HISTORY

1,232hp, with emergency boost at the same altitude rated at 1,336hp, compared to 1,183hp

in combat and 1,300hp emergency at 15,750ft for

the DB 601E.

These changes led not only to an increase

in performance, but also to a slight increase

in weight from 700 to 756kg. The engine used 87

octane B4 aviation fuel and drove a Type 9-12087

propeller with wider blades. Due to the need for

more efficient cooling of the more powerful engine, a larger Type 9-6150 (Fö 870) oil cooler, the

same as that installed in the Bf 109 F-4/Z, was

used. Interestingly, neither the Bf 109 G-2 nor

the G-4 are documented as using the GM-1 and

MW-50 booster systems, which were used on

both the Bf 109F and the later Bf 109 G-6.

The first production version of the Bf 109 G-2,

manufactured from May, 1942 initially at WNF and

then also at Messerschmitt in Regensburg and

at ERLA in Leipzig from June, was visually very

similar to the Bf 109 F-4, but in fact introduced

a number of changes. First of all, the fuselage

structure was strengthened, especially in the

area of the engine bulkhead and in the rear part

of the aircraft between the 8th and 9th fuselage

bulkheads, where the need for strengthening

was evident already in the Bf 109 F-4. There were

changes in the cockpit, the bulkhead between the

cockpit and the space for the MG 17 machine guns

was redesigned and strengthened. While the

Bf 109F had a zippered canvas separator between

the instrument panel and the fuselage machine

gun compartment, the Bf 109 G-2 and subsequent versions of the 109G had this partition

made from an aluminum casting, which better

sealed the cockpit from exhaust gases from the

engine compartment and fumes from when the

guns were fired, which was one of the persistent

problems throughout the development of the

Bf 109. On the sides of this partition were airtight openings that could open and closed giving

access to the MG 17 machine gun breeches and,

if necessary, manually cock them. In the middle

of the bulkhead were two sealed passages for

the shaft of the propeller adjustment mechanism

and for the mechanical tachometer. The main

fuselage tank was modified to hold 400 liters of

fuel and had armor plating composed of several

layers of aluminum sheet and was covered with

a three-layer rubber coating, which could seal

punctures from rounds of up to 12.7mm caliber.

The tank filler neck moved from under the left side

of the canopy to between the second and third

fuselage bulkhead. Optically and structurally, the

canopy underwent significant changes, which resulted in the characteristic robust framing with

an integrated armored glass panel at the front.

The front plate of the windscreen was equipped

with fuel spray. Spraying was started by a cock

on the instrument panel which could only be

opened in flight. The wing structure including the

landing gear was strengthened, the tail wheel remained retractable with a tire size of 290 x110mm.

The main landing gear of the G-2 retained the

wheels with tire dimensions of 650 x150mm, the

same as those of the Bf 109 F-4.

A significant change was the standardization of fasteners for the mounting of weapons

and equipment on the airframe, which facilitated the later modernization of the aircraft to

higher versions with the help of modernization

kits (Rüstsatzen). This design strategy was retained for all G-version sub types from the G-2

to the G-10, and allowed the airframes of older

machines to be suitable candidates for conver-

November 2023

Bf 109 G-2

Bf 109 G-4

INFO Eduard

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