By: Eric Mc - 13th October 2005 at 21:09
I well remember a “Bf” v’ “Me” debate raging in Aviation News about 1973. Officially, up until about 1941 Messerschmitt designs carried the Bf prefix but even before then the prefix “Me” was being used casually by both Germans and their enemies. From the 210 onwards Messerschmitts were officially designated Me.
By: Larry66 - 13th October 2005 at 14:52
Braün is pronounced brown, and that’s what it means, but Braün think brawn sounds better.
Whenever I see a haridryer I think of that German bloke who,after developing the doodle bug moved to america and worked on the Saturn V rocket…..
By: JDK - 13th October 2005 at 14:42
Yeah. Who’d follow a General Norman Zit?
Meanwhile those chaps Joe Green and Claude Greenhill knocked out some neat tunes.
(Guseppe Verdi & Claudio Monteverdi)
By: dhfan - 13th October 2005 at 14:31
There is or was a range of shampoos or the like called Schwartzkopf (sp). I suppose it sounds better than the literal translation of blackhead. Likewise Braün is pronounced brown, and that’s what it means, but Braün think brawn sounds better.
By: Larry66 - 13th October 2005 at 13:45
Hey wanna ride in my restored Knifesmith bubble car I bougnt for €60? 😉
By: Pilot Officer Prune - 13th October 2005 at 13:03
‘Knifesmith 109s at 12 o’clock…..doesn’t quite sound right does it.
By: Larry66 - 13th October 2005 at 11:51
Asking what Messerschmitt means is like asking what Jones means. It was Prof Wilhelm’s name.
However, calling on the few words of German I know, messer means knife. I assume therefore that one of Willi’s ancestors was a knife-smith.
There ya go!
Isnt etymology marvellous
😉
By: DaveM2 - 12th October 2005 at 12:14
By: Tony Williams - 12th October 2005 at 11:31
To summarise – the plane was always technically known as the Bf 109, in all versions, by the RLM (German Air Ministry) which was responsible for deciding such matters. Willi Messerschmitt tried very hard to get them to change the designation to Me 109 – which is why you will see the term used in Messerschmitt’s publicity material, and even on factory ID plates – but the RLM refused. So it was properly the Bf 109 to the end.
However, the Allies always knew it as the Me 109 and the Luftwaffe informally called it that as well. So in popular usage it’s fine to call it the Me 109.
Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum
By: dhfan - 12th October 2005 at 06:52
I wonder what messerschmidt means?
And is it related to the company that made those er quirly 3 wheelers?
Asking what Messerschmitt means is like asking what Jones means. It was Prof Wilhelm’s name.
However, calling on the few words of German I know, messer means knife. I assume therefore that one of Willi’s ancestors was a knife-smith.
By: DazDaMan - 11th October 2005 at 19:53
I wonder what messerschmidt means?
And is it related to the company that made those er quirly 3 wheelers?
Spell it right, old boy, or this lot will have your guts for garters 😉
Yes, it’s the same company, unless I’m much mistaken.
By: Larry66 - 11th October 2005 at 19:41
I wonder what messerschmidt means?
And is it related to the company that made those er quirly 3 wheelers?
By: DazDaMan - 11th October 2005 at 18:02
That Hispano Buchon certainly is a pretty plane:
scroll to 6th picthe Messerschmitt turned out to be a Spanish HA-1112-M Hispano Buchon. The Buchon is a modified version of the Bf109 built after the war and ironically enough was manufactured with the same Merlin engine which powered many Spitfires! And if you think it’s ironic that the Bf109 ended up with a Rolls Royce engine, then it’s doubly ironic that it started life with one – when it was first developed in the 1930s it was fitted with a Rolls Royce Kestrel engine!
Harold Kindsvater’s stunning ex-BofB movie Buchon. Absolutely stunning aircraft 🙂
By: Spitfire Pilot - 11th October 2005 at 16:50
I wish I had someone famous in my family. Especially a famous aircraft designer.
By: Rlangham - 11th October 2005 at 16:47
Hehe nice one. A friend of the family’s mother has the last name ‘Messerschmitt’, shes austrian/german and think she’s related to Willy Messerschmitt (Uncle or Great uncle or something), they used to call her ‘Stuka’ back during the war!
By: Spitfire Pilot - 11th October 2005 at 16:47
Neat idea
By: adrian_gray - 11th October 2005 at 16:43
On an entirely irrelevant note, my girlfriend’s mother calls her car “The Messerschmitt” because it’s registration begins M109…
Adrian
By: Spitfire Pilot - 11th October 2005 at 16:34
As Flood correctly stated, BF stands for Bayerische Flugzeugwerke. I do appologise for not looking at all the replies correctly but again the ME and Bf 109’s are the same thing, it is a matter of personal preference, that’s all…Did the 109 really have a rolls royce engine fitted to it? To tell you the truth I never even knew that. It is a snip of information that I shall find very handy indeed. Thank you.
By: Larry66 - 11th October 2005 at 16:32
That Hispano Buchon certainly is a pretty plane:
scroll to 6th pic
the Messerschmitt turned out to be a Spanish HA-1112-M Hispano Buchon. The Buchon is a modified version of the Bf109 built after the war and ironically enough was manufactured with the same Merlin engine which powered many Spitfires! And if you think it’s ironic that the Bf109 ended up with a Rolls Royce engine, then it’s doubly ironic that it started life with one – when it was first developed in the 1930s it was fitted with a Rolls Royce Kestrel engine!
By: Spitfire Pilot - 11th October 2005 at 16:24
The ME is short for Messerschmitt, the BF I believe stood for the company that made it (a bit like ‘supermarine’ spitfire). I have the exact answer at home in a book and I will happily look it up for you if you like…as for your question there is absolutely no difference between ME 109 and BF 109, they are the same aircraft.
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October 9, 2005 at 6:55 pm