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Unordnung – Late Versions of the Bf 109 G

Original color photograph of a Bf 109 G-14/AS from the Messerschmitt Regensburg factory at the Salzburg-Maxglan base in June, 1945. (Photo: National Archives)


Bf 109 G-6/AS, Bf 109 G-14/AS, Bf 109 G-10

 Text: Vladimír Šulc


The development of these late versions of the Bf 109G, manufactured in a series of related and therefore similar versions, was the German aviation industry’s response to a requirement to quickly supply Luftwaffe units with high performance fighters to combat the Allied bombing offensive of the spring of 1944. The appearance of the P-51B and D Mustang with the 8th and 15th American Air Forces showed that the need to offset the increasing obsolescence of German fighters was becoming critical. The anticipated replacement of the then standard Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/G-14 with the Bf 109K, powered by the DB 605D, was not yet possible in the spring of 1944 due to the protracted development of the airframe and engine alike. The design element of Messerschmitt in Regensburg found an interim solution by installing the DB 605AS into the Bf 109G-6, and this modification made use of items that were already designed and were construction ready, intended to be used in the engine installation in the Bf 109K.

 

Simply put, the DB 605AS and DB 605D were created by installing the larger supercharger from the DB 603 in the DB 605A. The performance of these superchargers was around 25% greater than the ones installed in the DB 605A. The first developmental version of the DB 605 outfitted with the larger supercharger was the DB 605AS, originally designated as the DB 605A (Sonder). The intended fuel for these engines was the B4 with an octane rating of 87. The first DB 605AS engines were available at the beginning of 1944. As spring became summer that year, the DB 605ASM appeared, which burned C3 fuel with a 96 octane rating. Other versions of the AS engine were developed (ASCM, ASMO, ASB, ASC) utilizing various combinations of B4 and C3 fuels, and different GM-1 nitrous oxide boost systems and variations of the MW50 injection system for short term power output of the engine. These included the GM-1 (injection of nitrous oxide into the engine cylinders), MW-50 (injection of a 50:50 mixture of methanol + water into the compressor intake), MW-30 (methanol + water at 70:30), EW-50 (ethanol + water 50:50) and EW-30 (ethanol + water 70:30). The GM-1 and MW-50 systems could in some cases be installed together in the same airframe, but their simultaneous use was prohibited and practically impossible. Depending on the different sub versions of the engines used, the aircraft were equipped with different versions of radiator, oil tank and air intake to the supercharger compressor, too. DB 605AS engines powered the Bf 109 G-6/AS and Bf 109 G-14/AS produced at Messerschmitt's Regensburg and Erla plants in Leipzig.

 The first version of the Bf 109 G powered by the DB 605AS engine was the Bf 109 G-6/AS. Its production began in April, 1944 at the Messerschmitt factory in Regensburg, where 349 units were produced as new builds in the following production blocks:

• Block 163,000 - 163,994, 226 units were produced from April to June 1944.

• Block 164,380 – 164,999, 37 were produced from August to December 1944

• Block 165001 - 165999, 47 units were produced from August to December 1944.

• Block 166001 - 166644, 39 units were produced from August to December 1944.

 Added to these numbers were 104 Bf 109 G-5 and 472 Bf 109G-6 airframes rebuilt to AS standard between February and August, 1944 atErla, Mimetall and Blohm & Voss

 Besides a modified engine cowling with large oval fairings over the supercharger compressor and fuselage guns, known informally to Luftwaffe personnel as the ‘Horse’s Ass’, an updated and lightened canopy (Erlahaube), a larger diameter VDM 9-12159 propeller (same as the later G-10 and K-4) and a tall fin and rudder, the original design of the Bf 109G-6 was left intact. They were equipped with a standard Fo 870 radiator used in the G-6, the bottom section of the cowling was smooth without the two small fairings covering the oil pump, and the oil tank was also the same as on the G-6. The difference from the later G-10 came in the oil filler cap on the left side of the nose immediately above the small air intake which was in the same location as on the Bf 109G-6. In the G-10, the cover over the cap was placed higher due to the increase in size of the oil tank. The supercharger intake also remained the same as compared to the G-6, which was smaller than the later G-10. So that things weren’t all that simple, some airframes of later production, or during refurbishment, received the larger diameter supercharger intakes and larger Fo 987 oil cooler that appeared on the Bf 109G-10. The oil coolers of these aircraft, produced by Erla, had the Erla specific Fo 987 cover developed for the later Bf 109G-10. It wasn’t as deep as the same oil cooler mounted in the G-10 at Mtt. Regensburg and WNF. The cockpit canopy with a simplified Erlahaube frame was of the older type with sharp rear corners of the opening portion, new-build versions being equipped with a short antenna mast behind the cockpit. Some of the G-6 conversions had the mast mounted on the canopy frame. There were also versions without a mast altogether. The tailwheel strut was short and was with or without a dust cover, and the fairings above the wheel wells were as they were on the G-6. All aircraft were equipped with a FuG 25 IFF system with a small blade antenna on the bottom of the second fuselage section.

 The part of these aircraft that were designated Bf 109G-6/AS/y were equipped with a FuG 16ZY DF homing system, the whip antenna for which was located under the wing below the fuselage.

 Most aircraft had fuselage mounted MG 151/20 cannon, but a number of converted Bf 109 G-6/U4s were armed with a MK 108 30mm weapon firing through the propeller hub. These were designated Bf 109 G-6/U4/AS and according to H.H. Vogt, 153 were produced.

 In the Bf 109G-6/AS, the MW50 methanol water injection system installation was not yet a standardized feature, and would have been recognizable by a box shaped opening located in the rear cockpit wall. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the MW50 system was not installed in the Bf 109G-6/AS. Some aircraft were so equipped. Bf 109G-6/AS aircraft equipped with MW50 were designated Bf 109G-6/MW50/AS or Bf 109G-6/U3/AS, and later redesignated as Bf 109G-14/AS.

Bf 109 G-10/U4 WNr. 611943, equipped with a DB 605 D engine, is currently part of the Planes of Fame Air Museum collection in Arizona. This aircraft displays the distinctive features of the WNF production series. It was captured in May 1945 following the group flyover and surrender of II/JG 52 from Austria to Neubiberg, Bavaria. This Bf 109 probably bore the designation "Yellow 13" and, based on its serial number, is documented to have belonged to the Hungarian 101. Vadászezred unit. Photo: Vladimír Šulc


 Aircraft designated Bf 109 G-6/U2/AS, on the other hand, were equipped with the GM-1 injecting nitrous oxide into the engine cylinders, which increased engine power above 10,000m (32,800 feet), in contrast to the MW-50 system, which increased engine power at lower altitudes of up to 6,000m (19,700 feet). The Bf 109 G-6/U2/AS was to be built to the tune of 273 units. In addition to them, 23 photo reconnaissance Bf 109 G-6/U2/R2/AS were produced, and probably some Bf 109 G-8/AS airframes as well, but their production number is unknown.

 As already mentioned in the introduction, high-altitude Bf 109 G-5s were also converted to the Bf 109 G-5/AS standard. They were essentially the same as the G-6/U2/AS, but there was a larger air intake on the left side of the fuselage below the cockpit windcsreen for cockpit ventilation. H.H.Vogt states that the rear of the engine cowling bulges were shallower than on the Messerschmitt-built G-6/AS and G-14/AS. The Bf 109 G-5/AS equipped with the Erlahaube cockpit canopy was no longer pressurized, however, it cannot be ruled out that the functionality of the cockpit pressurization system was also maintained with this type of canopy. In any case, silica gel capsules were still installed in the glass of the canopy to help prevent fogging of the glass. Also documented on the Bf 109 G-5/AS is a special cylindrical tank located on a hanger beneath the fuselage, which was probably part of the GM-1 system.

 One Bf 109 G-6/AS was converted into a two-seat Bf 109 G-12/AS trainer. The fuselage code was DF+CC.

 The first aircraft were delivered to units in April and May, 1944 (III./JG1, I./JG3, I./JG5, II./JG11), and these were followed by I./NJGr.10, II./JG27, I./JG1 and III./JG300 in June and July, 1944.

The following is a breakdown of the general features of the Bf 109G-6/AS:

1. Wide engine cowl side panels with riveted semielliptical aerodynamic fairings to fuselage.

2. Radiator under the engine as on standard G-6, Type Fo 870.

3. The use of the larger Fo 987 radiator is also recorded, with an Erla cover as on the G-10 Erla built in the 15xxxx and 49xxxx blocks.

4. Lower engine cowling minus bulge below the oil tank.

5. Older aircraft with VDM 9-12087 propeller (as on standard G-6), later versions with larger VDM 9-12159 propeller with wider paddle blades (as on the G-10).

6. Smaller supercharger intake on the left side of the cowling, as on standard G-6, although some aircraft (later production or overhauled/repaired aircraft) were given the larger intake (as on the G-10).

7. Access cover to supercharger clutch oil pump on the right side of the engine cowl was in a lower position.

8. Oil filler cap cover on the left side of the nose in lower position.

9.  Tall tail, Type 1.

10. Short tailwheel (usually).

11. Cockpit canopy with sharp inside corners at the rear and with a small antenna mast on the fuselage behind the cockpit. Aircraft converted from standard G-6s had the mast on the canopy frame and a number of these were without a mast altogether.

12. The G-6/AS/y had a whip antenna associated with the FuG 16zy system below the fuselage(below the wing)

13. Small blade antenna for the FuG 25a IFF system below the fuselage behind the wing trailing edge.

14. Wing fairings over the wheel wells were of the small type, as on the G-6, with corresponding wheels.

15. Some Bf 109G-5s were converted to the G-5/AS, serial numbers 110xxx. They were the same as the G-6/AS, but carried a special tank below the fuselage (associated with the GM-1?)

16. Most aircraft carried fuselage MG 151/20 cannons.

17. The cover on the 5th fuselage segment were a feature of the Bf 109 G-6/AS/U4 with a MK 108 30 mm fuselage cannon. A total of 151 of them were converted from the Bf 109 G-6/U4 built at WNF, of which one was built by Erla, 130 were made by Mimetall and twenty by Blohm & Voss

18. The GM-1 system pressure cylinder filling neck cover, present on the Bf 109 G-6/U2/AS. A total of 265 Bf 109 G-6/U2 conversions were produced, of which 104 were performed by Erla, 98 by Mimetall and 63 by Blohm & Voss. In addition, 45 photo-reconnaissance Bf 109 G-6/U2/R2/AS were also produced at Erla through conversion of Bf 109 G-6/U2s.

  

Bf 109 G-14/AS

 The production of the Bf 109 G-6/AS was followed by the production of the Bf 109 G-14/AS version, powered by the DB 605ASM engine and equipped, as standard, with a system for injecting a mixture of methanol and water into the intake of the MW 50 compressor. The installation of this system can be recognized by the box-shaped bulge on the rear wall cockpit, covering the battery, moved forward from its original position between the 1st and 2nd fuselage bulkheads for the installation of the MW 50 system tank. The DB 605 ASM engine used 96 octane C3 gasoline as fuel. Another distinctive feature of the Bf 109 G-14/AS was the standard installation of the FuG 16ZY direction finding system and its associated Morane-type whip antenna (Moranmast), still installed under the leading edge of the left wing. The FuG 25a IFF system was also standard. The Bf 109 G-14/AS were produced as new at Messerschmitt and Erla. There is no evidence that they were purposely created by conversion from older Bf 109 G-6 and G-14, but it is likely that parts of the airframes of older machines were used in their production.

 Airframes produced in production block 460 300 to 460 670 (50 units) by Erla had the smaller supercharger air intake and a smaller Fo 870 oil cooler as on the Bf 109G-6, and had an identicle lower engine cowl, meaning they did not have fairings around the oil pumps on the bottom of the nose. Most machines from production block 461 100 to 461 999 (73 pieces) then had the larger Fo 987 radiator, but with a specific fairing exclusive to Erla, which optically does not appear as deep as the fairing of the same Bf 109 G-10 radiator produced by Messerschmitt and WNF. The lower engine cowl of these aircraft thus corresponds to that of the later G-10 airframes coming out of Erla.

 The aircraft from Messerschmitt in Regensburg had, in addition to a few airframes from August 1944 production blocks 165 xxx and 166 xxx, a larger intake to the supercharger and a larger Fo 987 radiator (as the later G-10). Under the nose, two characteristic bulged fairings covering the oil pumps appeared for the first time. However, the nose oil tank remained of the small variety with the filler neck in a lower position just above the port suction pocket. The fin and rudder was of the tall variety. Later Messerschmitt production machines received rudders with a straight lower edge and three trims. The canopy was of the newer Erlahaube type with a rounded rear corner of the canopy frame and low antenna mast on the. The propeller was a VDM 9-12159 with wide blades. Some later aircraft received larger 660 x 190mm wheels, and with them large, elongated fairings on the upper surface of the wing. The tailwheel on the Erla aircraft (46xxxx) was short, and long on the Mtt. Regensburg version. The fill access cover to the supercharger clutch oil pump on the right side of the engine cowl was in a lower position, above the cowl fastener. Most, if not all, aircraft had fuselage mounted MG 151/20 cannons.. From the summer (July Erla, August Mtt) 1944 to the end of the year, around 1400 Bf 109G-14/AS were produced, 123 of them at Erla and the rest at Messerschmitt. The date of the end of production of the Bf 109 G-14/AS at Messerschmitt is unclear. H.H. Vogt states that production ran until March, 1945. However, as early as October, 1944, Bf 109 G-10s from production block 130 xxx were on the assembly line, with which G-10 production at Regensburg ended, again according to H.H. Vogt, in December 1944, and which produced only 123 units. At the same time, from the end of August 1944, serial production of the Bf 109 K-4 began. Of course, the completion of some Bf 109 G-14/AS still early in 1945 cannot be completely ruled out. It should also be taken into account that the airframes of the Bf 109 G-14/AS and the Bf 109 G-10 from Regensburg were practically identical, the production of G- 14/AS and G-10 followed each other immediately. Some of the few G-10s produced are said to have been fitted with DB 605 ASM engines and designated Bf 109 G-10/AS. There is some logic to be found in these largely conflicting timings, but it is probably wisest to close the matter with the understanding that it is very complicated at best.

 Bf 109 G-14/AS ERLA, Production Block 460 300 – 460 670 (50 Units)

1. Wide engine cowl side panels with riveted semielliptical aerodynamic fairings to fuselage.

2. Radiator under the engine as on standard G-6, Type Fo 870, though some aircraft received the larger Fo 987 unit with the same covering, as on the Erla G-10.

3. Lower engine cowling minus bulge below the oil tank.

4. VDM 9-12159 propeller with wider paddle blades.

5. Supercharger air intake on the left side of the cowling as on standard G-6, although some aircraft were given the larger intake as on the G-10.

6. Access cover to supercharger clutch oil pump on the right side of the engine cowl was in a lower position.

7. Oil filler cap cover on the left side of the nose in lower position.

8. Tall tail, Type 1.

9. Short tailwheel (usually).

10. Cockpit canopy with rounded inside corners at the rear and with an antenna mast on the canopy frame.

11. A whip antenna associated with the FuG 16zy system was located under the left wing (protruding from a glass panel), as with the G-10.

12. Small blade antenna for the FuG 25a IFF system below the fuselage behind the wing trailing edge.

13.  MW50 water-methanol injection system and its associated equipment – a box fairing on the rear wall of the cockpit behind the headrest, and an access panel on the right side of the spine behind the cockpit.

14. Wing fairings over the wheel wells were of the small type, as on the G-6, with corresponding wheels.

15. Most aircraft were armed with fuselage mounted MG 151/20 cannons. The cover located in the fifth fuselage segment only appeared on aircraft with MK 108 30mm cannons mounted in the fuselage

  

Bf 109 G-14/AS Mtt. Regensburg (Production Block 780 xxx to 787 xxx)

1. Wide engine cowl side panels with riveted semielliptical aerodynamic fairings to fuselage.

2. Radiator under the engine was the larger Fo 987 as on the G-10.

3. Lower cowling with bulges below oil tank.

4. VDM 9-12159 propeller with wider paddle blades as on the G-10.

5. Supercharger air intake on the left side of the cowling was of the larger type, as on the G-10.

6. Access cover to supercharger clutch oil pump on the right side of the engine cowl was in a lower position.

7. Oil filler cap cover on the left side of the nose in lower position.

8. Small wheel well fairing on the upper wing as on the G-6, with corresponding wheels, with corresponding 660 x0 160 wheels.

9. Taller tail Type 6 or Type 9 (later aircraft).

10. Usually, a long tailwheel. Short tailwheel has been documented in later production blocks.

11. Cockpit canopy with rounded inside corners at the rear and with an antenna mast on the fuselage behind the cockpit (usually).

12. A whip antenna associated with the FuG 16zy system was located under the left wing (protruding from a glass panel), as with the G-10.

13. Small blade antenna for the FuG 25a IFF system below the fuselage behind the wing trailing edge.

14.  MW50 water-methanol injection system and its associated equipment – a box fairing on the rear wall of the cockpit behind the headrest, and an access panel on the right side of the spine behind the cockpit.

15. A number of later aircraft, manufactured at the end of 1944 received a DB 605D engine.

16. Most aircraft were armed with fuselage mounted MG 151/20 cannons. The cover located in the fifth fuselage segment only appeared on aircraft with MK 108 30mm cannons mounted in the fuselage

Bf 109 G-14/AS from the Messerschmitt Regensburg factory, with which Croatian pilot Vladimir Sandtner from the 2nd Fighter Squadron "Zrakoplovno lovačko jato" defected to Italy on April 16, 1945, landing at the Falconara base. (Photo: Fold 3)

 

Bf 109G-10

 In the summer of 1944, deliveries began of the DB 605D, in development since 1942, with an automatic barometric supercharger rpm control system, dictated by altitude. After the initial DB 605DM and DMO were produced, these engines were delivered in two main versions. The DB 605DB was used with B4 fuel in conjunction with the MW50 methanol water injection system, and the DB 605DC, burning 96 octane C3 fuel, without the MW50 system installed. Nevertheless, the DB 605DC had the MW50 vents installed, enabling the conversion of the DB 605DC to the DB 605DB and vice versa. The DB 605D were installed exclusively with the larger Fo 987 oil cooler, a larger, 54 litre oil tank, and larger supercharger air intake.

 Production of the Bf 109G-10 powered by various models of the DB 605D, replaced the Bf 109G-6/AS and G-14/AS in the fall of 1944. A common feature of all Bf 109G-10s, besides the aforementioned installation of some version of the DB 605D and the associated wider engine cowl (‘Horse’s Ass’), was the installation of the larger Fo 987 oil cooler instead of the original Fo 870 in the G-6/G-14, larger ALF 907C wing radiators instead of the original ALF 750Bs, larger supercharger air intakes and VDM 9-12159 propeller. Also common features were the simplified Erlahaube canopy and tall fin. The Bf 109G-10 was manufactured at three facilities: Erla Leipzig, Messerschmitt Regensburg and Wiener neustadter Flugzeugwerke. The G-10 was to be an interim aircraft, pending the production of the modernized Bf 109K, also powered by the DB 605D. In reality, the first G-10s did not begin to arrive from Erla Leipzig at their intended units until October, 1944, essentially at the same time as the first Bf 109K-4s. But it should be noted that Bf 109K-4 production remained limited up to the end of the war, and essentially was not initiated at Erla or WNF.

 The genesis of the G-10 can be said to be different for each of its three manufacturers, and each of these three manufacturers tackled production of the Bf 109 G-10 in a way that corresponded to their abilities and prevailing conditions. In this context, the shape of the engine cowl is typical for each of the three manufacturers. Both Messerschmitt and WNF had similar units, yet the two factories differed slightly in the shape of the large side fairings above the supercharger and the fuselage machine gun lugs. In contrast, the Erla solution was significantly different, and it can be said that it was aerodynamically more refined and sophisticated, but with the exception of the fairing on the right side of the engine cowl. Typical of the Erla machines was the left part of the upper engine cowl without a visible, retrofitted riveted bulge, the absence of fairings on the front bottom of the cowling, and the traditionally longer gun troughs of the fuselage machine guns.

 The first to go into production was the Erla G-10, which was entrusted the responsibility of producing the Bf 109G-10 as a quick, temporary replacement for the delayed Bf 109K-4 project. Production at Erla began in September, 1944, and 1709 aircraft were delivered in two production blocks.

 Messerscmitt produced 129 DB 605D installations for the Bf 109G-14/AS reportedly some in November and possibly even in December. This was to catch up to the production of Bf 109G-14/AS aircraft with the DB 605D, and were basically the same airframes with the 605D. Messerschmitt then turned its attention to Bf 109 K-4 aircraft solely.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 WNr. 491407, produced at the Erla factory, photographed in early 1945. This aircraft belonged to 3a Squadriglia, 1o Gruppo Caccia. On March 17th, 1945, Capt. Cesare Marchesi crashed the plane at the Ghedi base. (Photo: JaPo)


 In December, 1944, production began of the Bf 109G-10/U4 at WNF Diana. Production of these aircraft came out of the mating of the DB 605D with the Bf 109G-14/U4 airframe then mounting the DB 605A, and became somewhat of a peculiarity, differing from the approach taken by Erla. The likely reason for initiating production of their own version of the Bf 1009G-10 instead of the Regensburg K-4s, at the time already in production, was the anticipated problems with startup of Bf 109K-4 manufacture under conditions brought about by Allied bombings of the WNF facility. There were issues with implementing all the necessary changes required for the startup of the new version, and with the co-ordination of the supply chain from the various suppliers that would be involved. To understand this decision, it needs to be taken into account that, of all the firms involved in Bf 109 manufacture, the WNF plant was under the greatest pressure from Allied bombings and was the closest to the front. Production of the Bf 109 G-10 at WNF was probably just shy of a thousand units, and of that total, 650 Bf 109 G-10/U4 and 300 photo reconnaissance Bf 109 G-10/R2s were built.

 In all, 2600 Bf 109 G-10s were manufactured.

 

Bf 109 G-10/R6 Erla Production Blocks 150 xxx, 151 xxx, 490 xxx and 491 xxx

 Erla Leipzig was entrusted with making preparations for the change of manufacture from the Bf 109G-6 to the G-10 as an interim solution to the delay in Bf 109K-4 production at Mtt. Regensburg. This was likely influenced by the fact that Messerschmitt was fully immersed in not only the design of the Bf 109 K, but especially on the completion of the development of the Me 262 fighter and getting into production. The new Bf 109G-10 from Erla differed from the G-6/AS and G-14/AS visually in the aerodynamic bulging of the engine cowl on the left side, where the standard (for the other versions of the G-10, G-14/As and G-6/AS) characteristic large riveted bulge was absent. The bulge on the right side of the cowl also differed in form from the other two manufacturers. It wasn’t as large, ended closer to the longitudinal axis od the aircraft, and was as smooth. In fact, the skin looked a bit ruffled, lacked a certain elegance, and was in direct contradiction of the aerodynamic finesse of the rest of the cowl. Perhaps, it was one of the items labeled as Bastardflugzeug, which appeared in connection to the Bf 109 G-10 in the document Flugzeug-Baureihen Blatt Bf 109, issued in August, 1944 by the offices of TLT (Chef der Technischen Luftrustung).

 The oil cooler was of the Fo 987 larger type, with the specific Erla cover which was not as deep as the other variations with this radiator. Visually, the size of this unit lay between the standard G-6 with an Fo 870 cooler and the G-10 with the Fo 987 produced at WNF/Diana. Aerodynamically, the entire bottom of the engine cowl was clean, with no bulges under the oil pumps in the nose, characteristic for the G-10s produced at Mtt. Regensburg and WNF. Typical for Erla was also the upper engine cowl with longer gun troughs. Production began with Production Block 490 130 to 490 399 (270 units of the Bf 109 G-10) in September, 1944, and was followed by Block 490 400 to 490 799 in October. All remaining airframes built up to the end of the war in blocks 491 xxx, 150 xxx and 151 xxx were to Bf 109 G-10/R6 standard. The R6 suffix indicated the presence of an PKS 12 autopilot. The first planes reached Luftwaffe units in the second half of October. In all, Erla buiilt 1,520 Bf 109 G-10s.

 The identifying features of this version are:

 1. Engine cowl – left side wide cowl without the elliptical bulged structure; right side with elliptical aerodynamic feathering to the fuselage.

2. Bottom of engine cowl without bulges below the oil tank, but with a wider front section than seen on the standard G-6 and G-10 from Mtt. Regensburg and WNF.

3. Radiator under the engine was the larger Fo 987 with a specific covering.

4. Large supercharger intake on the left side of the cowl.

5. Oil tank filler cap access placed higher up on the left side of the nose.

6. Access cover to supercharger clutch oil pump on the right side of the engine cowl was in a higher position (extending to the gun trough panel).

7. VDM 9-12159 propeller with wide blades.

8. Small wheel well fairing on the upper wing as on the G-6, with corresponding wheels. Could also have larger wheels with larger fairings. At least a part of the 150 xxx and 151 xxx Production Blocks had the larger wheels (660 x 190) and the corresponding larger upper wing fairings, as were seen on G-10s produced by WNF.

9. Cockpit canopy with rounded inside corners at the rear.

10. Antenna mast on the canopy frame on 49xxxx aircraft, without a mast on 15xxxx aircraft.

11. Longer gun troughs for the fuselage guns and typical form of skinning around them.

12. Long tailwheel.

13. Type 1 tail (could have had an additional trim tab on the upper trailing edge) or Type 6 (later machines) in the 490 xxx and 491 xxx range.

14. Type 6 or 9 tail in the 150 xxx and 151 xxx range.

15. A whip antenna associated with the FuG 16zy system was located under the left wing (glass cover).

16. Small blade antenna for the FuG 25a IFF system below the fuselage behind the wing trailing edge.

17.  MW50 water-methanol injection system and its associated equipment – a box fairing on the rear wall of the cockpit behind the headrest (with, in this case, the PKS 12 Autopilot unit below it), and an access panel on the right side of the spine behind the cockpit.

18. The cover located in the fifth fuselage segment only appeared on aircraft with MK 108 30mm cannons mounted in the fuselage. Erla produced Bf 109 G-10s had a fuselage mounted MG 151/20 cannon, and typically lacked the access cover. There could be cases where the production of the fighter used the fuselage of an older airframe that had the access cover in place, though.

 

Bf 109 G-10 Messerschmitt Regensburg, Production Block 130 100 to 130 700

 The Messerschmitt mother plant in Regensburg produced 123 Bf 109G-10s through November and December, 1944, switching over from the Bf 109G-14/AS by replacing the DB 605AS with the DB 605D. the last three pieces were evidently delivered in January, 1945. This aircraft were externally virtually identical to later G-14/AS aircraft coming out of Mtt. Regensburg (780 xxx to 787 xxx Production Block), and differed only in small details.

 General identifying features of this version were:

1. Wide engine cowl side panels with riveted semielliptical aerodynamic fairings to fuselage.

2. Bottom cowl panel with small bumps under the oil tank.

3. Radiator under the engine was the larger Fo 987.

4. Larger supercharger intake on the left side of the cowling.

5. Oil filler cap cover on the left side of the nose in higher position.

6. Access cover to supercharger clutch oil pump on the right side of the engine cowl was in a higher position. The original lower position was patched over.

7. Wide blade propeller as on the G-10 (VDM 9-12159)

8. Tall tail Type 6.

9. Cockpit canopy with rounded inside corners at the rear and without an antenna mast on the fuselage behind the cockpit, with the antenna lead going directly into the fuselage (or could also be attached to a mast on the canopy frame on some aircraft).

10. Long tailwheel.

11. A whip antenna associated with the FuG 16zy system was located under the left wing (glass panel).

12. Small blade antenna for the FuG 25a IFF system below the fuselage behind the wing trailing edge.

13. ]MW50 water-methanol injection system and its associated equipment – a box fairing on the rear wall of the cockpit behind the headrest, and an access panel on the right side of the spine behind the cockpit.

14. Small fairing covering the wheel wells on the upper surface of the wings, as on the G-6, with corresponding wheels.

15. Fuselage mounted MG 151/20 cannons. The cover located in the fifth fuselage segment only appeared on aircraft with MK 108 30mm cannons mounted in the fuselage, and Messerschmitt did not install that weapon on their G-10s, only the MG 151/20. There may have been instances where the cover was present as a result of using older airframes, such those of the Bf 109G-4.


Bf 109 G-10/U4 WNF/Diana

 Production Blocks 610 xxx to 612 xxx and Bf 109 G-10/R2 Production Block 770 xxx

 Bf 109G-10/U4 coming out of the production facility at Wiener Neustadter Flugzeugwerke came about as a modification to the Bf 109G-14/U4 made by WNF, powered by a DB 605A and armed with fuselage mounted MK 108 30mm cannon. For this modification, experience gained by Messerschmitt in the production of the Bf 109G-14/AS was used, from which the G-10/U4 differed only in some minor details: standard installation of the MK 108s and their associated access to the compressed air bottles in the fifth fuselage segment on the right side and the shorter tailwheel. The installation of the fuselage mounted cannon allowed for the alternate mounting of MG 151/20 weapons. The Bf 109G-10/U4 received, likely due to the higher weight of the aircraft, larger wheels measuring 660 x 190mm and the long, elongated (rectangular) upper wing fairings over the wheel wells. The shorter tailwheel was probably due to an effort to simplify the supply chain from sub-contractors. Because the production plant in Vienna was essentially destroyed along with the city proper by Allied bombings begun in the summer of 1943, Bf 109G-10/U4 production was limited to dispersed sub-contractor facilities and isolated plants. One of the isolated plants was Diana, constructed in three railroad tunnels that were a part of the line between Brno and Havlickub Brod in Moravia. Final assembly and verification flights were made at Prague-Letnany and in Olomouc. Production continued from December, 1944 to March, 1945. This variant also formed the basis of the postwar Czechoslovak Avia S-99/C-10. In total, up to the termination of production in March, 1945, 650 Bf 109 G-10/U4s were made. Besides these, WNF also produced some three hundred reconnaissance Bf 109 G-10/R2s equipped with Rb 75/30 or Rb 50/30 cameras, located behind the cockpit between bulheads 1 and 2. That was the space occupied by the tank for the Mw 50 system in the standard Bf 109 G-10, which in this version was moved to between the 2nd and 3rd fuselage bulkheads. The fuselage armament remained the same as in the standard fighter, but it is not clear if this was the MK 108 or the MG 151/20.

 The general identification features of this version are:

 1. Wide engine cowl side panels with riveted semielliptical aerodynamic fairings to fuselage.

2. Lower cowling with bulges below oil tank.

3.  Radiator below the nose was the larger Fo 987 type.

4.  Larger supercharger intake on the left side of the cowling.

5. Oil filler cap cover on the left side of the nose in higher position.

6.  Access cover to supercharger clutch oil pump on the right side of the engine cowl was in a higher position. The original lower position was patched over (on some aircraft).

7. Wide blade propeller as on the G-10 (VDM 9-12159)

8.  all tail Type 9.

9. Cockpit canopy with rounded inside corners at the rear and without an antenna mast on the fuselage behind the cockpit, with the antenna lead going directly into the fuselage (or could also be attached to a small mast on the canopy frame as was the case with the postwar Czechoslovak C-10/S-99).

10. Short tailwheel.

11. A whip antenna associated with the FuG 16zy system was located under the left wing (glass panel).

12. Small blade antenna for the FuG 25a IFF system below the fuselage behind the wing trailing edge.

13. MW50 water-methanol injection system and its associated equipment – a box fairing on the rear wall of the cockpit behind the headrest, and an access panel on the right side of the spine behind the cockpit.

14. Fairings covering the wheel wells were of the large variety and had the corresponding 660 x 190mm wheels.

15. All aircraft were built as U4 mods, with 30mm MK 108 cannons and associated equipment: a large cannon cover below the instrument panel in the cockpit and an access hatch to compressed air bottles in the fifth fuselage segment on the right side. The installation of the engine mounted weapon allowed for the use of the MG 121/20. This was because there were issues with the MK 108 cannon that arose during production.

A photo taken at the Neubiberg base in Bavaria after the end of the war in Europe, May 1945, shows a Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 WNr. 610783, "Black 21" from 7./JG 52, produced by WNF. (Photo: JaPo)


CONCLUSIONS:

It’s all pretty complex, isn’t it? It appears to all be a mixed bag of almost ‘non-German’ chaos. It’s one thing to get a handle on the features differentiating individual versions, but it’s another thing altogether grasping where they came from and why there were simultaneously so many versions of essentially one type. Where was that German attempt at type unification? Add to that that the Bf 109K-4 was only mentioned in a peripheral way and the fact that other simultaneously produced fighters for the Luftwaffe was ignored altogether. Even the grasping of the specifications of individual versions is no simple matter. The entire situation only begins to gain some clarity only when all of this chaos is considered with an understanding of the historical context that defined the conditions under which development of the aircraft took place.

 The aforementioned Allied bombing campaign had a dramatic impact on the overall situation that Germany found itself in. The German war effort was increasingly crippled as the bombings intensified. Despite a marked decrease in the intensity of the attacks in June and July, when the Allied air forces operating from the British Isles focused their efforts on supporting the Normandy landings and the push into southern France, German industry was succumbing to increasing pressure. As mentioned earlier, the Vienna and WNF firms were virtually wiped off the face of the earth by the American 15th Air Force in mid 1944. As time went on, Luftwaffe fighter units were pulling on an ever decreasing length of rope. The Allied air superiority manifested itself in every aspect of life over German occupied Europe through 1944. Added to the overall devastation, there were supply and logistical problems, thanks to which the situation worsened from month to month, even week to week, and in some cases, literally day to day. In the second half of the year, there was a dramatic decline in the situation on all fronts, leading to rapid Allied advances on the Western Front and in Italy, and even more so in terms of both military and civilian losses following Red Army offenses on the Eastern Front. Germany lost vast areas with significant industrial and economic potential. After the Red Army attack on Eastern Prussia, and the subsequent push into Poland, there was a massive exodus of migrants into Silesia in the winter of 1945. This was the quite literally apocalyptic scenario that accompanied the development and production of the above mentioned aircraft.

 The progress, weather under conditions of perceived or actual chaos, of the designating of the later versions of the Bf 1090G, is, in my opinion, as follows: It began with the delays in the development of the Bf 109K, and, by extension, the DB 605D powerplant. When it became clear that there would be serious delays in the supply of the Bf 109K, interim solutions were sought. These were entrusted to Erla , which was responsible for the mating of the DB 605D with the Bf 109G-14 airframe, and was making preparations for production. But, because the DB 605D was not yet in production by the spring of 1944, Messerschmitt in Regensburg prepared an interim solution involving the installation of the available DB 605/AS into the Bf 109G-6, which was put into practice at Messerschmitt in the production of new aircraft, while at Erla and other manufacturing and repair facilities, the installation of the DB 605/AS was installed in Bf 109G-6 and G-14 airframes during overhauls and repairs. This is why the majority of G-6/AS aircraft built by Erla in Antverp, which was not a manufacturing plant, but rather one that performed overhauls and major repairs of Bf 109s. After the supply of Db 605Ds began to flow, production of the Bf 109G-10 at Erla was started up on the basis of the planned modifications. During the production of these machines, modifications were continuously made as dictated by the experience of their use. That's why there were on some G-14/AS aircraft larger radiators or larger supercharger intakes, which then makes these planes difficult to distinguish from the Bf 109 G-10. The demand for mass production was the law, and the pace of introducing changes was unimaginable by today's standards. To the contrary, the threat of severe punishment for non-compliance of the delivery of set quantities of new aircraft was very imaginable. Whether the subject of these deliveries was one type or another was more or less irrelevant. After all, the differences between the individual versions were not big even in terms of performance. Therefore, the simultaneous production of different versions did not matter. At the same time that Mtt. Regensburg was already producing the Bf 109 K-4, G-10 production continued at Erla, where K-4 production had not yet been established. It was not ready until the spring of 1945, and only a few Bf 109 K-4s of production block 57 were eventually produced at Erla.

 A similar situation existed at WNF. This heavily bombing affected plant made do by maintaining production in a number of dispersed areas and facilities, one of which was Diana, constructed in railway tunnels, as mentioned earlier. Other local facilities were also utilized. Given the situation that the plant found itself in in the winter of 1944/1945, it was logical that it would not complicate things further by implementing production of the Bf 109K-4, and took the path of least resistance by installing the new engines into existing but lightly modified airframes. Production of the Bf 109G-10/U4 then smoothly transitioned out of the established manufacture of the Bf 109G-14/U4, which ran virtually to the end of the war in March, 1945. In April, the Red Army occupied Vienna and pushed into southern Moravia, and approached Olomouc from the north. The shifting front eliminated the bases that were needed to complete and perform verification flights on delivered aircraft. The last of these bases was Prague-Letnany, as yet untouched by the shifting front, but was eliminated by a blockade of Prague airfields by fighters of the 8thAF.

 Implementing the situation-dictated solutions was not, without any doubt, a simple affair, and it wasn’t perfect, as the case generally is when it comes down to improvisation. But the solutions were functional, and they provided combat units of the Luftwaffe with high performance aircraft that were capable of competing. It also provided the Luftwaffe with dependable, almost immediate attrition replacements. Despite the fact that Bf 109G-10 performance had fallen behind that of the Mustang, they represented an availability of equipment that ensured the functionality of Defense of the Reich and frontal units alike, such as JG 52. Against Soviet aircraft, the Bf 109G-10 was still quite good. This comparison could be made in the immediate postwar years by Czechoslovak pilots, who had at their disposal 21 Bf 109G-10/U4s under the designation Avia S-99/C-10 for several years.

 I am hopeful that this article will serve modelers well while deciding on which Eduard kit is best for the Bf 109G versions described herein. And should they already have said kit, they can confirm the various design and production features of each version and compare it to what they actually have in their possession.

 And with that, I wish you, dear Modellers, an interesting build with some understanding of the subject matter!

 Vladimir Sulc

 

APPENDIX: THE RUDDERS

 In the descriptions of the individual versions, there is often mention made of the various types of tails. These numbers are Eduard interim designations, and in the article, they describe the following types of rudders:

 Type 1: the first type of production rudder. It was made of a metal framework, covered with fabric. There was also a wooden version, often with an additional trim tab in the upper section (Type 2)

 Type 6: A deeper rudder of wooden construction, covered in fabric, with three trim tabs and a straight bottom edge.

 Type 9: Similar to Type 6, with a deeper middle trim tab and a more pronounced position light fairing.

 

APPENDIX : THE BOOST SYSTEMS

 The above texts widely mention the GM-1 and MW50 systems. Of course, I assume that all of you will know what these items were, what each system was used for and how they worked. Despite that, I would like to return to these features and give a brief description of their function and use. Without this mention, I feel that this article would lack a little something.

 The GM-1 (for which Goering Mischung 1 and Ha-ha Geraet were slang terms) system was one that injected nitrous oxide into the engine pistons. With the DB 605AS engine, its use was permitted at an altitude of 10,000m and climbing, and from 10,500m in level flight. In the DB 605A, use was permitted in a climb from 8,000m. The GM-1 system could be used for between 11 and 22 minutes, depending on the time of year, outside temperature and time since filling the system.

 For increasing engine performance at low and medium altitudes up to 6,000m, a methanol-water supercharger intake injection system was used in the form of MW50 (methanol/water 50:50, as the designation suggests mixing equal parts of methanol and water, plus 0.5% Schutzol 39, an anti-corrosion additive). There variations on the MW50 theme, designated by the mixture: MW30 (methanol/water at 70:30), EW50 (ethanol/water 50:50) and EW30 (ethanol/water 70:30). The MW50 system was able to increase engine performance by 20 to 25%, depending on altitude and other relevant conditions. It’s use was permitted to a maximum of twice for ten minutes during a single flight (other sources differ on these values, such as a maximum length of time of use of 5 minutes).At altitudes over 6,000m, the effectiveness of the system fell off dramatically, and is said that it only provided a 4% increase in performance above 6,000m.

 The differences in the GM-1 and MW50 systems did not include, as is sometimes claimed, a lower usefulness or obsolescence of the GM-1 compared to the MW50. In practical terms, there was no replacement of one by the other. Each was technically different and was intended for use under different conditions, although both worked on the principle of internal cooling of the engine combustion chambers.

 The MW50 worked by lowering the temperature by injecting water into the supercharger, and so also the volume of compressed air on entering it, which allowed an increase in air (oxygen) content of the fuel/air mix that was injected into the cylinders. The system was, of course, dependant on the local air pressure to begin with, and at higher altitudes, the effectiveness dropped off simply because in thin air, there was less oxygen.

 With the GM-1 system, nitrous oxide was injected into the cylinders, which, under high temperatures, broke down into nitrogen and oxygen. The nitrogen lowered the temperature of the mix and its volume in the cylinder, which, in turn, allowed a higher amount of the gas, and the oxygen supported combustion. As a result, the GM-1 system was not dependant on the outside air pressure, and that’s why it was intended for use at higher altitudes (the minimum permitted altitude for its use in the DB 605D was 10,000m). The more widespread use of the MW50 system and its basically standard installation in the Bf 109G-14, G-14/AS and G-10 was dictated by the tactical conditions that prevailed over the European battlegrounds, where most air combat took place at low and middle altitudes, below or up to 6,000m. The GM-1 system was utilized for specific tasks at high altitudes, during reconnaissance flights and fighters.

 Installation of the GM-1 in the Bf 109 was indicated by the suffix U2, and with the MW50, by U3. That means that the, for example, Bf 109G-6/AS/U2 or Bf 109 G-6/U2/AS was a Bf 109G-6 airframe powered by the DB 605AS and carried the GM-1 system. Both systems were used not only in connection with the DB 605, but with other types of German engines as well, such as the BMW 801.

 Sources:

MESSERSCHMITT Bf 109 F, G, & K Series, An Illustrated Study. Jochen Prien & Peter Rodeike, Schiffer Military History, 1995

Bf 109 Late versions Camouflage & markings. Krzysztof W.Wolowski. Mushroom model publications, 2010

Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10/U4 Production & operational service. Aleš Janda, Tomáš Poruba. JaPo.

Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945, Teil 13/IV, Einsatz in der Reichsverteidigung und im Westen 1.1. bis 31.12.1944. Jochen Prien, Gerhard Stemmer, Winfried Bock. Buchverlag Rogge GmbH, 2018

MESSERSCHMITT BF 109 JA SAKSAN SOTATALOUS. Keski-Suomen Ilmailumuseonjulkaisuja 8. Hannu Valtonen. Gummerus Kirjapaino Oy, 1999.

ERLAWERK VII ANTWERPEN-MORTSEL 1940-44. Jean Dillen. Uitgeverij De Krijger.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 – EINSATZMASCHINEN – DAS NACHTSCHLAGWERK. Harald Helmut vogt. VDM- Heinz Nickel, 2012.

Das Jagdflugzeug Messerschmitt Bf 109. Michael Baumgartl. 2022

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Info EDUARD 09/2024, Unordnung – Late Versions of the Bf 109 G
Info EDUARD 09/2024, Page 9
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09/2024
Info EDUARD 09/2024

INFO Eduard is a monthly scale model-historical magazine published in Czech and English by Eduard Model Accessories since 2010. The magazine is available for free on the Triobo platform and can be downloaded in PDF format. Eduard is a manufacturer of plastic models and accessories with over 30 years of tradition. Throughout its history in the plastic modeling industry, Eduard has become one of the world's leaders. Further details about the company and its product range can be found at www.eduard.com. You can subscribe to the INFO magazine and receive product information for free at: https://www.eduard.com/cs/info-eduard/

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