Messerschmitt Bf-109K-4 Kurfurst

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Fighter Ace Screenshots 2 Fighter Ace Ratings 3 Fighter Ace Performance 4 Historical Statistics 5 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 History 8 Sources 9 See Also

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 2

Speed: 8

Maneuverability: 6

Firepower: 8

Climb Rate: 10

Ground Attack: 2

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	360	377	395	435	436@ 24606'	190 mph	0:43	1:56	3:44
mph WEP	378	397	416	452	453@ 22966'
kph	580	607	635	700	702@ 7500m	305 kph
kph WEP	608	638	669	727	729@ 7000m

Historical Statistics

Service Date: November 1944

Primary Guns: 2x MG131 13mm machine-guns with 300 rpg in cowl

Secondary Guns: 1x Mk108 30mm cannon with 65 rpg in hub

Ordnance: 1x 550 lb (250 kg) bomb or 1x 475 lb (215 kg) drop tank

Engine(s): 1x Daimler-Benz DB-605 DCM in-line rated for 2,000 hp at sea level (2,220 hp with WEP)

Int Fuel Capacity: 634 lbs (287 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: 475 lbs (215 kg)

Maximum Speeds: 378 mph (608 kph) at sea level, 452 mph (727 kph) at 19,685 ft (6,000 m)

Ceiling: 41,000 ft (12,496 m)

Loaded Weight: 6,834 lbs (3,100 kg)

Wing Area: 173.3 sq ft (16.1 sq m)

Wing Loading: 39.4 lbs/sq ft (192.5 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Climb Rate: Nothing climbs like a K, which makes it the plane of choice for many dedicated Boom and Zoom pilots.

Firepower: The single 30mm cannon is enough to do serious damage to any aircraft it hits.

Weaknesses

Maneuvering: Further increases in the weight of the series reduced its maneuvering ability, although the additional power of the 605DCM engine makes it more survivable than the Gustav.

Ammo Load: The 60 rounds of 30mm get expended far too quickly to allow the plane to be used against numerous targets.

Durability: The 109 was a small plane and not capable of absorbing much combat damage.

History

By 1944 the Gustav had become both slow and heavy, which combined with poor pilot training to create ever higher fighter losses. Additionally, the dispersal of the German aircraft industry caused by the American daylight raids had resulted in a sort of chaos in 109 production that was impacting aircraft availability. This chaos also meant that different versions of the same production series began to appear in service, complicating maintenance.

The K series was an attempt to incorporate all the various improvements found in the G-14 and G-10 versions, as well as a few improvements of its own. Coming from the G-10 was the 2,000 hp DB-605DCM, which was a modification of the DB-605AS utilizing a larger supercharger.

Also standard were the high-visibility Erla Haube canopy (also known as the "Galland" hood), the taller wooden tail and retractable tail wheel. The 30mm Mk-108 had been tried in various versions of the Gustav, including the G-6. But problems with jamming prevented its widespread use. However with these problems finally fixed, it replaced the 20mm MG-151 as the standard engine cannon. Equipped with 60 rounds, its hit was devastating and finally gave the 109 bomber-killing power without the use of Rüstätz kits.

Only about 700 K-4s were produced, but it served with a number of different units, including JG 2, JG 3, JG 27, JG 51, JG 52, JG 53 and JG 77.

Sources

Beaman Jr., John R. and Campbell, Jerry L.; Messerschmitt Bf 109 In Action, Part One; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1980.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

See Also

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory

Messerschmitt A.G.

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II