532 8-534 ⁴ Do 535/He 535 Me 600 ² Me 609 Ar 632 Do 635/He 635/Ju 635
¹ Not assigned ² Unofficial/proposed ³ Assigned, but not used before RLM was dissolved ⁴ Assigned to captured aircraft ⁵ Unconfirmed ⁶ Propaganda/cover designation Note: Official RLM designations had the prefix "8-", but this was usually dropped and replaced with the manufacturer's prefix.