The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft. It was one of the first true modern fighters of the era, including such features as an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear. The Bf 109 was the most produced fighter aircraft during World War II, with 30,573 examples built during the war, and the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 units produced up to April 1945.

Spain had signed licensing agreements with Messerschmitt in 1942 to produce the Bf 109G-2 and had received tooling and jigs in preparation for starting production, as well as 25 uncompleted fuselage and wing assemblies. Due to priority to the Luftwaffe, Messerschmitt was unable to oversee the start-up of the production line. In addition, Hispano Aviación was also unable to acquire the Daimler-Benz DB 605 engines due to wartime shortages. It was not until 1947 that the factory started to produce complete airframes. As a replacement engine comparable to the DB 605A the Hispano-Suiza 12Z-17 was fitted to these aircraft. Aircraft with this engine were designated HA-1109-K1L (65 being produced). In 1954 Hispano Aviación re-engineered the airframe to accept the Rolls-Royce Merlin 500-45 and produced the HA-1112-M1L. Production of the Hispano Aviación HA-1109 and HA-1112 Buchon ended in 1958; however, Spain continued to use the HA-1112 operationally until late 1967.

In 1946 Czechoslovakia restarted the closed Messerschmitt production line at the Avia Company (a division of the Škoda Works) in Prague using the original jigs and tooling along with a substantial number of uncompleted airframes. From 1946 to 1949 about 550 airframes were completed as Avia S-99s, resembling a Bf 109G-14, and Avia S-199s (Jumo engine, otherwise unchanged).Nowarra 1993, p. 189. Due to a fire in a warehouse a substantial number of DB 605 engines were lost and as a substitute the Junkers Jumo 211 was found in substantial quantity. Unlike either the original DB 605 or the Rolls-Royce Merlin, the torque of this substitute engine was extremely high resulting in a high fatality rate from these aircraft. Production ended in 1948, and the Czechoslovak National Security Guard retired the last of the S-199s in 1957.

Post war, in addition to the Spanish and Czechoslovak Air Forces, both Finland and Switzerland continued to use the Bf 109 operationally until the late 1950s. The then-new nation of Israel purchased 25 Avia S-199s (23 delivered) when, due to being embargoed, it was unable to acquire aircraft from other sources. The Israel Air Force retired its aircraft in early 1949.

Between 1945 and 1948, most Bf 109s were scrapped or destroyed. Some examples were kept for use as war trophies or technical examples for further studies. For the next 23 years, these were the first generation of Bf 109 survivors.

In 1967, the producers of the movie The Battle of Britain wanted a large and accurate group of aircraft for use onscreen. Fortunately, the Spanish Air Force was starting to retire its HA-1112s and an agreement was reached to use these aircraft. The Commemorative Air Force had also just purchased numerous examples of the HA-1112. These aircraft were also leased for the production of this movie. For the next 35 years, these Spanish Bf 109s were the mainstay for numerous World War II aviation movies and television work, including Hanover Street, Memphis Belle, The Tuskegee Airmen and Piece of Cake to name but a few.

Starting in late 1988, Bf 109s were among numerous crashed examples of World War II aircraft still extant in Russia that were being recovered for restoration. Other examples of the early models of the Bf 109 have been found in crash sites in France and Italy (as well as several aircraft recovered where they had been buried in Germany). These aircraft with known combat histories are the foundation of the current wave of recovered/restored Bf 109s with further discoveries anticipated. As of December 2016 there are 67 known existing Bf 109 airframes.

About twenty of the surviving Bf 109s existent in the 21st century served at one time with the Luftwaffe fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 5, more than with any other Axis military aviation unit of World War II.

Surviving aircraft

Australia

On display Bf 109 G-6/U4 163824 NF + FY; Luftwaffe unit unknown. Held by the Australian War Memorial (AWM), Canberra. The last Bf 109 in the world still displaying its original camouflage and markings: a 1944 day-fighter scheme, with variations resulting from service repairs (possibly including its Erla Haube canopy) and replacements (e.g. one wing was replaced). Ex-post-war UK registration of G-SMIT, 163824 has twice been owned by the AWM: according to historian Michael Nelmes, the AWM disposed of it for £100 in 1963, to a member of the Illawarra Flying Club at Bankstown Airport in Sydney. It was later acquired by collector Sid Marshall, who had the aircraft suspended from the ceiling of his personal hangar. In 1979, an Australian owner of 163824 attempted to export it, for a reputed price of $10,000, to British collector Doug Arnold. However, any such export would have been illegal under Australian law and the aircraft was confiscated by Australian Customs and subsequently re-acquired by the AWM. It has been claimed that the seller temporarily covered the Bf 109 in a silver plastic protective film, supposedly in attempt to pass it off as a P-51 Mustang."Forum thread". Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums. Retrieved: 27 May 2012.

Under restoration/stored Bf 109 G-2 14798 GJ+QP, ex 8./JG 5 "Black 10"; Wayne Dawson New South Wales.

Austria On display Bf 109 G-14 784993 ex-IV./JG 53 "White 13", White 13, Aviaticum Wiener Neustadt.784993 White 13 (airliners photo collection)

Belgium Airworthy HA-1112-M1L c/n 201 C.4K-131 (OO-MAF), movie: Battle of Britain, ex-Victory Air Museum", White 1 Sabine, Eric Vormezeele Collection, Brasschaat.C4K-131 White 1 (airliners photo collection)

Brazil

On display Bf 109 G-2, 14256, Yellow 14, TAM Museum, São Carlos.14256 Yellow 14 (airliners photo collection)Yellow 14

Canada On display Bf 109 F-4 10132, <<, Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Rockcliffe, Ontario.10132 (airliners photo collection)

Czech Republic

On display S-199 199178, UC-25, Aviation Museum - Kbely, Prague.199178 UC-25 Aviation Museum - Kbely CS-199 199565, UC-26, Aviation Museum - Kbely, Prague.199565 UC-26 (airliners photo collection)199565 UC-26

Finland On display Bf 109 F-4 7108, ex-NE + ML, ex-9./JG 5, Finnish Air Force Museum, Tikkakoski.7108 (Preserved Axis Aircraft Collection) Bf 109 G-2 14743, ex-RJ + SM, ex-Finnish AF MT-208, Finnish Aviation Museum, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.Finnish Aviation Museum Bf 109 G-6/U2 165227, ex-BV + UE, ex-Finnish AF MT-452 "Yellow 4", Yellow 4, Suomen Ilmailumuseo, Utti. Bf 109 G-6/Y 167271, ex-VO + GI, ex-Finnish AF MT-507 "Yellow 0", Yellow 0 , Central Finland Aviation Museum (FAM), Tikkakoski.MT-507 (airliners photo collectionj)167271 Stored or under restoration Bf 109 E-3 3285, ex-Bf 109E-7, ex-4./JG 5 "Black 12", "White 4", "Yellow 2", Finnish AF Museum, Tikkakoski.

France Stored or under restoration Bf 109 G-6 26129 ex-RV + IS, ex-II./JG 54 "Black 3", Aéronautique Provençale.

Germany

Airworthy

Bf 109 E-4/N 1983 (D-FEML), ex-Bf 109 E-7, ex-5./JG 5 "Red 12", Wolfgang Landschulze near Bonn, Bonn/Hangelar Airfield.

HA-1112-M1L c/n 139 C4K-75 (D-FWME), movie: Battle of Britain "Yellow 11", Red 7 + - , Messerschmitt Air Company. Belly landed in a corn field on August 18, 2013, during an airshow display at Roskilde Airport, Denmark. The pilot was unharmed, and the aircraft sustained only minor damage, including a completely broken propeller. Re-engined with DB605.HA-1112 139 "7" (airliners photo collection) HA-1112-M1L c/n 156 C.4K-87 (D-FMBB), FM+BB, EADS / Messerschmitt Foundation, rebuilt with a DB605 engine.C4K-87 (airliners photo collection) HA-1112-M1L c/n 234 C.4K-169 (D-FMGZ), Yellow 27, Hangar 10 Air Fighter Collection GmbH. Restored to Bf 109 G-12 (two-seat trainer) status with DB605. HA-1112-M1L c/n 235 C.4K-172 (D-FMVS), movie: Battle of Britain, ex-Victory Air Museum, <- + - , Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Addison, Texas.C4K-172 <- (airliners photo collection)C4K-172 Black 14 (airliners photo collection)C.4K-169 Hangar 10 Air Fighter Collection GmbH.

On display Bf 109 E-1 790 - earliest surviving 109 to have seen combat - ex-J/88/2 (Condor Legion) "6-106", ex-Bf 109 E-3, ex-Spanish AF "C4E-106", <- + - ,http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/sammlungen/verkehr/aeronautics/propeller-planes/aeronautics-hall/messerschmitt-me-109/ Deutsches Museum, Munich.790 <- + - (airliners photo collection)790 Bf 109 E-3 1407, ex-2./JG 77 "Black 2", ex-Bf 109E-4, ex-14/JG 77 "Red 5", Red 5 , Deutsches Technikmuseum, Berlin. Bf 109 G-2 trop 14753, ex-1./JG 27 "White 3", White 3, Aviation Museum Hannover-Laatzen. Bf 109 G-4 19310, ex-BH + XN, ex-4./JG 52 "White 3" "Nesthäkchen" - crashed 20 March 1943, White 3, Technikmuseum Speyer.19310 White 3 (airliners photo collection) HA-1109-K1L C.4J-??, <<< Yellow 4 Luftwaffen Museum, Gatow, rebuilt as Bf 109G-2 with DB605C4J-?? <<< Yellow 4 (airliners photo collection) HA-1109-K1L c/n 54 C.4J-??, Messerschmitt Museum, Manching. HA-1112-M1L c/n 194 C.4K-134, movie: Battle of Britain, ex-Victory Air Museum, On limited display at Wittmundhafen AB, marked as Black 12, has been rebuilt with DB 605 engine. HA-1112-M1L c/n 228 C.4K-170 (N170BG), movie: Battle of Britain "Yellow <", movie: Patton (as P-51B) "743652", Yellow 4 + -, Auto und Technik Museum, Sinsheim, has been rebuilt with DB605 engine.C.4K-170C4K-170 Yellow 4 (airliners photo collection) HA-1112-M1L c/n 213 C.4K-1?? (D-FEHD), Black 15, Messerschmitt Foundation.C4K-1?? Black 15 (airliners photo collection)

Stored or under restoration Bf 109B/V10a 1010 (D-IAKO), Oberschleißheim, Munich — only surviving Bf 109 prototype airframe known to exist. Bf 109 F-2 8993, ex GC + KQ, ex-2./JG 3, ex-Bf 109F-4, ex-JG 54 "White 2", ex-9/III JG 5 "Yellow 3" (pilot Obgfr. Eugen Britz) - crashed 3 April 1943, Yellow 3.8993 Yellow 3 (preserved axis aircraft page) Bf 109 G-2 13605 (G-JIMP), Yellow 12 registered to Mark R. Oliver, Altrincham, UK. Bf 109 G-10 w/n unknown (D-FDME), Black 2 + - , EADS / Messerschmitt Foundation. This aircraft is widely regarded to be an HA-1112-M1L rebuilt as a Bf 109 G-10. It has since been repainted as Yellow 3 + -.

Israel

On display S-199 782358, ex-Israel AF, D 112 Israeli Air Force Museum, Hatzerim Air Force Base.782358 120D (previously painted 112D) (airliners photo collection)

Netherlands On display Bf 109 G-5 15343, ex-5./JG 53 "Black 11", Black 11 , Vliegend Museum Seppe, Breda Airport.Vliegend Museum Seppe Bf 109 G-6 15678 ex-9./JG 54 "Brown 7"- crashed Jul 1943, fuselage only at the Atlantic Wall Museum.

New Zealand Under restoration/stored Bf 109 G, sub type and w/n as yet unknown. Believed to have previously been in Australia, it was understood to be imported for a private owner who intends to restore it to airworthy.

Norway Stored or under restoration Bf 109 G-2/R1 13470, ex-CI + KS, ex-8./JG 5 "White 4", Norwegian Aviation Museum, Bodø. Bf 109 G-1 14055, NI + BY, ex-1./JG 5 "White 3", Flyhistorisk Museum, Sola.Flyhistorisk Museum Bf 109 G-2 14649, Stab IV/JG 5, "Yellow 3", Norwegian Aviation Museum, Bodø.Norwegian Aviation Museum

Poland

On Display Bf 109 G-6 163306, ex-RQ + DR, ex-JGr. West "Red 3" - crashed 28 May 1944, Red 3, Fundacja Polskie Orły, Warszawa.163306 Red 3 (airliners photo collection)163306 Red 3 (Yugoslavian Modlers)163306Fundacja Polskie Orły Bf 109 E-3 1185, ex-Bf 109 E-6, Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego, Kraków.

Russia On display Bf 109 G-2 14658, ex-KG-WF, ex-6./JG 5 "Yellow 2", Museum of the Air Forces of the Northern Fleet, Severomorsk.