How did the Rüstsatz system work?

[harrison987]

Well...

Every aircraft had the ability to mount the Rüstzustand...that is, ALL the equipment installed at factory level. Not to be confused with the Rüstsätze sets, as those are the field mods.

A basic Me109 G6 that left factory AS a basic Me109 G6, had ALL electrical components and fittings in the wings to mount gondolas, fuel tanks...and inside the fuselage had the necessary connections to mount the ZBK241 bomb battery relay box...as well as the two mounts to attach either a drop tank or the bomb rack.

There are in-fact two DIFFERENT systems.

So when you see a Data Plate or Record indicating for example:

Me109 G6/R3

This was a a Factory-Made Me109 with 2 under-wing drop tanks for long range. It was delivered TO the unit in that configuration, drop tanks installed and all.

This is not to be confused with:

Me109 G6/RIII

Which is in-fact a field-mod Me109 that had a a single rack for one fuselage drop tank (300 L).

So if one took the basic Me109 G6 I mentioned above, and then added the drop tank...it then became an Me109 G6/RIII....and NOT a G6/R3...as the factory designation was different.

Some older books are mixing and matching the two...claiming the G6/R3 was the single belly mounted tank...when this is not correct.

And then people mis-ID in photos.

It is a confusing system with many irregularities.