Air Power Series>1:48 die-cast display model>BF-109>HA8751
Bf-109G-6 “Green 1” Hermann Graf JG50, September 1943
General Background
The first German mass produced 109 fighter was the Bf-109E that has been mistakenly referred
to as the Me-109. The Bf is the designator for the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) (Bavarian
Aircraft Works) that produced the original aircraft. In 1938 Messerschmitt took over BFW but
throughout WWII German handbooks and documents referred to the aircraft as the Bf-109. By the
end of 1939 the Bf-109E (Emil) had replaced all other 109 variants and equipped 13 Gruppens
with 40 aircraft each. The Bf-109 was the main single-engine aircraft until the Fw-190 came along.
The Aircraft
Hermann Graf was a WWII German Ace with 212 victories in 830 missions and the first pilot to
score 200 victories. In mid 1943 Hermann Goring selected Graf to form a special high-altitude
squadron to intercept Allied aircraft. The new Jagdgruppe 50 “Karaya Quartet” was equipped
with modified high-altitude Bf-109G-6/R2 armed with two 210mm Wgr21 unguided rockets, a
30mm canon, two 13mm machine guns and an engine injection system creating 1,800 bhp. Green
1 W.Nr 15919 is one of several Bf-109s Graf flew and it wore the red ‘tulip’ nose and white tail
with ‘kill’ markings and his Knight’s Cross award.
Specifications :
| Production timeline: | February 1943 – October 1943 |
| Number produced : | 5,000+ |
| Dimensions: | Wingspan – 9.92m (32ft 6.5in) |
| Length – 9.04m (29ft (8in) | |
| Height – 2.5m (8ft 2.25in) | |
| Weight: | Empty - 2,700kg (5,900lb) |
| Gross Loaded – 3,400kg (7,500lb) | |
| Performance: | Powerplant – Daimler-Benz DB605A-1, 12 cylinder inverted vee, liquid cooled, 1,475hp |
| Maximum Speed – 640km/h (398mph) | |
| Range – 850km (528miles) | |
| Service ceiling – 12,000m (39,370ft) | |
| Armament: | 2 X 13mm (.51in) synchronized MG 131 machine guns with 300 rounds each |
| 1 X 20mm (.78in) MG 151/20 cannon as centerline Motorkanone firing through propeller hub with 200 rounds | |
| Or | |
| 1 X 30mm (1.18in) MK 108 cannon as centerline Motorkanone with 65 round per gun (G-6/U4 variant) | |
| 2 X 20mm MG 151/20 under-wing cannon pods with 135 round per gun (Rustsatz V option) | |
| Rockets - 2 X 21 cm (8 in) Wfr. Gr. 21 rockets (G-6 with BR21) | |
| Bomb | |
| 1 X 250 kg (551 lb) bomb | |
| Or | |
| 4 X 50 kg (110 lb) bombs | |
| Or | |
| 1 X 300 litre (79 US gal) drop tank |