Best Messerschmitt Bf109 subtype

[claidemore]

This poll thread area has been kinda slow lately.
I'm curious, what in your opinion was the best Bf109? There are a lot of choices, but I'll go with eight general subtypes that should encourage some discussion, Bf109 A/B/C/D, E3-7, F2/F4, G2, G6, G10,G14, K4.

Claidemore

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I personally like the G-6 the best. I think it was a good all around varient. It combined good speed with decent handling. Was it the best fighter of the war? By no means but it was a competitor.

[Juha]

To me definitely 109F-4, IMHO the best fighter around when it began its front-line service, maybe a bit lightly armed but anyway MG 151/20 was an effective cannon with very good ammo.
E-3/-4/-7 were also top class at their time but IMHO not so outstanding as F series in its haydays.
IMHO early Gs lost the relative supremacy of Fs, mostly because problems with DB 605A. In itself for example the thicker skin of the wings was necessary improvement but because the use of 1,42 ata in DB 605A was forbidden rather long time the extra weight had negative effect. IMHO during the reign of early Gs other fighters catch up and some even overtook 109.

IMHO with G-10 109 again reached at least near parity with the best enemy fighters.

Juha

[kool kitty89]

Erich has posted that the G-10 was the fastest (even more than the K-4 at 460 mph iirc) on several threads, but this doesn't seem to match up with figures I've seen.

Most sources show it was still quite fast though with most figures giving ~440 mph as max speed.

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by Juha

To me definitely 109F-4, IMHO the best fighter around when it began its front-line service, maybe a bit lightly armed but anyway MG 151/20 was an effective cannon with very good ammo.
E-3/-4/-7 were also top class at their time but IMHO not so outstanding as F series in its haydays.
IMHO early Gs lost the relative supremacy of Fs, mostly because problems with DB 605A. In itself for example the thicker skin of the wings was necessary improvement but because the use of 1,42 ata in DB 605A was forbidden rather long time the extra weight had negative effect. IMHO during the reign of early Gs other fighters catch up and some even overtook 109.

IMHO with G-10 109 again reached at least near parity with the best enemy fighters.

Juha

I am torn based on 'the mission' - I would favor the F in the east where high altitude performance was not as critical as bomber defense in West.

Then the question of G-10 versus G-6 is another of those questions about 'what are we trying to fight?

The A/S certainly had good performance where they needed to fight US Escorts - so did the -10 and the -10 had better mid altitude/low altitude performance than the G-6 if I recall correctly?

[pbfoot]

this is my reason
look you guys in California and Australia green grass

[claidemore]

My pick of this litter is the 109 G1/G2. The G2 was in IMO, the ultimate 109, because it was the model flown at the zenith of Luftwaffe power. 1942 saw the furthest expansion of the Reich in the east, and the G2 was a big part of that. Earlier models didn't have the performance superiority the G2 enjoyed over it's enemies, and later models were faced with fighting a retreating battle against better and better planes in ever increasing numbers.

I feel the G2 was the last improvement of the 109 (except 109 K4) where it didn't lose substantially in one capability or performance area to gain in another. I think from a design standpoint, the G2 was a highpoint before they started moving away from Messerschmitts original concept of building the lightest plane possible with the most powerful engine available. The K4 was a return to that philosophy, but a day late and a dollar short.

[Fokker D21]

The 109 F is praised by Luftwaffe pilots as the best flying one. The 109 K4 had superb climbing capabilities and a high speed. I choose the K4.

[Konigstiger205]

I'll go with the G6, highly versatile with lots of mounts, it could be adapted to fighter, bomber and ground attack plane.I also like the K version but that appeared late in the war and the materials used were not so good.

[rochie]

i voted for the G6 it seems to be the best allrounder but the emil looks to me to be the classic bf109

[Zarathos]

F2/F4 - it was the plane, that kicked RAF during Kanalkampf and, in my personal opinion, the final stage of Bf 109 developement. G and K were just an attemt to make use of outdated airframe by placing stronger engine in it.

[Juha]

Drgondog
I admit that G was a logical response to changing requirements of air war but
my reasoning went like this, 109E was better than other fighters but Spitfire in 1939-40 and E and Spit Mk I/II were more or less equal.
109F was better than any other fighter in 41-mid 42. Especially F-4 from mid41 to mid-42.
109G-2 superiority lasted only a couple months before Spit Mk IX arrived, after that IMHO Spit IX was a better fighter than G-2/-4/-6. And anyway Spit Mk IX , LaGG-3 Series 66 , La-5F or La-5FN were more dangerous enemies to 109G-6 than Spit V, LaGG-3 series 3, MiG-3 (very high altitude excluded), I-16 or P-40 had been to 109F-4. So I have looked the question from a bit different viewpoint.

Juha

[Fokker D21]

Was an early Spitfire MK9 really better than a Me 109 G2?

Topspeed of the 109 G2 at combat rating (30 minutes) is 649 km/h.
Topspeed of the Spitfire Mk9 F at emergency rating (5 minutes) is 656 km/h.

That makes the 109 relative the much faster plane.

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by Fokker D21

Was an early Spitfire MK9 really better than a Me 109 G2?

Topspeed of the 109 G2 at combat rating (30 minutes) is 649 km/h.
Topspeed of the Spitfire Mk9 F at emergency rating (5 minutes) is 656 km/h.

That makes the 109 relative the much faster plane.

Not for the five minutes that may count the most? how is 7km/hr slower 'much faster'..

If the 109 was chasing a Spit on a long run he would have an edge. Most fights didn't last more than 5 minutes at WEP..

But the argument is best 109. I have said for me that its tough to say. I agree with Juha that for its time the F2/F4 may have been the best relative to its opponents. I would have a far harder time making the statement that any Me 109 variant was better than say a Spit XIV or a P-51B or an Fw190D-9 or Tempest V. Pilot skill and numbers dictated fortunes in 1944 and 1945.

I ended up picking the -10 based on observations Rall and several others made even though the K-4 had better performance.. for some reason more than a few of the 'old hands' felt more secure in the G-10 than the K-4.. all that I have ever talked to liked the F2/F4 but the competition the F2/4 faced was not the same as the G and K series in a much more hostile environment.

Regards,

Bill

[Hunter368]

Agreed Bill,

I like your comment "Pilot skill and numbers dictated fortunes in 1944 and 1945", thats so very true.