The first Bf-109G “Gustav” entered service in March 1942. New features were a pressurized
cockpit with three larger guns mounted on the nose and none on the wings but could be field
mounted. The Bf-109G could overheat causing oil leaks; starting a fire forcing the pilot to bail out.
The Gustav was produced in many variants including long-range fighters, recon fighters and
bomber destroyers. The Bf-109G-6 lacked a pressurized cockpit but was the most numerous
Bf-109 produced and the first to carry 13mm machine guns; equivalent to the American 50 caliber
Browning.

During WWII the Finnish Air Force received 159 Bf-109s referred to by the Finns as Mersu.
These aircraft made it possible for Finland to take on the Soviet aircraft. The Finnish claimed 667
victories to 34 of their own lost in combat. Finnish Flight 34th Squadron 1st Squadron pilot W.O.
Eino Ilmari Juutilainen is the highest-scoring non-German pilot of all time, with 94 confirmed
victories. By the end of WWII Juutilainen’s aircraft was never struck by enemy fire. 34 of
Juutilainen’s victories were earned flying a Brewster Buffalo.

Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6 specifications

Production timeline – February 1943 – October 1943

Number produced – 5,000+

Dimensions
Length – 9.04m   (29ft   (8in)
Wingspan – 9.92m   (32ft 6.5in)
Height – 2.5m   (8ft 2.25in)

Weight
Empty – 2,700kg   (5,900lb)
Operational – 3,400kg   (7,500lb)

Performance
Powerplant – Daimler-Benz DB605A-1, 12 cylinder inverted vee, liquid cooled, 1,475hp
Maximum speed – 640km/h   (398mph)
Range – 850km   (528miles)
Service ceiling – 12,000m   (39,370ft)

Armament
2 X 13mm (.51in) synchronized MG 131 machine guns with 300 rounds each
1 X 20mm   (.78in) MG 151/20 cannon as centerline Motorkanone firing through propeller hub
with 200 rounds
Or
1 X 30mm   (1.18in) MK 108 cannon as centerline Motorkanone with 65 round per gun (G-6/U4
variant)
2 X 20mm MG 151/20 under-wing cannon pods with 135 round per gun (Rustsatz V option)
Rockets - 2 X 21 cm (8 in) Wfr. Gr. 21 rockets (G-6 with BR21)
Bombs
1 X 250 kg   (551 lb) bomb
Or
4 X 50 kg   (110 lb) bombs
Or
1 X 300 litre   (79 US gal) drop tank

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