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The probably oldest, displayed Bf 109 is shown at Deutsches Museum in Munich. This plane
(serial number 790) was produced in 1939 and was flown by the 2./J88 in Spain, carrying the
code "6 o 106". After the Spanish Civile War, the Bf 109 was left in Spain and
was used by the Spanish airforce. Until 1954 it was used by many fighter squadrons.
Willy Messerschmitt, councelling Hispano Aviations, tried to transfer one Bf 109 to Germany, to
show it at Deutsches Museum. The Spanics agreed and chose this plane, being in its original shape
as last "Spanish" Bf 109. In 1960 the plane came to Munich, painted in the colors of
JG 26. For the exhibition, it was recolored with the delivery colors and got the code
"AJ+YH"
In 1974 it was again recolored. It now got the markings of a Bf 109, flown by Werner Mölders,
during his time with the JG 51. A number of small openings were cut into the fuselage, providing a
view of the interieurs of this plane.
(See pictures of this plane in the gallery)
The E-3 (serial number 1190) was based at Marquise-Est and belonged to 4/JG 26
during September 1940. When it was shot down above Beachy Head, it was coded as
"white 4". The pilot, Horst Perez, managed to belly-land his plane
and survived. His plane first was transferred to Farnborough, later it was shown in
Canada and the USA. In 1968, the plane - now quite dilapidated - returned to Britain
and a private person started to restore the plane. Since the year 2000, the plane
is displayed, laying on its belly in a belly-landing scene. For quite a time, the
engine hood was missing. A new one was manufactured and the plane was completed. You
may visit the plane at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford.
(See a picture of this plane in the gallery)
The Bf 109 E-3 (serial number 2433), displayed at Dübendorf was produced in 1939 by Messerschmitt in Regensburg and delivered to Switzerland. It served until 1948 and proved its worth within this time. It wears the markings of the Swiss Airforce and the identification code J-355.
In the "Battle of Britain Museum" at Hendon, the perfect restored serial number 4101
is on display. It was produced at Erla Leipzig in 1939 and delivered to 6./JG 52,
registered with the code GH + DX. It was flown as "yellow 8" and
later transferred to 2./JG 52 at Wissant, now known as "black 12".
On November 27´th 1940, the pilot Wolfgang Teumer had to belly-land this plane, because
it was heavily damaged during an air combat. The Britains used the planes for
substential tests.
After the war it was shown on many exhibitions, before the Imperial War Museum storaged
the "Messerschmitt". Later it was shown with the phantasy code "12 + GH" in
Biggin Hill. Before it was displayed in Hendon, the plane was put back in its original
form at St. Athan.
The plane (Serial number 1289) is on display at the National War Museum in Johannesburg. It is not restored and shows up with the damages, caused by an crashlanding at Udimor/England. It was delivered to JG 26 in 1939, marked as "SH + EA". During its time with the JG 26 it was painted as "black 2".
The plane shown in Mesa/Arizona is not an authentic Bf 109. But it is a
Hispano HA 1112 M-1L (serial number 186), fixed with a DB 601 engine and
transformed to a BF 109 E-4 by useing an original engine hood.
During its time with the Spanish airforce it carried the marking C.4K-122. In 1968 it
was licenced with the code G-AWHL and played a role in the movie "Battle of Britain".
Later it was roughly aligned to a "P-51 Mustang" and played their role in a
movie about General Patton.
In 1976 it moved to Günzburg (Germany), where it was restored to an airworthy status.
It was registered as N109J, but never took off on their own. It went straight into the
museum in Mesa.
Beside the Bf 109 E-3 mentioned above, the National War Museum in Johannesburg owns this F-2. It is the "white 2" of 1./JG 27. It was captured on an airfield in 1942. It was not possible to find out something about the identity of this plane, because it was quite plundered, when it was standing on a open air storage area in the 1950s. Beside the whole instruments, some parts of the gear covers and all type-plates are missing.
In May/June 1942, the JG 5 received new planes. One of them was the Bf 109 F-4/trop
with the serial number 10132 and the base code CD + LZ. It was assigned to Hauptmann Carganico,
belonging to 6./JG 5. On 8´th August 1942 it was hit into the fuselage, wings and the oil
cooler by gunfire, during an air combat above Murmansk , causing an emergency landing over
enemy territory. The pilot was rescued by a Fi 156 "Storch", his plane went to
the "Museum of the North" in Severomorsk.
In 1995, the Russians sold the plane to Aero Vintage Ltd. in England, where it was restored
in its original colors. The restorators decided to leave the bullet holes as they were, not to
repair the damage. One of the bullet hits is visible on one of the propeller blades for example.
In July 1999, the plane was transferred to Canada and now is on display at the Canada Aviation
Museum in Ottawa.
(See pictures of this plane in the gallery)
Beside the two airworthy Bf 109, the Messerschmitt-Foundation in Manching
owns this Bf 109 G-2. This plane was produced 1948 in Spain as Ha 1109 1-KL,
serial number 54. Presumably this plane was a prototype for the production of
the Ha 1112 and a testplane. After it was taken out of service, Hispano gave the
plane to the city of Sevilla, that used it as part of an adventure playground.
Because of vandalism, it soon turned into a danger for playing kids, so the plane
was returned to Hispano in 1968.
It was bought for the movie "Battle of Britain" and painted with german
markings. Some ground scenes were filmed, but they were not used in the movie. For
playing its role in front of the camera, it was laied "belly-landed" at a
Spanish beach, where it was left after the takes and where it was plundered again.
Willy Messerschmitt himself bought the plane from the film company and organisated
the demontation on 26´th April 1968 and the restoration in Spain, where it was
tried to align it to an Bf 109 E, never reaching this appearances. In the same year,
the plane was transported to Germany, by the German Luftwaffe, where it was on display
in front of the headquarter of MBB in Augsburg.
In the early 1990s, it was storaged in a hangar at Augsburg airport. In 1994, it was
returned to MBB. Because of the operation of the airworthy Bf 109 G-6, enough spare parts
were collected, so it was planned to change the plane to a G-2. It received a not
functionable DB 605 and a sand-coloured painting. With this painting it was on display
at Flugwerft Oberschleißheim between 1995 and 1997. Then it got an original camouflage,
but no markings. Since 1997 the plane was shown on various exhibitions.
(See pictures of this plane in the gallery)
The Bf 109 G-2, shown at the Luftwaffenmuseum Gatow, is a "sister" of the G-2 mentioned above.
It is also a Ha 1109, produced in Spain. It was transferred from there to Germany at the
same time, like its "sister" of the Messerschmitt-Foundation, and was placed on display at
the Luftwaffenmuseum, that was still in Uetersen, at that time. There it was shown with the
markings of a plane of the staff from JG 2.
Today - now being transformed to a "original" Bf 109 G-2 - it is painted in the
desert camouflage and the markings of Major Rödel of JG 27.
(See pictures of this plane in the gallery)
A Bf 109 G-2 was shown in the Muzej Yugoslovenskog Vazduhplovsta in
Belgrade. It was the serial number 14792, delivered originally to Bulgaria. After the
war it flew for the Yugoslavian airforce.
During the NATO attacs on Belgrade, the museum was hit by one or more bombs. Rumours
say, that the plane was destroyed. Others say, that the plane survived and was sold
somewhere, where it will be restored. If you have any information about this plane
- let me know!
(See pictures of this plane in the gallery)
In the Museum at Hannover-Laatzen, another Bf 109 G-2 is presented. It was not
possible to find out the serial number, because the type-plate is missing. But it
is prooved, that the plane belonged to I./JG 27 and was used in Africa and later
in southern Italy, near Naples. During a raid against an allied bomber formation,
the plane was damaged and had to make a crash-landing in the sea near Sardinia.
In the year 1988, the plane was recovered at Puerto Carello and restored in the
work-shop of the museum. After the work was finished, it was presented in the late
1992 and is on display, painted as "white 3" in the colors of JG 27.
(See pictures of this plane in the gallery)
Now grounded is the famous Bf 109 G-2 with serial number 10639, produced in September
or October 1942 at Erla in Leipzig. It was put in service by the Luftwaffe on October
13th 1942, being marked as PG + QJ and was transferred to 8./JG 27 eight days
later, now wearing the "black 6". During a combat above the African desert, the
plane was damaged by a Curtis P-40. The pilot, Heinz Lüdermann, landet at Gambut, where
the plane was captured by British troops on November 13th 1942. One year later, the plane
was shipped to Liverpool and was tested between Fabruary 1944 and November 1945. After
that the plane was storaged and displayed in 1953 for a short time.
In 1961 it was decided to bring the plane back to the sky. But the restoration works
caused more damage than the combat and ended in chaos. A hole bunch of parts were
installed, not belonging to a Bf 109, original parts were damaged and the project was
cancelled. With a fictive painting, the "abused" Bf 109 was displayed.
In 1972, another team of restorators started their work to bring the Messerschmitt
back to the skies. By cooperation with a lot of European companies the project was
sucessfully during the 1990s. Wearing its original desert camouflage and the "black
6" again, the plane was the star of many airshows around the world.
On October 12th, 1997, the desaster happened at Duxford, when the plane was heavily
damaged by a crash. Some persons wanted to scrap the plane, but then it was decided to
restore it again. Although it was rebuilt into airworthy condition, the fighter will
never take off again, because the British Ministry of Defence decided to gife it to a
museum.
On March 9th 2002, the "black 6" was transported to Hendon, where it is actual
on display below the left wing of a B-17G, in the hall of "Bomber Command". In
the future it is planned, to move the fighter into the developing "Milestones of
Flight"-Hall.
The only known surviving Bf 109 G-4 (serial number 19310) actual is on display at
Technik Museum Speyer. It was built late
February or early March 1943 at Wiener Neustadt. With the original marking "BH + XN"
it was delivered to 4./JG 52, where it was registered as "white 2". Beside
this marking, the "Gustav" got a red heart and the nickname "Nesthäkchen".
On March 20th 1943, Oberleutnant von Coester had to belly-land the plane due to a damaged engine
on the Black Sea. The pilot was killed and the plane sunk.
Around the year 1977, the plane was recovered and until the 1990s, the wreck stood
unprotected on an open air storage area, before it was bought by a Canadian. In 1996 it
was moved to Milan, where it was planned to restore the plane.
Due to the long storageing on this open-air storage area and the resulting corrosion, many
parts of the plane were unusable and needed to be changed.
At 9th October 1999, the "Nesthäkchen" was presented to public. The
Traditionsgemeinschaft JG 52 managed to borough the plane for one year and placed it on display
at Speyer. The Museum and the Traditionsgemeinschaft tried to collect enough money to buy
this rare plane, for keeping it in Germany, what succeeded in late 2003. So the "Nesthäkchen" will
stay in Germany.
(See pictures of this plane in the gallery)
In 1966, the Spanish Airforce gave one of its Ha 1112 M-1L (serial number C.4K-64)
to the USAF Museum in Dayton as present. In 1982 it was rebuilt as Bf 109 G-5. Therefore
an original DB 605 A engine was installed. The fighter is painted with the markings of
Gerhard Barkhorn.
After the museum has bought a genuine Bf 109 G-10 in 1999, the converted Ha 1112 was stored
and sold to the Fighter Factory Suffolk in November 2003.
The Fighter Factory, currently working on an airworthy Bf 109 E-7, plannes to make this
G-5 airworthy too, what might be done in Germany.
The Bf 109 G-6, shown at Auto Technik Museum Sinsheim is also a rebuilt spanish
Ha 1112 M-1L (serial number 228). It was used by the Spanish airforce until 1966
and was one of the planes, that were bought for the movie "Battle of Britain".
Later, the plane was fittet with a fake belly-cooler and further alignments to a
"P-51 Mustang", like the Bf 109 E-4 in Mesa, mentioned above, and played a role
in the same movie about General Patton.
In 1969 it was moved to the Technical University of Aachen (Germany), where it was rebuilt
into a G-6. It was purely by chance, that the same institute owned a matching DB 605 engine,
that was installed into the airframe. The plane was painted as "yellow 4" of
6./JG 53, dated to 1943. The left side remained blank and was cut open to show the interior
of the plane.
Since 1987 the plane is shown at the Auto Technik Museum Sinsheim.
(See pictures of this plane in the gallery)
During the years 1943 and 1944, Messerschmitt delivered a number of 160 Bf 109 G-6 to the Finish airforce. One of these planes was the serial number 165227, serving until 1954. It was registered as MT-542. In 1970, the plane was restored and belonged to the Suomen Ilmailumuseo in Helsinki. The plane is shown at the airfield Utti.
This Bf 109 (serial number 167271)was delivered to the finish Airforce on 24th August 1944
and put into service as MT-507. Because Finland made armistice with the UdSSR on 4th September,
the MT-507 just flew for 10 hours, before it was storaged. In June 1949 it was reactivated
and stayed in service until 13th March 1954. This made her to be the last Messerschmitt
Bf 109 in active service.
Between 1954 and 1970 it was often repainted and standing at the airbase Utii, befor it was
restored in 1970. Since 1978 it belongs to the collection of the Keski-Suomen Ilmailmuseo
in Tikkakoski.
(See a picture of this plane in the gallery)
Maybe the best restored Bf 109 is shown at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.. From 1972 to 1974 the restorators invested a lot of work into the restoration of this plane. It shows the marking "white 2" of III./JG 27 and the painted serial number 160163. This number is not authentic, because the documents and the type-plate, that were able to clear the identity of this fighter, were not found for a long time. Only in 1997 it was possible to identificate the plane. It is in fact the serial number 160756 (delivery marking KT+LL) "yellow 4" of 3./JG 4. During a transfer flight, leading from Maniago to Gedi in Italy, the pilot, Unteroffizier Rene Darbois, left the formation and landed at Santa Maria, where he handed over his plane to the Allies.
The Bf 109 G-10 with the serial number 610937 is on display at Evergreen Aviation
Museum in McMinnville. Its fuselage is originally one of a G-14 and has the serial
number 127914. It was used to build a G-10 during the war. The plane was captured on
the Luftwaffe base at Zeltweg (Austria) and went to Bulgaria, where it was used by the
Airforce. In 1947 the plane was changed for some Yugoslavian Il-2s. Until 10th October
1950 it was used by the Yugoslavian Airforce, then it was moved to a technical school
for educational purpose. In 1979 the G-10 was transfered to a museum at Belgrade.
Five years later, in 1984, the plane was sold to England and again five years later,
it came to the Evergreen Aviation Museum, where it is until now. In 1991 the plane was
basically restored, lasting 5 years.
Today the Bf 109 G-10 is painted in the colors and the markings of Erich Hartmann,
being the most successful fighter-ace of the world, by claiming 352 airial victories.
(See a picture of this plane in the gallery)
When the US-troops reached Neubiberg, they captured beneath other planes, the Bf 109 G-10 with
serial number 610824. The plane belonged to 5./JG 52 and was signed as "black 2"
After the war, the plane was purchased by the US Air Force Museum in Dayton. There was decided - why ever -
in spite of a clear identification, to change the color scheme and markings, presenting now as "blue 4"
of JG 300 "Wilde Sau".
This Bf 109 G-10/U-4 was found in the area of Munich by US troops. The plane with serial number first
was transported to Cherbourg, before it was transfered to the USA by an aircraft carrier. There the "yellow 13" was tested,
being registered with the number T2-122. After this tests, it was given to a high shool and later was bought by a privat
person. In 1959 Ed Maloney purchased the plane for his "Planes of Fame Museum". There the "yellow 13" was shown with
changeing colors, until it got its actual color scheme.
(See pictures of this plane in the gallery)