The first true fighter plane

The German plane – a Messerschmitt Bf 109 – was built to become the first true fighter plane of the last world war. It was a truly capable plane, and other planes during the war that got caught in its path found themselves in a dogfight they couldn’t win.

Core of the fighter force

The plane got its name from German aviation engineer Wilhelm Messerschmitt. During the war, the Messerschmitt Bf 109s formed the backbone of the Luftwaffe’s fighter force.