Bf 109G-2
From AHWiki
| World War II aircraft | |
| Bf 109G-2 | |
| |
| Variant of | Bf 109 |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Gustav |
| Type | Fighter/attacker |
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Messerschmitt AG |
| Crew | Single-Seat |
| how to edit | |
Contents |
The Bf 109G-2 in World War II
Development
Unit Deployment
Variants
- G-2 (Light fighter)
- G-2/R1 (Long-range Fighter-bomber or JaboRei- 2x 300 liter underwing drop tanks, one 500 kg bomb under fuselage, extended second tail wheel for large bombs)
- G-2/R2 (Reconnaissance fighter)
- G-2/trop (Tropicalized fighter)
Designation
Bf 109 was the official Reichsluftfahrtministerium (German Aviation Ministry, RLM) designation, since the design was submitted by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke company, and was used exclusively in all official German documents dealing with this aircraft family. The company was renamed Messerschmitt AG after July 1938 when Erhard Milch finally allowed Willy Messerschmitt to acquire the company; from that date forward, all Messerschmitt aircraft were to carry the "Me" designation except those already assigned a Bf prefix. Wartime documents from Messerschmitt AG, RLM, and others continued to use both designations, sometimes even on the same page, but there were several RLM orders to deny acceptance of documents carrying the Me prefix for the Bf 109. Me 109 is known to have been the name used in print by Luftwaffe propaganda publications as well as by the Messerschmitt company itself after July 1938, and Luftwaffe personnel, who pronounced it may hundert-neun. The Me 109 ("emm ee one-oh-nine") designation was usually used in the English-speaking world. However, in both wartime and contemporary literature, both the "Bf" and "Me" as well as "ME" prefixes are used. All extant airframes are described as "Bf 109" on identification plates, including the final K-4 models.
Origins Of 109's Names
The nicknaming of the 109s Anton Emil Freidrich Gustav Kurfurst etc is based on the German phonetic alphabet of the day relating to the model letter of the aircraft: Anton, Berta, Caesar, Dora, Emil, Friedrich, Gustav, Heinrich, Ida, Josef ,Kurfurst, Ludwig, Martha, Nordpol, Otto, Paula, Quelle, Richard, Siegfried, Toni, Ulrich, Viktor, Wilhelm, Xantippe, Ypern, Zeppelin.
Hans Joachim Marseille
Hans-Joachim Marseille (13 December 1919–30 September 1942) was a Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. He is noted for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign and his bohemian lifestyle. Arguably one of the best fighter pilots of World War II, he was nicknamed the "Star of Africa". Marseille claimed all but seven of his "official" 158 victories against the British Commonwealth's Desert Air Force over North Africa, flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter for his entire combat career. No other pilot destroyed as many Western Allied aircraft as Marseille. Marseille attacked under conditions many considered unfavourable, but his marksmanship allowed him to make an approach fast enough to escape the return fire of the two aircraft flying on either flank of the target. Marseille's excellent eyesight made it possible for him to spot the enemy before he was spotted, allowing him to take the appropriate action and manoeuvre himself into position for an attack.
In combat Marseille's unorthodox methods led him to operate in a small leader/wingman unit, which he believed to be the safest and most effective way of fighting in the high-visibility conditions of the North African skies. Marseille "worked" alone in combat keeping his wingman at a safe distance so he would not collide or fire on him in error.
"Marseille was the unrivalled virtuoso among the fighter pilots of World War 2. His achievements had previously been regarded as impossible and they were never excelled by anyone after his death." Adolf Galland
In a dogfight, in particularly when attacking Allied aircraft in a Lufbery circle, Marseille would often favour dramatically reducing the throttle and even lowering the flaps to reduce speed and shorten his turn radius, rather than the standard procedure of using full throttle throughout. Emil Clade said that none of the other pilots could do this effectively, preferring instead to dive on single opponents at speed so as to escape if anything went wrong. Clade said of Marseille's tactics:
Marseille developed his own special tactics, which differed significantly from the methods of most other pilots. (When attacking a Lufbery circle) he had to fly very slowly. He even took it to the point where he had to operate his landing flaps as not to fall down, because, of course he had to fly his curve (turns) more tightly than the upper defensive circle. He and his fighter were one unit, and he was in command of that aircraft like no-one else.
Marseille was killed in a flying accident, when an engine failure forced him to abandon his fighter. After he exited the smoke-filled cockpit, Marseille's chest struck the vertical stabiliser of his aircraft, either killing him instantly, or incapacitating him so that he was unable to open his parachute.
His grave bears a one-word epitaph " Undefeated ".
External Links
- English translation of Finn operation and maintainance manual for the 109G-2
- Luftwaffe and Bf109 cockpit resource(German)
- Hans-Joachim Marseille by Major Robert Tate, USAF
- An excellent read, interview of Erich Hartmann
- Possibly spurious yet highly captivating account of an American pilot's encounter with a German fighter ace beleived to be Hartmann
| Aces High II aircraft | |
| Bf 109G-2 | |
| Variant of | Bf 109 |
|---|---|
| Type | Fighter/attacker |
| Crew | One |
| Aces High II loadout options | |
| Package 1 | 2x 7.92mm machine guns, 500 rounds/gun 1x 20mm cannon, 150 or 200 rounds |
| Options | 2x 20mm gondolas, 140 rounds/gun |
| 1x 300 liter drop tank, or 1x 250kg bomb | |
| Aces High II Main Arenas | |
| Earliest MA | Mid War |
| Typical perk cost | 0 (Late War) |
| ENY value | 30 (Late War) |
| Available on carrier | no |
| how to edit | |
The Bf 109G-2 in Aces High II
The Bf109-G2 is a reasonably popular aircraft though easily outshadowed by its later G14 sibling. The G2 is an aircraft of some controversy and discussion though, being the earlier G series model in AH it also resembles the F series much more than later aircraft in a number of ways. Inevitably that leads to a decision between flying the G2 and other models and it comes down to personal preference. The G2 is considered by some to be the second best 109 model in the game, as it possesses superior handling and performance than its later siblings.
Engine Power
The G2 actually performs better than all 109s except the G14 model and has a nice gradual improvement in performance with altitude gains. Sea-level speed is only average at 320mph (340mph with WEP) but improves rapidly up to about 7K where the cruise is 358mph (375mph with WEP). That's an improvement of about 5.5mph in cruise for each 1K in altitude gain up to 7K or so. Above 7K the improvements slow down but only a little bit, up to a high cruise of 385mph at 22K. Top speed, with WEP, is about 405mph at 21K. The WEP time is also very generous, over 9 minutes of solid use, so it makes extended WEP use generally more acceptable and you tend to use WEP more often. Climb rates are excellent, over 4,400ft/minute at low levels and never drops below 3,500ft/min until you reach orbit. Fuel duration is not good at only 25 minutes on full internal, one of the shortest in AH, but there is an option to extend that range with a drop tank (+18 minutes) which is almost mandatory. Typically the drop tank can be used for the outbound climb and transit, dropped, and then internal fuel used for combat and return to base. As such, taking less then 100% internal is not unusual, typically less than 75% isn't advisable though as it simply provides very small margins for combat.
Aces High II Performance Charts
Firepower
The firepower on the G2 is a little weak though well placed in the aircraft. The spinner mounted 20mm MG151/20 cannons with 150 rounds is complemented by paired 7.9mm cowl guns (500 rounds/gun). The placement of the guns in the cowl area makes convergence a non-issue. Twin gondolas are an option but impact maneuverability and speed, to the tune of about 10mph. The gondolas certainly aid when attacking bombers and give a more credible snapshot capability which makes them a tempting option. Typically someone with good shooting skills who is attacking fighters shouldn't need the gondolas though someone who is less confident tends to take them. At least the G2 has some handling to spare so the gondolas aren't crippling like in the G6 or G14. One of the key reasons people don't take the G2 though is that the G6, and later, have upgraded every aspect of the firepower to more capable 13mm cowl guns and a much more impressive (though more difficult to use) 30mm spinner cannon option. To be fair though, the cowl gun upgrade of the G6 and G10 is more important than the 30mm cannon option as most people can't aim just a large cannon against fighters anyway.
Maneuverability
The G2 gained ~450lbs of weight over the F-4 series 109 but it doesn't seem to have impacted the handling as much as in the later 109s (the G6 only gained 100lbs more). You can feel the extra mass but for some reason it seems much more manageable and well balanced than any other G series aircraft. That's why many like the 109G-2 - it can turn-fight or energy fight, depending on the situation and the external loadout you chose. If you went light on fuel and didn't pack gondolas then you can turn-fight as long as you can keep the speeds at reasonable levels (not over 400, not under 250). Lots of people might think you are just another G14 and not able to turn, thus you can quickly show them how wrong they are. You can also energy fight though, the climb-rate, acceleration, and good zoom performance of the G2 makes it an excellent energy fighter. Roll rate is good until you get to high (375mph+) or low speeds, where it becomes slow. As in all 109s the G2 suffers serious control problems, especially in pitch, at very high speeds over 450mph. If a 109 gets faster than about 450mph the only maneuver on the pilots mind will likely become compression recovery.
Flap speeds are 195, 185, 175, 165, and 155 IAS.
Fighting in the Bf 109G-2
Offensively, anyone who knows 109s is going to recognize you immediately as a G2 because of the Finnish markings and yellow nose. Lots of people don't know what to expect of the G2 though so may discount you as just a G14 wannabe. Try and BnZ them or slash attack them if possible and only resort to a turn-fight as a last resort. Don't be afraid to use your turning abilities to give you a good shot though. Use the vertical as much as possible, the G2 is a good climber at lower altitudes and accelerates great. The WEP also lasts a long time so don't be afraid to use it as long as fuel allows. Burn as much internal fuel as you can before you enter a fight, leave just enough for combat and the return trip home. A drop tank can help keep your internal fuel load light. Don't chase people on extended dives to high speeds as the 109 becomes uncontrollable and you will lose initiative trying to recover. If you need to dive, cut power, use your rudder and roll with elevator to continuously bleed speed on the dive. You need to watch your speedo closely though and level out at the first signs of over-speed (450mph).
Trim in a 109 is an important consideration and becoming familiar with the full range of trim available and knowing when to use it largely removes the 109's weakness of poor control response at high speed. Whenever your speed falls to a controllable level you can quickly restore normal trim settings using CTRL+X. Trim can be used as a supplement to stick input and with a bit of practice can be used instinctively to accurately aim the 109 or stay on a cons 6 at high speed. The trim keys are:
Elevator up = K Elevator down = I Rudder left = J Rudder right = L Aileron left = M Aileron right = , (comma key)
Note: trimming does not add extra turning ability, trimming is done in Aces High by moving your existing control surfaces not by adjusting trim tabs. Trim only overcomes the simulated heavy control surfaces at high speeds.
Defensively, use your sprint speed, climb, and turning to extend whenever possible. You should, if light, be able to turn with any plane faster than you and outrun any of the better turners. Don't dive excessively as most other planes will be better divers with more controllability. If you are diving make it a dive to extend towards friendlies so you can get help. Sustained turning is good but if you can set up a good spiral climb you should be able to pull away from worse climbers, and a downward spiral can help you keep you airspeed within best range to maximize turn rate. The 109 is not very tough so try and avoid any hits. The radiator and fuel supply is quite vulnerable, both of which are a serious problem if punctured.
Fighting against the Bf 109G-2
All 109s have the same weakness to high speeds. Over 450mph they all suffer terrible compression problems that can lead to almost total loss of control in a terminal dive. The G2 with the higher cruise speeds and more power tends to get into trouble faster than some of the other 109s and picks up speed quickly in a dive.
Try and identify the 109G-2 early in a fight, which isn't usually too difficult. Look for the wing markings (Finnish) and yellow nose as easy identifiers. Some can identify the 109G-2 at longer ranges than many planes as it appears to look slightly different as a dot (kind of like the P-51D). In close though even a brief view of the wings and nose will allow you to notice a G-2. If you can, see if he has gondolas also, as they can mean a lot to this aircraft.
Offensively, the G2 is a good turner, but only when light. If he is obviously carrying gondolas he will be much less maneuverable and have less speed to use against you. The gondolas tend to cost in upwards of 10mph under most conditions, speed which the G2 can't really afford to give away. The 109s are all pretty small targets so can be tough to hit, but try and get in hits at whatever angles you can to damage items like the fuel, radiator or engine. Views to the rear of the 109 are only fair so if you can sit low on his 6 he may not even see you. Don't give the 109 snapshots on you if you don't know that he isn't packing gondolas, three cannons can make quick work of any fighter while 1 cannon is unlikely to cause immediate damage. Keep your speed up if you are in a faster plane and extend whenever you can, be watch out since the 109 can accelerate and climb quickly and will likely build up energy faster than you can. If you can fight at very high speeds, in excess of 400mph, then you can start to erode the performance of the 109. If you get in trouble, dive away to 500mph or more and any 109 foolish enough to follow you will be in deep trouble.
Defensively, the G2 can be tough to shake since it can turn pretty well when light and has the acceleration and climb to stop any easy escapes if he can get speed parity. There are some areas where the 109 is a little vulnerable though, and the G2 is no different. 109s don't have great views from the cockpit with lots of window frames obstructing almost every angle, so it can be possible to slip into blind spots or at least make tracking from the cockpit difficult. The 109s all tend to pack too many, or too few guns too. The standard spinner cannon is barely enough while loading the gondolas is almost too much. If he isn't packing gondolas then the snapshot capabilities are fairly low, but with them he is heavy and has a lot more drag. One great tactic, if you have altitude, is to dive away if you have even a fair diver. The 109 is a crappy diver when speeds increase over 450mph. It becomes more like a brick than an aircraft and can over-speed to the point where recovery is impossible. Even experienced 109 pilots can find themselves plummeting helplessly while they try and use trim to regain control.
