Messerschmitt Me 209 (1943)

Last updated
Me 209
Me209 Seite.jpg
Me 209 with DB 603 engine
General information
Type Fighter prototype
Manufacturer Messerschmitt
Designer
Primary user Luftwaffe (intended)
Number built4
History
First flight13 November 1943
Retired1944

The Me 209 of 1943 was an attempt to create an enhanced version of the Bf 109, which served as the Luftwaffe 's primary fighter aircraft throughout World War II. [1] The Me 209, despite its designation, bore no relationship to the earlier Me 209. [2]

Contents

The RLM's 8-209 airframe number assigned to Messerschmitt, for its pair of post-July 1938 designation Me 209 airframes, was used for two projects during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The first Me 209 was a single-engine air speed record plane for which little consideration was given to adaptation for combat.

Design and development

The second use of the Me 209 designation was for a proposal, in 1943, to make a heavily modified version of the Bf 109. This Me 209 would compete against Focke-Wulf's high performance Fw 190 D-9 and Ta 152 fighters. Like these enhanced versions of Kurt Tank's design, the new Me 209 would share most of its airframe with a proven model, in this case the Bf 109G.

Unfortunately for the design team, the Me 209's proposed DB 603A engine was in short supply and they were forced to use the Junkers Motorenwerke firm's Jumo 213A engine. Even though the 35 litre engine displacement Jumo 213 had been deliberately designed to have as many of its engine access points as possible made to be identical with the 44.52 litre displacement DB 603 powerplant (Germany's largest-displacement inverted V12 aircraft engine), this changeover required some reconstruction of the engine cowling and cooling system. The most visible change was the required one to the engine's air intake location, as the Jumo 213's supercharger intake was located on the starboard side of the engine (as standard for all models of the earlier Junkers Jumo 211 inverted V12), versus the DB 603's portside location, the standard for all Daimler-Benz inverted V12 engine designs. The Me 209 featured a new tail section, wings, wide-track landing gear, a taller tail and an annular radiator for the inline engine, which gave the engine a superficial resemblance to a radial engine and to the very similar installation on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D, which used the same Jumo 213 powerplant. The extent of the modifications undermined the original purpose, which was to build a superior aircraft as similar to the existing Bf 109G as possible. [3]

The Me 209 V5 featured armament of one Motorkanone engine-mounted 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 cannon plus two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns in the wing roots. The V6 was the first version to be converted to use the Jumo 213 engine and had 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon instead of the MG 131s. The Me 209H V1 was a high-altitude variant with extended wings and DB 603 engine.

Testing

The program met a swift end when the Me 209 V5 prototype first flew in late 1943. It was 50 km/h (31 mph) slower than the Fw 190D and offered no improvement in handling characteristics. [1] After its disappointing show, the Me 209 project was cancelled.

Specifications (Me 209 V5)

Three-view Messerschmitt Me 209 3-seiten.jpg
Three-view

Data from[ citation needed ]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Related lists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messerschmitt Me 210</span> German heavy fighter

The Messerschmitt Me 210 was a German heavy fighter and ground-attack aircraft of World War II. Design started before the war, as a replacement for the Bf 110. The first examples were ready in 1939, but they proved to have unacceptably poor flight characteristics due to serious wing planform and fuselage design flaws. A large-scale operational testing program throughout 1941 and early 1942 did not cure the type's problems. The design entered limited service in 1942, but was soon replaced by the Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse, a further development of the Me 210. The failure of the Me 210's development program meant the Luftwaffe was forced to continue operating the Bf 110 after it had become outdated, despite mounting losses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blohm & Voss BV 155</span> German high-altitude prototype interceptor aircraft

The Blohm & Voss BV 155 is a German high-altitude interceptor aircraft intended to be used by the Luftwaffe against raids by USAAF Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. Work started on the design as the Messerschmitt Me 155 in 1942, but the project went through a protracted development period and change of ownership, and prototypes were still under test and development when World War II ended.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messerschmitt Bf 109</span> German WWII fighter aircraft family

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. It was still in service at the end of World War II in 1945. It was one of the most advanced fighters when it first appeared, with an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear. A liquid-cooled, inverted-V12 aero engine powered it. It was called the Me 109 by Allied aircrew and some German aces, even though this was not the official German designation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messerschmitt Bf 110</span> 1936 heavy fighter family by Messerschmitt

The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110, is a twin-engined Zerstörer, fighter-bomber, and night fighter (Nachtjäger) designed by the German aircraft company Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) and produced by successor company Messerschmitt. It was primarily operated by the Luftwaffe and was active throughout the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke</span> Heavy fighter aircraft in Germany

The Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke ("Falcon") was a German aircraft designed in 1935. It was conceived by Kurt Tank as a twin-engine, high-performance fighter, but the Luftwaffe saw no role for the design, perceiving it as intermediate between the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Bf 110. Later prototypes were adapted to two-seats to compete with the Bf 110 in the heavy fighter (Zerstörer) role, but only nine aircraft were built in total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avia S-199</span> Czechoslovak fighter aircraft

The Avia S-199 is a propeller-driven Messerschmitt Bf 109G-based fighter aircraft built after World War II using the Bf 109G airframe and a Junkers Jumo 211F engine in place of the original and unavailable Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. It is notable as the first fighter obtained by the Israeli Air Force, and used during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arado Ar 240</span> 1940 fighter aircraft by Arado

The Arado Ar 240 was a German twin-engine, multi-role heavy fighter aircraft, developed for the Luftwaffe during World War II by Arado Flugzeugwerke. Its first flight was on 10 May 1940, but problems with the design hampered development, and it remained only marginally stable throughout the prototype phase. The project was eventually cancelled, with the existing airframes used for a variety of test purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messerschmitt Me 264</span> German strategic bomber prototype

The Messerschmitt Me 264 was a long-range strategic bomber developed during World War II for the German Luftwaffe as its main strategic bomber. The design was later selected as Messerschmitt's competitor in the Reichsluftfahrtministerium's Amerikabomber programme, for a strategic bomber capable of attacking New York City from bases in France or the Azores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Focke-Wulf Ta 152</span> Late-WWII German high-altitude fighter-interceptor aircraft

The Focke-Wulf Ta 152 is a German high-altitude fighter–interceptor designed by Kurt Tank and produced by Focke-Wulf. It entered production too late and in insufficient numbers to have a significant role in the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daimler-Benz DB 601</span> German aircraft engine

The Daimler-Benz DB 601 was a German aircraft engine that was built during World War II. It was a liquid-cooled inverted V12, and powered the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Messerschmitt Bf 110, and many others. Approximately 19,000 601s were produced before it was replaced by the improved Daimler-Benz DB 605 in 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Focke-Wulf Fw 191</span> Prototype bomber

The Focke-Wulf Fw 191 was a prototype German bomber of World War II, as the Focke-Wulf firm's entry for the Bomber B advanced medium bomber design competition. Two versions were intended to be produced, a twin-engine version using the Junkers Jumo 222 engine and a four-engine variant which was to have used the smaller Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. The project was eventually abandoned due to technical difficulties with the engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messerschmitt Me 309</span> German fighter prototype

The Messerschmitt Me 309 was a prototype German fighter, designed in the early years of World War II to replace the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Although it had many advanced features, the Me 309's performance left much to be desired and it had so many problems that the project was cancelled with only four prototypes built. The Me 309 was one of two failed Messerschmitt projects intended to replace the Bf 109, the other being the 1943 Me 209 project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junkers Jumo 213</span> WW2 Aircraft Engine

The Junkers Jumo 213 was a World War II-era V-12 liquid-cooled aircraft engine, a development of Junkers Motoren's earlier design, the Jumo 211. The design added two features, a pressurized cooling system that required considerably less cooling fluid which allowed the engine to be built smaller and lighter, and a number of improvements that allowed it to run at higher RPM. These changes boosted power by over 500 hp and made the 213 one of the most sought-after Axis engine designs in the late-war era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junkers Jumo 210</span> V-12 piston aircraft engine family by Junkers

The Jumo 210 was Junkers' first production inverted V12 gasoline aircraft engine, first produced in the early 1930s. Depending on the version it produced between 610 and 730 PS and can be considered a counterpart of the Rolls-Royce Kestrel in many ways. Although originally intended to be used in almost all pre-war designs, rapid progress in aircraft design quickly relegated it to the small end of the power scale by the late 1930s. Almost all aircraft designs switched to the much larger Daimler-Benz DB 600, so the 210 was produced only for a short time before Junkers responded with a larger engine of their own, the Junkers Jumo 211.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daimler-Benz DB 600</span> 1930s German piston aircraft engine

The Daimler-Benz DB 600 was a German aircraft engine designed and built before World War II as part of a new generation of German engine technology. It was a liquid-cooled inverted V12 engine, and powered the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Heinkel He 111 among others.

The Focke-Wulf Ta 153 (GH+KV) was a prototype German fighter aircraft built during World War II. It was a development of the Fw 190C, a Fw 190A with a DB 603A engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daimler-Benz DB 603</span> German aircraft engine

The Daimler-Benz DB 603 was a German aircraft engine used during World War II. It was a liquid-cooled 12-cylinder inverted V12 enlargement of the 33.9 Liter DB 601, which was in itself a development of the DB 600. Production of the DB 603 commenced in May 1942, and with a 44.5 liter displacement, was the largest displacement inverted V12 aircraft engine to be used in front line aircraft of the Third Reich during World War II.

The Focke-Wulf Fw 300 was a proposed very-long-range civil airliner, transport, reconnaissance aircraft and anti-ship aircraft, designed by Focke-Wulf in 1941 and 1942. The design was intended to replace the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor.

The Focke Wulf Fw 159 was an experimental German fighter of the 1930s, designed by Kurt Tank which never reached production, as it was considered inferior to the He 112 and Bf 109. It was a heavier variant of the Focke-Wulf Fw 56, with several improvements, such as a retractable landing gear and enclosed cockpit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messerschmitt Bf 109 variants</span> Type of aircraft

Due to the Messerschmitt Bf 109's versatility and time in service with the German and foreign air forces, numerous variants were produced in Germany to serve for over eight years with the Luftwaffe. Additional variants were produced abroad totalling in 34,852 Bf 109s built.

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 Jackson 2005, p. 35.
  2. Green 1960, p. 162.
  3. Green 1960, p. 163.
Bibliography