The Messerschmitt Me or Bf-109, was the mainstay of the German Luftwaffe from the Spanish Civil War in 1935 to 1942. It was a quite revolutionary design, being the smallest aircraft that could be built around a powerful engine. The first operational version, the Bf-109B had some major problems that became apparent during the Spanish Civil war. It had serious wing flutter, and tail buffeting. Overall, it's advantages were good performance and handling, and a simple construction; it's disadvantages were restricted vision, bad landing characteristics due to the narrow set wheels, and the inability to carry heavy armament without adverse affects on handling.

The Bf-109 was quite advanced for 1935 when it was competing with biplanes like the Polikarpov P-21, and the Brewster Peashooter. In November 1937, a prototype fitted with an engine capable of generating 1,650 hp over short distances broke the world speed record, setting a new one of 379.07 mph (610.43 km/h). By 1943 it was seriously outdated and was replaced on the Western Front by the superb Focke-Wulf 190. It stayed on in large numbers in North Africa, Italy and the Mediterranean. When the war ended in 1945, almost 35,000 Bf-109 were build.