Messerschmitt Bf 108

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Messerschmitt Bf 108

Type	Communications
Manufacturer	Messerschmitt
Designed by	Willy Messerschmitt
Maiden flight	1936
Status	Retired
Primary users	Germany, Luftwaffe Bulgaria, France (Post war), Hungary, Romania, United Kingdom (RAF), Yugoslavia.

The Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun was a single-engined sports and touring aircraft developed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke. The Bf 108 was of modern, all metal construction, and the famous Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane used many of the same design features.

The two seat A version first flew in 1934, and the four seat B version was flying the following year. The B version used the Argus As 10 inverted Vee, air cooled engine.

It was adopted into Luftwaffe service during World War II, where it was primarily used as a personnel transport and liaison aircraft.

Production of the Bf 108 was transferred to occupied France during World War II and production continued after the war as the Nord 1000.

[edit] Trivia

The nickname 'Taifun' or 'Typhoon' was given to the aircraft by German aviatrix Elly Beinhorn, the second woman to fly solo around the world.

Four Bf 108s were impounded in Britain on the outbreak of World War II and put into RAF service, where they were designated Messerschmitt Aldon. As a light communications aircraft it was the fastest type the RAF had at the time, but they caused some confusion by being mistaken for attacking Bf 109s.

A single Bf 108B was purchased by the U.S. Military Attaché for Air in the spring of 1939 for $14,378 and designated XC-44. It was 'repossessed' by the Nazi government in December 1941 (after having been condemned in November).

Bf 108s, or perhaps postwar Nord 100s, played the role of Messerschmitt 109 fighters in some movies, including 633 Squadron and Von Ryan's Express.

[edit] Specifications (Bf 108)

General characteristics

Crew: One
Length: 8.3 m (27 ft 2 in)
Wingspan: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height: 2.3 m (7 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 16 m² (172 ft²)
Empty weight: 860 kg (1,887 lb)
Loaded weight: 1,400 kg (3,087 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Argus As 10 air-cooled inverted V-8, 177 kW (240 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 315 km/h at 1000 m (196 mph at 1,000 ft)
Range: 1000 km (620 mi)
Service ceiling: 6,200 m (20,300 ft)
Wing loading: 87.5 kg/m² (17.9 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.143 kW/kg (0.087 hp/lb)

Comparable aircraft

Klemm Kl 36
Fiesler Fi-97

Designation sequence

German: Kl 105 - Kl 106 - Kl 107 - Bf 108 - Bf 109 - Bf 110 - He 111

U.S. Military: C-31 - C-32 - C-33 - C-34 - XC-35 - C-36 - C-37 - C-38 - C-39 - C-40 - C-41 (Old) - C41 (New) - C-42 - C-43 - C-44 - C-45 - C-46 - C-47 - C-48