- Yes
- No
The History of the Prototypes
The First Bf 109 V1 (Werk-Nr. 758) was first tested in early 1935 with its first flight on the 28. May 1935 by the Pilot Hans-Dietrich Knoetzsch in Augsburg-Haunstetten. At the beginning of the development a liquid cooled V12 engine of the type Daimler-Benz DB 600 or Junkers Jumo 210 was intendet. But because these engines where still in development when the first Bf 109 was produced they took the strongest avaliable engine, the british Rolls-Royce Kestrel with a starting power of 695 HP. At the E-Stelle See in Travemünde the Bf 109 V1 with a start weight of 1900 Kg had a max speed of 470 km/h at a height of 3300 meters and a climbing rate of 13,7 m/s at ground height.
The 2nd prototype V2 (Werk-Nr. 759) was allready aquipped with the for the series intended Jumo 210 engine. The plane also had all Contraption points to equip 2 7,92mm Mg 17 with 500 rounds each. This plane is mostly unknown to litarature, probably because it barly flew. After multiple postponements Hermann Wurster, who took over the testing of Knoetzsch, was finaly able to fly it on the 12. December 1935.
The armarment for the Bf 109 V2 of 2x Mg 17 was seen as inadequate after the information that the british planes were equipped with 8x 7,7 mm Mgs. The 3rd prototype, V3 (Werk-Nr. 760), wich was intended as the template plane for the A-0 Series was now tried to increase the Fire power by adding a 20 mm Mg FF behind the engine block, with the barrle through the hollow propeller shaft. The tests were ceased because of heavy fluctuations and heat problems.
The so the next build plane, the V4 (Werk-Nr. 878), was only equipped with 2x Mg 17, the V5 was finaly equipped with 3x Mg 17 with one behind the engine.
Beginning in December 1936 V3 and V4 planes were tested in real fight cenarios in the spanish civil war where it proved to be much better than the planes from the Russian and Italian manufacturers.
They were part of the Legion Condor, Jagdgruppe 88. They were technically superior to for example the Polikarpow I-16. In these 3 years were many variants of the Bf 109 up to the Ausführung E used were the Luftwaffe gained a lot of information about modern air war.
A V 3
More pics here as they have a copy protection Falcon's Messerschmitt Bf 109 Hangar
I think this plane would fit perfectly At Rank I Br 1.7 with its armarment of 2x 7,92mm Mg`s and 1x 20mm Mg FF After the B1 and between the E1
General characteristics
Length: 8,55m
Hight: 2,60m
Wingspan: 9,87m
Max. Speed: 475 km/h
Engine: Jumo 210 C
Armarment
2x 7,92mm MG 17 (500 rounds each)
1x 20mm Mg FF (90 rounds Drum possible) (could also have been a 20mm Mg C/30 L some sides stated Mg FF other C/30 L, would be the same gun as on the He 112 A-0)