ME 109

abbreviation of Messerschmitt 109, also called Bf 109, fighter aircraft of Nazi Germany, used to great effect in World War II. Originally designated the Bf 109 for Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW; Bavarian Airplane Company) when it was first designed in 1934, it received its better-known designation after BFW foundered and its designer, Willy Messerschmitt, founded a firm to take over production. After the Me 109 was put into action in the Spanish Civil War, various modifications continued to be made. The Me 109E is probably the best-known model because of its wide use in the Battle of Britain. Powered by a fuel-injected Daimler-Benz engine of 1,150 horsepower, this single-seat, single-engine low-wing monoplane had a top speed of 350 miles (570 km) per hour and a ceiling of 36,000 feet (11,000 m). It was armed with two 20-millimetre cannons and two machine guns. As many as 35,000 Me 109s were built. It was Germany's premier fighter, faster in a dive or at climbing than the British Spitfire and Hurricane but less maneuverable. Also, its range was severely limited by a small fuel capacity. By 1944, improved Allied fighters outstripped it.