"In Germany, or in Europe we're only allowed to go 550 km/h, and that was _of course_ the fastest I ever was", he said, while mischieviously grinning...
The Dark Hole in the Nose of the Propeller Hub has a 20 mm Cannon. This was the first mass produced Fighter to have a Cannon in 1938. Machine guns are fine but..Range and Punch of 1 single round?
That actually happened quite routinely on the Finnish front. We had a squadron of Hurricane I and 109 G2/G6 co-existing in the war against the russians.
200 hours of maintenance per flying hour. Given its rarity and value, I would expect nothing less. And as he said, flying such a historical treasure would be the greatest honor. A good interview.
This was my question after watching. What would need to be done after a single hour of flying? That seems like a huge amount of work and effort to fly for only 1 hour. Are mechanics changing oil, plugs, and going through every mechanical part after every single flight?
@@brianx2504 I also want to know if it was like this during the war. If so, there would have been a lot of sitting ducks unavailable to scramble for incoming bomber formations.
As I understand it, the maintenance-intensive nature of the engine and the rest is rather "easier" to replace because the original engines are quite rare these days.
@@MichaelOnRockyTop Definitely not during the war, given that back then they were considered much more expendable (and many WERE expended) and there was a whole logistics structure catering to the entire fleet compared to now
Thank you, from a 55yr old American. Since as long as I can remember, I have loved WW2 history. My favorite program when I was very young was The World At War series. I have ALWAYS LOVED the ME109 It's my favorite aircraft out of all the WW2 planes. Thank you very much for your videos.
A Bf 109 Pilot tough me to fly. He never talked about the war but he mentioned once that they lost 1 to 2 young pilots a week while he was training them.
Yes, the directional stability during takeoff was a major issue. The plane belongs to an era when there were no bidirectional runways, but rather round airfields where unstable planes could tangle around until they became airborne.
The young ones rarely came back from 1st mission, when one came back, they had to clean the cabin I was told in the 70th at August-Euler-Flugplatz ( that was in 44/45 )
Even according to experienced German pilots the 109 was considered a death trap during later WW2.Way outclassed by the combination of allied opposition like Spit MkIX and XIV, Tempest and Mustang. Willi Hielmanns words in his book Alert in the West went along the lines why do we continue to build the thing and send pilots up in it with the FW190 D9 online and in service.
I worked with a man who was in his 70s at the time. Pax River MD used to contract a P-51 as part of the Test Pilot school orientation. I knew the Merlin sound and would run to the parking lot to watch it, but he always beat me there. It turned out that, during WW2, he had attended an 'experimental' accelerated pilot training program. It was cancelled when it was determined there would be no pilot shortage. He said many students died just in taxi training and counted himself lucky to have been switched to combat engineer, making the 'second wave' D-Day landing.
2:40 I read a quote by a 109 pilot that said “if you can safely takeoff in a 109, chances are you’ll survive the rest of the flight and walk away from the the landing”.
Oh my word. 200 hours of mechanic/labor time per hour of flight time on that 109! Insane! Was that a supercharger whistle I heard at the end? Beatuiful, absolutely beautiful aircraft.
Truly an historic aircraft - glad to see it still flying and looking absolutely immaculate! I also appreciate the fact it has the original DB-605 engine, unlike some of the other flying variants with their alternate powerplants. A Merlin V-12 in a Me-109 just rubs me the wrong way. BTW - I hear that most airplane pilots don't make good helicopter pilots and vice versa, as they're two different flying experiences. Good to see Volker breaks that mold.
Well....... The HA-1112 (Spanish built BF-109) was fitted at the factory with either a Hispano-Suiza 12Z, or a Rolls Royce Merlin: alternatives to the DB-605, but still original to the aircraft that they went into.
Christ-what a gorgeous plane, and that supercharger whine... My favorite WW2 airplane, by a longshot. I am not surprised by the maintenance requirements to preserve and keep it airworthy- long may it fly. Thanks so much for sharing -cheers
In fact, all of us fans of vintage planes are really lucky to be able to watch, listen to, and download these beautiful videos of WW2 as if we were back in time to those days. I'm 80 now and since the mid-50s all i could do to admire these beauties was to collect all newspaper clippings or magazines I could find, but I had to wait DECADES till VHS videorecorders came up just to have B&W poor quality images of old wartime newsreels... When UA-cam was born I got the enormous pleasure of getting color footage with this high definition. It was worth waiting so many years to finally be gifted with these wonders.
Volker Bau is ice cold, super cool dude and it seems like he knows he's living the dream. What a gorgeously preserved airplane, I didn't think something could ever look better than factory new. Are those engine mounts polished? Incredible.
I would have loved to hear Volker give his opinion of the difference you feel when you step down from a 109 and get on a 262 jet... as he flies both models. !
Hats off to Volker for sharing the details of what is without question a great experience, and also to Chris for helping fans of aviation & history gain understanding as well as satisfy our curiosity.
About 20 years ago I watched a TV interview with a Luftwaffe veteran, a Bf-109G pilot in fact. Volker reminded me of what that Luftwaffe vet said about flying the 109: "During takeoffs and landings the aircraft required 100% of your attention, 99% wouldn't do. But once you were off the ground it was actually easy to fly." Great video! Thanks!
The Swedish air force had a couple of Spitfire reconnaissance planes, late version with the big Griffon engine, and they said exactly the same. A complete bitch on the ground, an extension of your body in the air.
The 109 was quirky and tempermental - especially during take off, but in the hands of a capable pilot, the physics of its small and light airframe made it acrobatic; e.g. during Bodenplatte, it took four veteran P51 pilots to bring down an expert 109 pilot. They were absolutely shocked at how this Luftwaffe pilot was making his 109 do things they thought were impossible - split s below 1,500 ft, spins, tumbles, pulling out just feet above the ground.
Fantastic information, and video. Your usual high standard is great. Thank you both for speaking English, as It really helps people like me to properly understand the conversation.
Une légende. Pour moi c'est l'avion le plus emblématique de touts les temps avec ces défauts et qualités. Son design inspire robustesse, invencibilité et il semble capable de travesser un mur et continuer à voler. Les 2 canons sur le capot fessaient trembler les adversaires et dans les filmes les réalisateurs adorent faire des ralentirs sur l'image de ces canons crachent le feu. Bref sa rareté fait le reste... Je croise la rue je vois un spitfire (j'exagère bien sûr) mais pour voir un BF109.... Je ne sais pas où le voir en réalité tellement c'est rare et précieux...
Very kind technician at Hangar 10 has told me that their G14 is flown with 1.2ATA for takeof and 1.1ATA in flight and display. They want to put as little strain on the engine as possible.
This was a great broadcast of an interview with a Test pilot who has experience with both, WW II era aircraft and modern fighter aircraft. Appreaciate the insight of his experience. Thank you and Aloha. 🌺🌼🌴❤️🇺🇲
I only do 1/72 scale due to space consumption. I have 36Bf 109‘s (31 built): C, E4, E7, F2, F4, G2, G4, G5, G6, G10, K 0:15 4. Airfix, Revell, Jo-han, Italeri, Matchbox, Mastercraft, Froc, Fine Molds, AZ Models, InTech, Ncore, Plastyk, Heller, Tamiya, Linek, Kora, Hobby Boss. German Luftwaffe, Spanish National Airforce, Italian Regia Aeronautica, Israeli Airforce.
oltre i 600 km/h in aria densa avrebbe riscontrato un indurimento dei comandi sensibile. era un aereo per quote dai 4000 agli 8000 metri come massimo rendimento. fanno bene a usarlo moderatamente sono esemplari seppur ricavati dagli spagnoli molto rari. magnifico pezzo tecnologico il bf109 e in queste immagini a colori rende molto bene
In the UK there 2 seat conversions of the Spitfire, Hurricane, Mustang and (Spanish merlin powered) 109s. They each cost about £3000 for a 20 minute flight - where the passenger is allowed to take control for a few minutes.
@@suprlite Here in Canada it's really not that hard if you have the cash to fork over. Though I've heard general aviation is much less healthy in western Europe. Isn't it the same for Russia?
Thanks for providing this material. I often asked myself, why are there no interviews with modern 109 pilots? Thanks again for rectifying this. It is invaluable to scholars of historic aviation.
@ Weil er leider nicht fliegt. Ist ein Motor aus einer bauchgelandeten Me-109 bei Linz an der Donau und er wurde nach dem Krieg in einer jetzt ehemaligen Kaserne vergraben mit einem JU-52 Sternmotor. Darüber hatten wir beim Morgensport öfters Beachvolleyball gespielt. Beide sind in einem bemerkenswert guten Zustand von außen her. Laut einem Piloten aus dem Hangar 10 auf Usedom wäre der DB-605 so um die 200.000 Euro wert in unrestauriertem Zustand. Wenn man daneben steht wirkt der schon ziemlich groß und schwer.
@wolfganggugelweith8760 wow. Ja, ein beeindruckender Motor. In Oberschleißheim, nördlich von München, ist die Außenstelle des Deutschen Museums. Dort ist ebenfalls ein DB 605 auf einem Motorständer ausgestellt. Trotz 35 L Hubraum ist er leichter als der 27 L Merlin. Baut doch um den Motor eine 109er. Das wäre ein Jahrzehnte Projekt. PS Ist der Motor ausgestellt und öffentlich zu besichtigen? Grüße aus Bayern
@ Ja, ich war letztes Jahr in Oberschleissheim im Museum. Habe Verwandtschaft in Ismaning und München und habe das einmal wieder mit einem Besuch verbunden. Der Motor gehört einstweilen noch dem österreichischen Bundesdenkmalamt und wir vom Militärmuseumsverein wissen noch nicht, ob wir die beiden Motoren zur Ausstellung bekommen. Einmal schaun was wird.
You could see how it wants to spin over when starting. Just like War Thunder sim (me hitting the next barn). Great job! This is one of the most facinating videos about the 109 I've ever seen! 🥰
Such a lovely aircraft! The M 109 is my favourite and it seems to be extremely well restored, it has to in order to fly! I envy the pilot that was is flying such iconic airplane and he is honoured to fly it. Thanks for sharing this very interesting video 👍👍👍
I heard someone liken these old prop fighters to half-tame wild stallions, that they require respect and skill to handle but if you manage to hold on they can give you the ride of your life.
The Bf 109 is a very sexy aircraft in terms of external graceful shapes, just like the FW 190 and Me 262 and P-51. Simply perfect engineering is reflected in the exterior.
@@jeffk464 what? It did reach the limit of it's upgrade potential with last version, but it was never "outdated" until the end of the war, that is just not true
@@jeffk464 Pre war design, and in later stages of the war incompetent pilots were the biggest problem, not the plane, though it was close to outdated. Focke Wolf was an better alternative.
Excellent interview!! Quite the experience I'm sure... Volker Bau, Klaus Plasa, Rick Volker and a few other present day 109 pilots are lucky guys. You have to a pretty impressive pilot to fly one of these aircraft, as well as to be trusted to fly one by the owner.
My grandfather flew the Bf 109 towards the end of the war, his job was to distract the escort fighters while the Fw190 took on the bombers. His victory count stands at 27 and survived to fly for Lufthansa. He loved to fly, when we used to ask him about his combat experience, all he would say is...I did my job and hope you never have to find out your self.
I was working in Manching for five years and it was always an honor to go into the Messerschmitt museum. I always loved history and these machines are a part of it. Once I was installing network ports in the hangar, when suddenly the hangar door opened and the BF-109 stood before. She has just landed and they asked me if I wanted to help roll it into the hangar. I was exited like a small child. I remember the roaring sound when the BF-109 flew over the airfields. Such a powerful and agressive sounding machine. They also allowed me to sit inside the cockpit of the 262, my favorite plane btw
German (and Japanese) service doctrine was “fly until you die.” Allied air forces rotated their pilots as they had superiority in manpower reserves. It was something off a miracle for a German or Japanese pilot to survive the war.
The '109' is my favorite aircraft and the DB 60X my favorite aircraft engine. 200 flight hours are not much, although flight durations on this aircraft are rather short as it is only used for static and dynamic airshow displays. Crosswind while takeoff and landing makes controlling it even more challenging.
Superb video! This pilot is a very lucky man 😉 Bf109 is one of my favourite ww2 aircraft. 5 years ago I saw a real one in a museum. That was fantastic! This starting procedure at 05:25 would be more accurate if the ground crew cranking up the DB605 engine...😁
It's not beautiful. The Spitfire was beautiful (and sounded better). This plane is many things, but it's not beautiful. The Fw 190 looks more beautiful.
Darn, he didn't say RPM and ATA, but when he says, with great seriousness, that it's an honor to fly the aircraft, that makes up for it. Indeed, and I thank Mr. Bau for his skill and professionalism to carry out such a task in honor of those who flew the 109 before him...
Almost certainly they operate below the original published limits. Pilots of WWII had the ability to push beyond these limits, as the RPM was manually controlled, and not pitch governed.
@@Triple_J.1 I believe Mr. Bau said in the interview they operate at about 1/3 the limit, but it would've been interesting to hear the actual settings.
thank you all for bringing this to us, look at the condition of that machine, an hour to dip the oil 199 cleaning, and what a beautifull song she sings when she is playing. long may she continue to sing.
I built this Monogram model from a gift from my mother on Christmas as a young boy. I have had the aviation bug since the mid-1970s and am happy to live my dream of becoming a pilot today. I have always found the German WW2 aircraft works of art. So excited to see these still flying.
If any of y’all have seen a 109 or similar in person, you’ll know that its *tiny.* like comparable to a modern day TBM in scale, or smaller. Something like that thats about as heavy as any other period fighter is gonna be a brisk experience to say the least! Wing cube loading of a high degree. I read a theory interview on flying the 109 years ago, probably from the same pilot! Controls are direct, it lives at the top end of speed, it changes direction like that 🫰. Its a wonder how this is the most mass produced fighter plane in history with as intense a nature as it has
Failure by the Luftwaffe RLM to source an adequate high altitude replacement in the timeframe required. FW-190 obviously an excellent fighter at or below around 20,000 feet, the BMW engine FW's struggled a bit at the higher altitudes versus allied V-12 fighters.
Well done ! I've heard and seen a very, very competent pilot talking about facts, always paired with respect and joy flying this bird ! thanks for the video !
What always impresses me is how clean the start is on the fuel injected DB engines. No cloud of white smoke. Smoke on startup seems to be typical for the carbureted v-12 and radials. Beautiful airplane.
When you see white smoke during start up it's oil burning, not fuel. It has nothing to do with the fuel sistem, for example the BMW 801 it's a radial engine and it has direct fuel injection, but when you engage the starter clutch, it smokes like a chimney; especially when cold, because of the oil accumulated in the lower cilinders.
@@mikemccaffrey3093 Oil should not leak past the valve seals, and the engine needs the oil pumped before starting so oil is not on the piston, or in the cylinder. Being inverted, it has a different pre flight you were not shown. The start you saw was likely a second start, after having been previously ran. My brother had a YAK aerobatic. It had a long preflight to get the oil out of the lower cylinders, the inverted V's had all the cylinders to be treated that way. US engines, the oil leaked down the valves into the head, and the oil either fouled the plugs, or burned off. Look at a FW190a cold start. Sometimes it would take several attempts as the engine would start and die, and as the cylinders fired the smoke could be substantial. All our radial were that way, just not as well photographed. Have fun
It was good to hear the real engine. I've seen a 109 flying but I'm pretty sure that was a Spanish Buchon with a Merlin engine (as used in the 1969 Battle of Britain film) and it sounded exactly like a Spitfire.
@@EffequalsMA it sounds closer to a Griffon. It has a rougher edge and more guittaral sound. The Whine of the Supercharger you don't hear with Merlin's...
I would have loved to know what he thought about Finnish WW2 pilots who flew these from narrow and short make shift airports from middle of forrests with zero margin of error.
@@danconnolly2341 Not sure how true this is, but I remember reading a while back that the P-51 was an "MD killer" (Medical Doctor) because a number of them were purchased as post war surplus by MD's that were recreational pilots, who subsequently died in them because they're a lot more of a handful than a Cessna. Might be urban legend or a figment of someone's imagination, but it's interesting at least.
Would recommend asking maintenance questions to maintenance technicians. Much more interesting answers from them as they understand the material better.
It's interesting to hear first hand about the marginal rudder authority of these comparatively early Bf 109 versions. Little wonder both that there were so many ground movement accidents and that design evolved into a larger fin/rudder (easier modification) going forward from the later G variants whilst the undercarriage (extremely difficult modification) remained essentially the same. One of your most enlightening videos!
I saw this aircraft fly at Duxford 2015 l was immediately impressed and l thought then this aeroplane meant business purposeful and designed to fight A great interview thank you
I agree; it was easy to mass produce and once you got the hang of taking off, landings came easier! It was also easy to pull the wings for transport, and easy to get hits on enemy aircraft with the centrally mounted MG's and Cannons, and that DB605! (might be a 603, who knows?) they built it deliberately upside down, putting the crankshaft above the cly heads so they could mount that motor lower and give the pilot better visibility once airborne. Yes, me thinks overall the best tool for the job of putting cannon and MG bullets into another aircraft was for its day the 109, it was small, fast, maneuverable and could fight on 87 gasoline as well! Only problem was its lack of range, but it always was designed as a point interceptor from the get.
@@lyndoncmp5751No it wasn’t the Spitfire. The Bf109 outperformed the Spitfire until ‘42 when the Spit got a dual stage supercharger and high octane gas from the United States. Only then did it become debatable which aircraft was better.
I can imagine it would be an honour to fly this lovable Aircraft. It's a very popular Aircraft. I've never seen this up close and personal but that would be exciting in itself. I know there is many popular Aircraft WWII up to present but this one is up there with the Greatest. well done Willie Messerschmitt! From Australia.🙂🇭🇲🦘👍✌️👋
"In Germany, or in Europe we're only allowed to go 550 km/h, and that was _of course_ the fastest I ever was", he said, while mischieviously grinning...
@@tommasochiarandini6920 I was going to point out the same thing lol
You wouldn't expect him to stare at the air speed. It's a complex aircraft. He is busy, what what would yo expect? 🤣
@@renegadeflyer2 Ohhh I'm sure he knows exactly how fast he's flow... 550kph and not a lick above that 😉
Ofcourse he was grinning mischieviously. What did you expect him to do ?
😉
"It's an HONOR to fly this aircraft."
I believe him.
That line and his delivery gave me chills.
The Dark Hole in the Nose of the Propeller Hub has a 20 mm Cannon. This was the first mass produced Fighter to have a Cannon in 1938. Machine guns are fine but..Range and Punch of 1 single round?
He did not hesitate. GREAT answer!
Seeing a 109 and a Hurricane peacefully taxiing near one another at Biggin Hill was a nice peace of footage.
German pilot pointing and saying " Pull up a little farther so I can get this gun on you pal" ...
Yeah, I noticed that too. Very cool!
Yeah! Peace.
That actually happened quite routinely on the Finnish front. We had a squadron of Hurricane I and 109 G2/G6 co-existing in the war against the russians.
@Munakas-wq3gp at that time, I'm sure that the Hurricanes were merely used to provide cover over the aerodrome for 109s landing or taking off.
200 hours of maintenance per flying hour. Given its rarity and value, I would expect nothing less. And as he said, flying such a historical treasure would be the greatest honor.
A good interview.
This was my question after watching. What would need to be done after a single hour of flying? That seems like a huge amount of work and effort to fly for only 1 hour. Are mechanics changing oil, plugs, and going through every mechanical part after every single flight?
@@brianx2504 I also want to know if it was like this during the war. If so, there would have been a lot of sitting ducks unavailable to scramble for incoming bomber formations.
As I understand it, the maintenance-intensive nature of the engine and the rest is rather "easier" to replace because the original engines are quite rare these days.
@@MichaelOnRockyTop Definitely not during the war, given that back then they were considered much more expendable (and many WERE expended) and there was a whole logistics structure catering to the entire fleet compared to now
@@roybrowning6552 Sir this ain't an "Emily" type and has never been. It was originally a Buchon before being converted into a G4
Saubere fragen, saubere antworten ❤. Top!
@@PaddyPatrone
Ich sehe die 109er und auch die 262 oft hier fliegen.... Ich arbeite direkt unter der Einflugschneise vom Manchinger WTD. Wunderschön 😍
@@kleinerkrieger7860 that must be cool....cheers!
Thank you, from a 55yr old American. Since as long as I can remember, I have loved WW2 history. My favorite program when I was very young was The World At War series. I have ALWAYS LOVED the ME109 It's my favorite aircraft out of all the WW2 planes. Thank you very much for your videos.
A Bf 109 Pilot tough me to fly. He never talked about the war but he mentioned once that they lost 1 to 2 young pilots a week while he was training them.
Yes, the directional stability during takeoff was a major issue. The plane belongs to an era when there were no bidirectional runways, but rather round airfields where unstable planes could tangle around until they became airborne.
The young ones rarely came back from 1st mission, when one came back, they had to clean the cabin I was told in the 70th at August-Euler-Flugplatz ( that was in 44/45 )
Even according to experienced German pilots the 109 was considered a death trap during later WW2.Way outclassed by the combination of allied opposition like Spit MkIX and XIV, Tempest and Mustang.
Willi Hielmanns words in his book Alert in the West went along the lines why do we continue to build the thing and send pilots up in it with the FW190 D9 online and in service.
I worked with a man who was in his 70s at the time. Pax River MD used to contract a P-51 as part of the Test Pilot school orientation. I knew the Merlin sound and would run to the parking lot to watch it, but he always beat me there. It turned out that, during WW2, he had attended an 'experimental' accelerated pilot training program. It was cancelled when it was determined there would be no pilot shortage. He said many students died just in taxi training and counted himself lucky to have been switched to combat engineer, making the 'second wave' D-Day landing.
@@dacat8171 The problem is with the torque of the rotor, not with the uneven runway.
I loved when Volker Bau said "It is a honour to fly this aircraft", these are words of a proud pilot.KUDOS ¡¡¡¡¡
...and judging by his own words, it wasn't too easy to fly it, especially during the take-off. Too many rookies lost their lives because of that.
Wow, that last pass. I've never heard a Bf-109 whistling before
thats the supercharger intake doing some fine music
Courtesy of the device marked "lader" at 1:47.
This is the most distinctive sound the -109 makes.
It sounds better than Spit
Probably because we are used to hearing Merlin engined Buchon (109's)?
That engine installation is so clean and uncluttered. Wonderful
2:40 I read a quote by a 109 pilot that said “if you can safely takeoff in a 109, chances are you’ll survive the rest of the flight and walk away from the the landing”.
@@notmenotme614 except if you encounter a YAK 3, in that case you LL be fucked
Oh my word. 200 hours of mechanic/labor time per hour of flight time on that 109! Insane! Was that a supercharger whistle I heard at the end? Beatuiful, absolutely beautiful aircraft.
Yup :-)
That’s about the same ratio of cleaning for every hour my father spends in the kitchen.
Should have atleast shown the mechanics in this video. They are atleast as important.
It looks like a shark in the sky, so angular.
@@syproful as a mechanic, can confirm
Thank you Christoph, Volker, Airbus and the Museum. This was an excellent and highly informative video.
That roaring whistling at the end.
Absolutely fabulous
please give mr volker bau thanks from us for his wonderful insight!
The sound during the low pass makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. Very Cool!
Truly an historic aircraft - glad to see it still flying and looking absolutely immaculate! I also appreciate the fact it has the original DB-605 engine, unlike some of the other flying variants with their alternate powerplants. A Merlin V-12 in a Me-109 just rubs me the wrong way.
BTW - I hear that most airplane pilots don't make good helicopter pilots and vice versa, as they're two different flying experiences. Good to see Volker breaks that mold.
6:10 "However, you need some force on the _cyclic_" - you can get the pilot out of the helicopter, you can't get the helicopter out of the pilot 😂😂
Well.......
The HA-1112 (Spanish built BF-109) was fitted at the factory with either a Hispano-Suiza 12Z, or a Rolls Royce Merlin: alternatives to the DB-605, but still original to the aircraft that they went into.
@@grantm6514I’m glad I’m not the only one that caught that😅
Christ-what a gorgeous plane, and that supercharger whine... My favorite WW2 airplane, by a longshot. I am not surprised by the maintenance requirements to preserve and keep it airworthy- long may it fly. Thanks so much for sharing -cheers
In fact, all of us fans of vintage planes are really lucky to be able to watch, listen to, and download these beautiful videos of WW2 as if we were back in time to those days.
I'm 80 now and since the mid-50s all i could do to admire these beauties was to collect all newspaper clippings or magazines I could find, but I had to wait DECADES till VHS videorecorders came up just to have B&W poor quality images of old wartime newsreels...
When UA-cam was born I got the enormous pleasure of getting color footage with this high definition. It was worth waiting so many years to finally be gifted with these wonders.
Volker Bau is ice cold, super cool dude and it seems like he knows he's living the dream. What a gorgeously preserved airplane, I didn't think something could ever look better than factory new. Are those engine mounts polished? Incredible.
I would have loved to hear Volker give his opinion of the difference you feel when you step down from a 109 and get on a 262 jet... as he flies both models. !
Hats off to Volker for sharing the details of what is without question a great experience, and also to Chris for helping fans of aviation & history gain understanding as well as satisfy our curiosity.
About 20 years ago I watched a TV interview with a Luftwaffe veteran, a Bf-109G pilot in fact. Volker reminded me of what that Luftwaffe vet said about flying the 109:
"During takeoffs and landings the aircraft required 100% of your attention, 99% wouldn't do. But once you were off the ground it was actually easy to fly."
Great video! Thanks!
The Swedish air force had a couple of Spitfire reconnaissance planes, late version with the big Griffon engine, and they said exactly the same. A complete bitch on the ground, an extension of your body in the air.
Fascinating. A wonderful machine made with German engineering.
Too sad that it, and all other 'wonderful machines' were (and are) made for killing people ! -
Thanks for this video. The 109 was one of my favorite fighters of WW 2.
Danke für den tollen Einblick.
The 109 was quirky and tempermental - especially during take off, but in the hands of a capable pilot, the physics of its small and light airframe made it acrobatic; e.g. during Bodenplatte, it took four veteran P51 pilots to bring down an expert 109 pilot. They were absolutely shocked at how this Luftwaffe pilot was making his 109 do things they thought were impossible - split s below 1,500 ft, spins, tumbles, pulling out just feet above the ground.
First time ever i hear that whistle, oh my word goose pimples!!❤❤❤❤
Nice but not F4U quality whistling ;)
Fantastic, thank you so much. As someone who absolutely adores the aircraft, this was a treat!
Great questions! And great to hear directly from a professional.
Thanks for this video. Clear cut questions and clear cut answers.
Fantastic information, and video. Your usual high standard is great. Thank you both for speaking English, as It really helps people like me to properly understand the conversation.
"It's an honor to fly this aircraft." Thank you Volker, I for one really appreciate it. Thank you Chris good questions great video.
Great video! The pilot is very proud and humble. An honor to fly such a rare, piece of aviation history.
Une légende.
Pour moi c'est l'avion le plus emblématique de touts les temps avec ces défauts et qualités.
Son design inspire robustesse, invencibilité et il semble capable de travesser un mur et continuer à voler.
Les 2 canons sur le capot fessaient trembler les adversaires et dans les filmes les réalisateurs adorent faire des ralentirs sur l'image de ces canons crachent le feu.
Bref sa rareté fait le reste... Je croise la rue je vois un spitfire (j'exagère bien sûr) mais pour voir un BF109.... Je ne sais pas où le voir en réalité tellement c'est rare et précieux...
Very kind technician at Hangar 10 has told me that their G14 is flown with 1.2ATA for takeof and 1.1ATA in flight and display. They want to put as little strain on the engine as possible.
This was a great broadcast of an interview with a Test pilot who has experience with both, WW II era aircraft and modern fighter aircraft. Appreaciate the insight of his experience. Thank you and Aloha. 🌺🌼🌴❤️🇺🇲
What a great aircraft, I just finished a scale Bf 109K-4 from Trumpeter. Can't have too many 109s!
I only do 1/72 scale due to space consumption. I have 36Bf 109‘s (31 built): C, E4, E7, F2, F4, G2, G4, G5, G6, G10, K 0:15 4.
Airfix, Revell, Jo-han, Italeri, Matchbox, Mastercraft, Froc, Fine Molds, AZ Models, InTech, Ncore, Plastyk, Heller, Tamiya, Linek, Kora, Hobby Boss.
German Luftwaffe, Spanish National Airforce, Italian Regia Aeronautica, Israeli Airforce.
YES! THE 109 JUST LOOKS LIKE A FIGHTER,ALWAYS LOVED THIS MACHINE...
oltre i 600 km/h in aria densa avrebbe riscontrato un indurimento dei comandi sensibile. era un aereo per quote dai 4000 agli 8000 metri come massimo rendimento. fanno bene a usarlo moderatamente sono esemplari seppur ricavati dagli spagnoli molto rari. magnifico pezzo tecnologico il bf109 e in queste immagini a colori rende molto bene
Wonderful episode. Thank you.
What a great video. Getting goosebumps from the sounds. Herr Bau seems like a true gentleman.
what a great and interesting video. i loved the questions and answers. fascinating stuff.
It's my dream to fly in a WW2 warbird, I don't even care which one at this point, they're all so rare and special. What a cool job this guy has
It can be done in Russia.. But maybe not so feasible for westerners these days..
In the UK there 2 seat conversions of the Spitfire, Hurricane, Mustang and (Spanish merlin powered) 109s. They each cost about £3000 for a 20 minute flight - where the passenger is allowed to take control for a few minutes.
@@suprlite Here in Canada it's really not that hard if you have the cash to fork over. Though I've heard general aviation is much less healthy in western Europe. Isn't it the same for Russia?
8:18 that sound is so beautiful ❤️🔥
Thanks for providing this material. I often asked myself, why are there no interviews with modern 109 pilots? Thanks again for rectifying this. It is invaluable to scholars of historic aviation.
Fantastisches Flugzeug! Bei uns in der Halle liegt noch ein DB-605 Motor. LG aus Linz an der Donau! 🇦🇹😎👍🏔🍺💙🍀🍺🐺
Wieso "liegt" ?😅
@ Weil er leider nicht fliegt. Ist ein Motor aus einer bauchgelandeten Me-109 bei Linz an der Donau und er wurde nach dem Krieg in einer jetzt ehemaligen Kaserne vergraben mit einem JU-52 Sternmotor. Darüber hatten wir beim Morgensport öfters Beachvolleyball gespielt. Beide sind in einem bemerkenswert guten Zustand von außen her. Laut einem Piloten aus dem Hangar 10 auf Usedom wäre der DB-605 so um die 200.000 Euro wert in unrestauriertem Zustand. Wenn man daneben steht wirkt der schon ziemlich groß und schwer.
@wolfganggugelweith8760 wow.
Ja, ein beeindruckender Motor.
In Oberschleißheim, nördlich von München, ist die Außenstelle des Deutschen Museums.
Dort ist ebenfalls ein DB 605 auf einem Motorständer ausgestellt.
Trotz 35 L Hubraum ist er leichter als der 27 L Merlin.
Baut doch um den Motor eine 109er.
Das wäre ein Jahrzehnte Projekt.
PS
Ist der Motor ausgestellt und öffentlich zu besichtigen?
Grüße aus Bayern
@ Ja, ich war letztes Jahr in Oberschleissheim im Museum. Habe Verwandtschaft in Ismaning und München und habe das einmal wieder mit einem Besuch verbunden. Der Motor gehört einstweilen noch dem österreichischen Bundesdenkmalamt und wir vom Militärmuseumsverein wissen noch nicht, ob wir die beiden Motoren zur Ausstellung bekommen. Einmal schaun was wird.
@@wolfganggugelweith8760 Dankeschön für die Info und schönes Wochenende
6:52- Well. I'm pleased to see my bouncy landings in the 109 in IL2 are not that abnormal
You could see how it wants to spin over when starting. Just like War Thunder sim (me hitting the next barn).
Great job! This is one of the most facinating videos about the 109 I've ever seen! 🥰
Such a lovely aircraft! The M 109 is my favourite and it seems to be extremely well restored, it has to in order to fly! I envy the pilot that was is flying such iconic airplane and he is honoured to fly it. Thanks for sharing this very interesting video 👍👍👍
100% excellent interview.
Wow! Cool video. What a blast it must be to fly this old classic!
Fascinating and very well produced! Thanks so very much.
I heard someone liken these old prop fighters to half-tame wild stallions, that they require respect and skill to handle but if you manage to hold on they can give you the ride of your life.
The Bf 109 is a very sexy aircraft in terms of external graceful shapes, just like the FW 190 and Me 262 and P-51. Simply perfect engineering is reflected in the exterior.
You can't make a plane that look sexy & edgy at the same ti... Bf 109 appears.
Greatest piston warplane design ever.
It was a very early war design, it became fairly outdated towards the end of the war.
@@jeffk464 what? It did reach the limit of it's upgrade potential with last version, but it was never "outdated" until the end of the war, that is just not true
@@jeffk464 Pre war design, and in later stages of the war incompetent pilots were the biggest problem, not the plane, though it was close to outdated. Focke Wolf was an better alternative.
Did you actually just list sexy and graceful places without mentioning the Spitfire? 😮😮😮😮
Excellent interview!! Quite the experience I'm sure... Volker Bau, Klaus Plasa, Rick Volker and a few other present day 109 pilots are lucky guys. You have to a pretty impressive pilot to fly one of these aircraft, as well as to be trusted to fly one by the owner.
Merci pour toutes ces vidéos d'exception!
This is soooo good. Thanks to you both for stubbornly keeping it in English. So enlightening!
My grandfather flew the Bf 109 towards the end of the war, his job was to distract the escort fighters while the Fw190 took on the bombers.
His victory count stands at 27 and survived to fly for Lufthansa.
He loved to fly, when we used to ask him about his combat experience, all he would say is...I did my job and hope you never have to find out your self.
I was working in Manching for five years and it was always an honor to go into the Messerschmitt museum. I always loved history and these machines are a part of it. Once I was installing network ports in the hangar, when suddenly the hangar door opened and the BF-109 stood before. She has just landed and they asked me if I wanted to help roll it into the hangar. I was exited like a small child. I remember the roaring sound when the BF-109 flew over the airfields. Such a powerful and agressive sounding machine. They also allowed me to sit inside the cockpit of the 262, my favorite plane btw
Seems to me was flown by highest scoring Aces in History - By Far ! 👍
German (and Japanese) service doctrine was “fly until you die.” Allied air forces rotated their pilots as they had superiority in manpower reserves. It was something off a miracle for a German or Japanese pilot to survive the war.
The '109' is my favorite aircraft and the DB 60X my favorite aircraft engine.
200 flight hours are not much, although flight durations on this aircraft are rather short as it is only used for static and dynamic airshow displays.
Crosswind while takeoff and landing makes controlling it even more challenging.
8:13 Imagine this sound coming from hundreds of piston engine airplanes from the sky at the same time. The air must've been vibrating on the ground.
Volker Bau's comment about using the "cyclic" is a dead giveaway that his regular job involves flying helicopters.
Superb video! This pilot is a very lucky man 😉 Bf109 is one of my favourite ww2 aircraft. 5 years ago I saw a real one in a museum. That was fantastic! This starting procedure at 05:25 would be more accurate if the ground crew cranking up the DB605 engine...😁
The sound is different from that of a Merlin, but just as thrilling and visceral. Great aircraft!
@@jeremyprice679 absolutely a vicious sound. Would love to be in one of these things
Apparently the spanish made some 109s with the Merlin after the war
God i love keeping these old things alive, its so cool lol
Truly the Darth Vader of WW2 fighters: aggressive look, distinctive sound and lethal.
I would definitely buy one if it were possible.
The squared cockpit makes it look so mean and aggressive compared to say a spitfire or p51
My Grandfather was a fighter pilot in the Bf 109F.After shots down twice he became a pilot teacher.
Where did he fly operationally? Africa or Eastern Front?
@bobsakamanos4469 west front against Great Britain.
Great interview! Top questions!
My favorite WW2 airplane , it is so beautiful and the engine sounds like magic
It's not beautiful. The Spitfire was beautiful (and sounded better). This plane is many things, but it's not beautiful. The Fw 190 looks more beautiful.
@@lyndoncmp5751 🤡
Darn, he didn't say RPM and ATA, but when he says, with great seriousness, that it's an honor to fly the aircraft, that makes up for it. Indeed, and I thank Mr. Bau for his skill and professionalism to carry out such a task in honor of those who flew the 109 before him...
Almost certainly they operate below the original published limits.
Pilots of WWII had the ability to push beyond these limits, as the RPM was manually controlled, and not pitch governed.
@@Triple_J.1 I believe Mr. Bau said in the interview they operate at about 1/3 the limit, but it would've been interesting to hear the actual settings.
Thank You Volker and Chris absolutely brilliant presentation
lovely plane - I really don't know why the spitfire is said to be the most beautiful fighter - I thinks the 109 looks great.
I agree. But in matters of beauty, everything is in the eyes of the beholder. I love those straight lines while I am not fond of the rounded curves.
@@Verbindungs The Spit is quite fine in appearance and performance. Great planes the two of them. Early 109's like the E and F quite the lookers.
Both Look Beautiful ! Too bad that they were made for war !
Because the Spitfire actually IS the most beautiful. That's why it is called the most beautiful. It's not rocket science. 😊
@@lyndoncmp5751...the Most Beautiful, -is Always a matter of an Individual's likes and dislikes !
thank you all for bringing this to us, look at the condition of that machine, an hour to dip the oil 199 cleaning, and what a beautifull song she sings when she is playing. long may she continue to sing.
I built this Monogram model from a gift from my mother on Christmas as a young boy. I have had the aviation bug since the mid-1970s and am happy to live my dream of becoming a pilot today. I have always found the German WW2 aircraft works of art. So excited to see these still flying.
Love this. Thank you!
Pretty damn wonderful! Thanks for another great slice of hands-on history.
If any of y’all have seen a 109 or similar in person, you’ll know that its *tiny.* like comparable to a modern day TBM in scale, or smaller. Something like that thats about as heavy as any other period fighter is gonna be a brisk experience to say the least! Wing cube loading of a high degree.
I read a theory interview on flying the 109 years ago, probably from the same pilot! Controls are direct, it lives at the top end of speed, it changes direction like that 🫰. Its a wonder how this is the most mass produced fighter plane in history with as intense a nature as it has
Failure by the Luftwaffe RLM to source an adequate high altitude replacement in the timeframe required. FW-190 obviously an excellent fighter at or below around 20,000 feet, the BMW engine FW's struggled a bit at the higher altitudes versus allied V-12 fighters.
Well done ! I've heard and seen a very, very competent pilot talking about facts, always paired with respect and joy flying this bird ! thanks for the video !
beautiful German engineering
What always impresses me is how clean the start is on the fuel injected DB engines. No cloud of white smoke. Smoke on startup seems to be typical for the carbureted v-12 and radials. Beautiful airplane.
When you see white smoke during start up it's oil burning, not fuel.
It has nothing to do with the fuel sistem, for example the BMW 801 it's a radial engine and it has direct fuel injection, but when you engage the starter clutch, it smokes like a chimney; especially when cold, because of the oil accumulated in the lower cilinders.
@@mikemccaffrey3093 is that smoke from unfired fuel, or more likely oil in the cylinder?
Merlin and Allison V-12 all seem to blow smoke on start. Why are the DBs so clean?
@@mikemccaffrey3093 Oil should not leak past the valve seals, and the engine needs the oil pumped before starting so oil is not on the piston, or in the cylinder. Being inverted, it has a different pre flight you were not shown. The start you saw was likely a second start, after having been previously ran. My brother had a YAK aerobatic. It had a long preflight to get the oil out of the lower cylinders, the inverted V's had all the cylinders to be treated that way. US engines, the oil leaked down the valves into the head, and the oil either fouled the plugs, or burned off. Look at a FW190a cold start. Sometimes it would take several attempts as the engine would start and die, and as the cylinders fired the smoke could be substantial. All our radial were that way, just not as well photographed. Have fun
So this wasn’t a cold start? Ok that makes sense. Still a great engine in a beautiful airplane.
Exact questions, clear answers, combined with passion. Top!
I love how the 109 sounds, even over the Merlin.
It was good to hear the real engine. I've seen a 109 flying but I'm pretty sure that was a Spanish Buchon with a Merlin engine (as used in the 1969 Battle of Britain film) and it sounded exactly like a Spitfire.
@@EffequalsMA it sounds closer to a Griffon. It has a rougher edge and more guittaral sound. The Whine of the Supercharger you don't hear with Merlin's...
I would have loved to know what he thought about Finnish WW2 pilots who flew these from narrow and short make shift airports from middle of forrests with zero margin of error.
I guess he would say that the Finns had outstanding pilots. Its well known among experts.
Remember the Finnish pilot who never got hit?
Great Video, The Plane looks Magnificent 😊! Thanks for Sharing !
Thanks!
Thanks very much!
Wow! That was absolutely fabulous! Thank you so much for publishing this video!
Maybe the best ever video on the 109 ever ! More like this please...
I admire enormously these pilots because these warplanes are not recreational vehicles. Each flight is a danger in itself.
True, many men who were great pilots have met their end flying these WWII warbirds postwar. Takes tons of skill and some luck.
@@danconnolly2341 Not sure how true this is, but I remember reading a while back that the P-51 was an "MD killer" (Medical Doctor) because a number of them were purchased as post war surplus by MD's that were recreational pilots, who subsequently died in them because they're a lot more of a handful than a Cessna. Might be urban legend or a figment of someone's imagination, but it's interesting at least.
So emotional… just amazing video and the interview🥹
Absolutely a very great thank you for making this video!
Very interesting video!
Would recommend asking maintenance questions to maintenance technicians. Much more interesting answers from them as they understand the material better.
It's interesting to hear first hand about the marginal rudder authority of these comparatively early Bf 109 versions. Little wonder both that there were so many ground movement accidents and that design evolved into a larger fin/rudder (easier modification) going forward from the later G variants whilst the undercarriage (extremely difficult modification) remained essentially the same. One of your most enlightening videos!
I saw this aircraft fly at Duxford 2015 l was immediately impressed and l thought then this aeroplane meant business purposeful and designed to fight
A great interview thank you
Great episode . absolutely love the 109s
Really great job. Thanks all around.
Probably the best all around fighter of the war. Designed in the 30s and still a strong fighter at the end of the war.
I agree; it was easy to mass produce and once you got the hang of taking off, landings came easier! It was also easy to pull the wings for transport, and easy to get hits on enemy aircraft with the centrally mounted MG's and Cannons, and that DB605! (might be a 603, who knows?) they built it deliberately upside down, putting the crankshaft above the cly heads so they could mount that motor lower and give the pilot better visibility once airborne. Yes, me thinks overall the best tool for the job of putting cannon and MG bullets into another aircraft was for its day the 109, it was small, fast, maneuverable and could fight on 87 gasoline as well! Only problem was its lack of range, but it always was designed as a point interceptor from the get.
No that was the Spitfire. Great in 1939. Great in 1945.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Once both are in the air it always comes down to the pilot.
@@lyndoncmp5751
Around 14,000 more Me-109s were produced which eclipsed the Spitfire. For two planes fairly evenly matched the 109 had the numbers.
@@lyndoncmp5751No it wasn’t the Spitfire. The Bf109 outperformed the Spitfire until ‘42 when the Spit got a dual stage supercharger and high octane gas from the United States. Only then did it become debatable which aircraft was better.
“And what’s the fastest you’ve taken the aircraft?”
“In Europe the speed limit is…” he says with a cheeky smile on his face.
i don't see a smile there, so...
The red 7 is back in the air after the heavy incident? Fantastic! 🎉
What a beautiful restoration!
I can imagine it would be an honour to fly this lovable Aircraft. It's a very popular Aircraft. I've never seen this up close and personal but that would be exciting in itself. I know there is many popular Aircraft WWII up to present but this one is up there with the Greatest. well done Willie Messerschmitt! From Australia.🙂🇭🇲🦘👍✌️👋