Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3/B

During the early war years, the Bf109 was one of the world’s finest single-seat fighters. Only when German fighter pilots met the Spitfire in combat did they find an aircraft in some ways equal to their own. The Bf 109E was as fast as the Spitfire, faster than the Hurricane and could outclimb both. Although a superb fighter, it, like most of its contemporaries, was under-gunned and had poor ground handling characteristics. It also had limited fuel capacity, meaning Bf 109s could only remain over the United Kingdom for a few minutes of combat before having to break off the engagement and return to base. Our example was shot down over Kent on 27 November 1940.