The Messerschmitt Bf 109 began as an entry in a Luftwaffe fighter competition in the early 1930s. Willy Messerschmitt's creation incorporated one of the most advanced aerodynamic designs at the time, with retractable landing gear, automatic slats, cantilever wings and stressed skin construction. ...
— the Luftwaffe's benchmark fighter throughout World War II. The vast majority of German aces did their fighting in the Bf 109 and it scored more victories than any other Axis fighter. ...
Bf-110s were the backbone of the German night fighter squadrons. Luftwaffe night fighter ace Heinz-Wolfgang Schnauffer ended the war with 121 aerial victories, virtually all of them achieved while flying examples of the Bf-110. ...
The Me-163 functioned as a pure Interceptor. After take-off the Komet would jettison the trolley style main wheels and use its amazing 11,800 feet per minute climb rate to rapidly climb above the allied bomber formations! ...
Bristling with firepower and capable of flying 120 miles per hour faster than the outstanding P-51 Mustang. Germany built more than 1,400 Me 262s! — even by today's engineering standards, magnificent. ...