Hungarian Messerschmitt, Me or Bf

[Peter Kassak]

Originally Posted by Dénes Bernád

Hello Peter,

Nice to 'see' you again.

As the previous posters have stated, although both forms were generally used, I also suggest you to stick to the original RLM designation, namely Bf 109, or 8-109, if you want to be technical

HI Denes (and all others posting here )
Thansk for answer...So I will stick to Bf 109 for all messerchmits with 109 in the name
BTW, I am not back, or was not hiding so you could see me here all the time just U R the one who is changing countries viszonlatasra??

Peter

[Franek Grabowski]

Dear Artie
I am awared of mixed appearance of both Me and Bf prefixes in the German documents and even on aircraft. German airmen generally reffered to Me and not Bf (I believe I have a Flugbuch stating so - 1943, but the question is, who filed it), and I have even seen authentic Me 109G(!) ID dataplate, so I would not restrict it to propaganda and internal issues only.
In such a fuss I do not believe RLM had not issued any document, as they were worried even with less important things. You know, bureaucracy is a kind of cancer...
Thus said, I would say statement that Bf is official and Me not is a little bit too definite in the current state of knowledge. That is all.
By the way, every Lw man I have talked to pronunced 'Mayh' rather than 'Emmee'.

[Rasmussen]

From the sight of the Erla Maschinenwerk GmbH, the greatest subcontractor of Bf 109, I can say they never used the prefix "Me" --- not in the first official/ inofficial documents from 1937 and not in the last documents in 1946/47 too, not in flight logs of factory pilots (I've seen) and not on known ID plates from Bf 109E,FG - 2, G - 6 or G - 14's. So I agree complete with ArtieBob.

Best wishes
Rasmussen

[Franek Grabowski]

This is still not the answer! There should be a RLM document clearing the issue as the one concerning Fw prefix. Unless such paper is found, nobody can state Bf is only official prefix for Me 108s, 109s and 110s.

[George Hopp]

This is still not the answer! There should be a RLM document clearing the issue as the one concerning Fw prefix. Unless such paper is found, nobody can state Bf is only official prefix for Me 108s, 109s and 110s.

Well then, there you are, Franek, the lack of such an order means you can now choose, on your own, which prefix you wish to use for the 108, 109, and 110. And, regardless of which you use, no one can call you wrong.

[olefebvre]

It's most common to encounter Me in Mtt documents especially those designed for export purposes like the translated flight manuals. Those are definitely using Me rather than Bf.
The documents designed by Mtt for the RLM feature "Bf" rather than "Me" (except in preliminary versions) but internal Mtt documents use both and even the RLM internal docs use both... sometimes within the same document.

I would probably follow Mtt way of thinking and call exports 109, "Me 109" but technically both designations are valid.

[Franek Grabowski]

And that is my point exactly, use the prefix you like but do not tell it is the only proper one! Personally, I prefer Me 109, it just looks better.

[Brian Bines]

This point came up many years ago in the letters section of an Aviation magazine. The answer setted on was that the 108.109 and 110 were designed by Willi Messerschitt while he was chief designer for the Bayeriche Flugzeugwek. As such these three aircraft numbers were prefixed with Bf , when the firm was taken over as Messerschmidt all subsequent designs had a Me prefix. Please note I personlly do not know if this is correct I am just recounting from memory of over thirty years ago.Whatever is technically the right designation both Bf and Me are widely understood as referring to these three aircraft,
Regards to all
Brian Bines

[Tony Jones]

Brian

I have the FB for the 2 main works test pilot's Dr Wurster and Fritz Wendal, they both listed all flights as per you post.

Regards

Tony