Specifications compared
| Variant compared | Spitfire Mk I | Bf 109 E-3 |
|---|---|---|
| First flight | 5 Mar 1936 | 29 May 1935 |
| Entered service | 4 Aug 1938 | Feb 1937 (type) |
| Max speed | 362 mph (583 km/h) at 18,500 ft | 354 mph (570 km/h) at 16,400 ft (5,000 m) |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce Merlin II, 1,030 hp | Daimler-Benz DB 601A, 1,100 PS (1,085 hp) |
| Armament | 8 × .303 in Browning machine guns | 2 × 7.92 mm MG 17 and 2 × 20 mm MG FF cannon |
| Number built | 20,351+ (all marks) | c. 34,000 (all versions, 1936–45) |
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
Two modern monoplanes
The Bf 109 flew first, on 29 May 1935, and entered Luftwaffe service in February 1937. Its first prototype flew on a Rolls-Royce Kestrel, as German engines were not ready.
The Spitfire flew on 5 March 1936 and reached the RAF in August 1938. Both were small, all-metal, single-seat monoplanes with liquid-cooled V-12 engines and retractable undercarriage.
Both designs grew far beyond their 1940 form. The Bf 109 moved to the DB 605 engine in the G series, and the Spitfire from the Merlin to the Griffon.
Performance in the Battle of Britain
The Bf 109E-3 carried two 7.92 mm machine guns over the engine and a 20 mm MG FF cannon in each wing. The Spitfire I had eight .303 in machine guns. Top speeds were within a few miles an hour of each other.
The Daimler-Benz engine used direct fuel injection. A Bf 109 could push over into a steep dive, while a carburetted Merlin cut out under negative g. Spitfire pilots had to roll before diving, which cost them seconds.
Range and role
On internal fuel the Bf 109E had a combat radius of about 300 km (190 miles). Flying from northern France, that left little time over London. It was also tied to escorting bombers, a job it was not designed for.
The Spitfire fought over home ground, close to its own bases. A damaged Spitfire could often land in England; a damaged 109 faced the Channel.
The record and the myths
With 34,248 built, the Bf 109 is the most produced fighter in history. More than 20,351 Spitfires followed. Both types stayed in production to the end of the war and were improved mark by mark.
Neither aircraft was simply better. Each held the edge in different conditions, and height, position and surprise usually decided a fight.
Spain kept building Bf 109 derivatives, the HA-1112 Buchón, until 1958. Biggin Hill and Duxford each show one beside their genuine Emil.
Where to see a Spitfire and a Bf 109
IWM Duxford, the Royal Air Force Museum London and the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands all show a genuine Bf 109 alongside Spitfires. Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar pairs its Spitfires with a Bf 109E and a Spanish-built Buchón.
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biggin Hill Heritage HangarWesterham, Greater London | £49 | 17 | A rotating dozen-ish airworthy and in-rebuild Spitfires plus a Hurricane and Buchón; the 'Sit in a Spitfire' add-on is the affordable… |
| IWM DuxfordCambridge, Cambridgeshire | £29 | 146 | Concorde 101 (G-AXDN), the pre-production development aircraft and the fastest Concorde of them all at Mach 2.23 — plus an SR-71A… |
| Royal Air Force Museum LondonLondon, Greater London | Free | 88 | Avro Lancaster R5868 'S-Sugar' — 137 operations, the RAF's highest-scoring surviving heavy — under the same roof as a Vulcan, a… |
| Royal Air Force Museum MidlandsShifnal, Shropshire | Free | 78 | TSR-2 XR220, one of two survivors of the most gifted aircraft Britain ever cancelled, sharing floor space with the stainless-steel… |
| Spitfire Visitor Centre, Hangar 42, BlackpoolBlackpool, Lancashire | £12 | 6 | The Ops Room recreation and the £5 sit-in-a-Spitfire photography session — the cheapest Spitfire seat time in the country. |
| Yorkshire Air MuseumYork, North Yorkshire | £17 | 54 | Halifax 'Friday the 13th' — the world's only complete Halifax reconstruction, honouring the type that flew from this very field —… |
Frequently asked
Was the Spitfire better than the Bf 109?
Not clearly. In 1940 the Bf 109E climbed and dived better and carried cannon; the Spitfire I turned better. Later marks of each traded the lead.
Why could the Bf 109 out-dive the Spitfire?
Its Daimler-Benz engine had direct fuel injection. Early Merlins used a carburettor and cut out under negative g, so Spitfire pilots had to roll before diving.
Where can I see a Spitfire and a Bf 109 together?
IWM Duxford, the Royal Air Force Museum London, the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands and Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar all hold both. Several other Bf 109s on show are replicas.