Under the RADAR: the Messerschmitt 109 

The exhaust stacks were not lower down because of the supercharger, they were lower down because the engine was mounted upside down.

Even though I've read tons of stuff about 109s over the years, there were a few really interesting nuggets of information in this video. I never knew about the rifle stowed in the back nor did I realise that the sand filter was fitted with clamshell doors.

Marvellous little tour of the 109. I’d like to see a longer version and ones of other aircraft. Thanks for posting.

Yes, it's a beauty! Got to see it at Duxford back when it was still flying, before the landing accident that resulted in it going on static display. My god, the *sound* of that engine as the supercharger is spooling up 😍

Didn't know about the K98 accessory in the trop version. Interesting fact.

The engine being inverted caused the exhaust to be low on the cowl.

Wow. The only one thing I had no idea - it was about the rifle :D

….and the 2 nub things you see just below the cockpit on the fuse, are there to attach a sun umbrella for the pilots while sitting in the cockpit awaiting takeoff.

It's one thing to hear about something but it's so much better to be shown, little things about the Me109 I didn't know, thank for taking the time to show us. If I'm not mistaken the 109 and Spitfire had similar undercarriage just as the Hurricane and the Fw190 had wing mounted undercarriage.

Brilliant! What a gem. Fabulous to see one of these in such pristine condition.

Just popped up on my RU-vid feed., thanks for that , hope more to come.

The tropical variant also has those two little bulges on the left side of the fuselage under the cockpit for mounting an umbrella.

That's the first time I have heard a carbine being referred to as a "hunting rifle"...

I just visited the RAF museum about a month ago from Texas. As a pilot and aviation enthusiast this museum is absolutely incredible! That being said I did have one observation about these beautiful aircraft, and that was that many of them look like they need air in their tires. Some of the aircraft were down to sitting on their rims while others looked as if they only had 5psi in their tires. I can only imagine how hard it would be to replace these historical aircraft tires. Why does the RAF museum not inflate these tires to prevent further damage?

Very well presented, factual and straight to the point, thanks

at 0:57 the picture shows a 109 with high exhaust stacks which I believe means the plane is a Spanish built Hispano HA-112 using a Rolls Royce Merlin engine not a German BF 109 using the Daimler Benz. (I believe the prototype BF 109 used a Rolls Royce Kestral engine).

What a great video. Thanks for making it.

I studied at Telford campus about 15 years ago. Cosford museum is very close. I enjoyed very much visiting the museum. In fact, I spent a lot of afternoons there. Absolutely worthy visit. I hope I can visit you again some day. 👍👍👍

Short & Sweet. Informative. The hunting rifle detail is a beautiful little gem.

Legendary aircraft! Even now gives trills.

Excellent, great details I had not seen before. Nice job!

Great walkaround. Love it!

Beautiful! Good job!

grazie per la presentazione,concisa e efficace

Fantastic walk around

Another great video with lots of information. Thanks.

I never knew of the hunting rifle. Thanks for the concise tour.

The picture shown in black and white of the tropical 109 looked like an E variant, while the one you are demonstrating looks like an F variant. That hunting rifle is something new for me, and the intake of the supercharger you've shown is cool. I liked that you've shown details historians and enthusiasts normally never know about. If you can make such videos but with more and more details about each aircraft, of 15 minutes or so so people don't get bored, i think you can fill a gap for those who like to know about these aircraft in more detail.

Very good presentation, thanks!

just visited the museum this week aircraft are in fantastic condition like they came out of the factory Weldon to the staff and volunteers for there time and hard work.

Thankyou Simon, it’s a beautiful and rare example. How about a tour inside that amazing JU88?

Thanks well explained, nice to know there is even left a tropical version.

My favorite plane in the "War Thunder"

nice video,thanks simon :)

Great video thankyou.

Excellent!!

7 months later and no comments yet ! Well, here's mine. Very informative and interesting. Great presentation. Thanks !

Awesome. I learned new things!

Very interesting and informative - thanks.

Enjoyed that... Do a detailed walkabout.. Us plane geeks can't get enough of this plane..

Well... It also had automatic engine controls, so the engine could run for more than 10 minutes without the pilot constantly checking it, under settings set by the pilot.... Unlike the early spitfires and tempests, which had engine blow outs if you stopped checking your dials for a few minutes to... Idk maybe dogfight an enemy aircraft.

Very informative video Thanx

Top tip when you make films. Make sure the sound isn’t on automatic otherwise you get annoying issues like what you have on this film. Keep it on manual and do a mic test first for levels. Editing is also an art. The person in vision doesn’t need to be there all the time. If you are adding images then make them longer so people can really see what you are illustrating. Sound is 50% of any filming, it’s good to get right as it will really help in the final edit. Keep up the good work! The collection is the best in the world! K

Thank you sir

Thanks for the video. Good info.

So this one is now located at Cosford, England? Good to know this. Hope to get over there some day to see it. And thanks for the info.

A lovely airplane with it's very compact down draft DB605 engine. There are two things we are all forgetting: first the first flight was in 1935 and basically it was the same until 1945 with the final variant and secondly it's narrow and weak landing gears that needed lot of experience to handle it, and caused a lot of accidents especially for green pilots, was virtually a carryover from the 1st WW to be easily transported both by truck or train with it's easily detachable wings so the authorities wanted the Bf 109 with this characteristic. But also the famous Spitfire had narrow gears as well. Nice video!

In terms of the undercarriage and ground handling issues: there was a handling problem but measures were taken that reduced the accident rate down to the same rate of other Luftwaffe aircraft. One measure was simply a little extra training focused on the issue. The other was an ability to lock the tail wheel. The real improvements was the introduction of an extended tail yoke in 1944. This reduced the angle of attack when in the 3 point sitting attitude. It had been found that at this angle that due to prop circulation that one wing stalled ahead of the other.

Wonderful video!

Very informative and very dynamic, I'm watching all. Thanks for recording and for sharing.

Nice episode thanks! Thought I knew a fair bit about the 109 but never knew it carried a hunting rifle for desert use! Also, the air intake/filter was interesting, The Russians use a similar principle on the Mig 29 etc.

Good job!

wow very cool :) please do more vids like this.

Excelent vid dude...greetings from Lima-PERÚ...!!!

Wow that’s really cool 😎 🏆👍. Brilliant video and well done 👍

Great job, I hope new videos.

The BF 109 was not the only fighter who had a canon trough the engine/prop: the french fighters Morane 406 and Dewoitine D520 use the Hispano Suiza 12Y engine also called in France "moteur canon" because integrate a 20mm Hispano Suiza canon between the cylinder banks from the V12...this engine was later improved from the Soviets (who buy the license before the war) now called Klimov 105 (use in Yak 1, 3 and 9)...The Hispano Suiza HS 404 20mm canon was later modified from the brits to allow the installation in the wings in all allied aircrafts (but the Mosquito had 4 in the nose)

Simply WOW!!!

Didn't know about the Kar98K. Nice video!!!👍

This is cool, thank you.

Excellent moi!!🌠✈️💫

First time I ever heard of the whole K98 thing (which I own one and cherish).

Why was a quick shot of a Buchon inserted into you’re talking about exhaust stacks?? Someone screwed up.

Very nice example 👍

Cosford is BRILLIANT and I would recommend to anyone that they go there for a day, preferably with kids as it's a great source of open-mouthed gaping amazement!!

Very good.

DB 605 engines were in G and K versions. Previous versions had mainly DB 601 (or Jumo carburated engines in A versions). Also supercharger was variable speed and hydraulic driven unlike British or US planes which superchargers were mechanicly driven by engine crankshaft with gears (also stages later on).

Did the Trop filter cover automatically open at a certain speed by wind velocity?

Interesting, didn't realise the exhaust shroud was to stop the supercharger ingesting exhaust gas. However, the exhaust stubbs are low down in the DB 605 and most German engines, due to the fact they were "inverted" V12 engines. The cranckcase was above with the cylinder banks pointing downwards as such, not because of the supercharger positioning.

Haha the k98 Detail is very interesting, did not know that!

Lovely!

Carrying a hunting rifle was a bit of an eye opener as I don't recall my book on the ME 109 mentioned it at all. Naturally it would depend upon how the forced landing went as to whether or not the rifle would be of any use.

Love the hunting rifle addition.

Nice to have had a bit of history regarding this aircraft. Presumably, it was captured in North Africa? Was it used at the RAE, Farnborough etc? Captured aircraft were examined and flown to find their relative strengths and weaknesses to educate Allied pilots.

GOOD VIDEO

That K98 hunting rifle looked like a standard issue German Army K98 military rifle.

Nice explanation, To ad on some details It didn’t had a holo- drive shaft but a holo propeller shaft. There is a gun tube installed in between the cilinder head banks. Most all inverted V engines had a gun tube installed. But the most impressive part is the unit that regulate the fuel / air mixture and prop settings It was called something like commando or command gerate. The Next smart way to regulate the propeller pitch at that holo propeller shaft. Cockpit pit controls for the engine where simple. Set it and forget. This plane was designed in the late 1930 and therefore a masterpiece in technology. The Germans had problems to make it even better. Small changes did help but overall it did not change as much as a spitfire. It was impossible to create a faster, bigger, better, beefier 2.0 version. And some changes where not really smart like the 30 mm central gun. This worked but not for long. In most cases it overheated and jammed and or empty the magazine too quickly. The pilots didn’t like it and so the good old 20mm was reinstalled in the field or at a engine swap. One veteran explained to me that they used the 30 mm for short landing rol games. Bets where taken how could stop the plan in a minimum roll. This was ended on the day a farmer turned up with dead cow. The pilots bought the cow and promised to stop. Obviously the cow was a welcome meal. The inverted engine was a smart way of cooling the engine. Oil is the main coolant and so the engine can handle more heat. More heat means more performance. Having the engine inverted pilots had les problems with the exhaust fumes. Also the coolant system was a marble for its time .. start reading and look at the museums to find out why.

I believe it was called the BF109

Weren’t the tropical versions also used in the south-west of the soviet union?

Wasn’t a major element in the success of the 109 its early version of a monocoque construction? The Spitfire was the last of the old structure technology and the Messerschmitt 109 the first of the new.

Didn't it have a fitting for a sun 🌞 umbrella in the cockpit ?

whats that underneath the fuselage, is it an extra fuel tank, that can be dropped

Nice,.. is hat the one that crashed on landing?

Sehr gut

Me 109 is amazing plane.Thanks.

I heard a rumour that both the 109 engine and P51 Mustang engine were built next to each other in Detroit.

Thought the tropical variant had a detachable Canopy to keep the sun off the cockpit ?

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 thanks 🇧🇪

Nice

no cockpit tour? 😶

I wonder when Bobby Gibbs last saw "his" 109?

Thanks Simon, very interesting and informative

Very nice plane! Is it still able to fly?

Is this an f4 or a g2

cool

The 7.92mm round seems quite small...and the hunting rifle in the boot...just in case👉⚡⚡👈

Interesting "work-arounds" for having engine components, not... quite where you'd want them to be.

Bf 109!

VERY GOOD AIR PLANES, BRASIL OK.

The cannon fires through a blast-tube, NOT the drive shaft....I tried to send this and a thank you for covering German 605, but THE TOOB deleted it. gl