Messerschmitt Bf 109F4

Plane: Messerschmitt Bf 109F4

Mass: 2793kg

Engine: Dailmer Benz DB 601E inline

Horsepower:  1375 crankshaft / 1230hp max brake horsepower

Wing Area: 16.1 meters^2

Weapons:

Ammo Belting:

MG 17: ap,ap,ap,ap,ap,tracer

MG 151/20: ap, mine, hei (tracer), mine, hei (tracer)

Stall Speed: 136kph clean/123kph dirty

Best Climb Speed IAS: 274kph IAS

Maximum Reasonable AoA: 14.0 degrees

Top Speed Chart:

WEP Top Speed: 530kph

Climb Rate chart:

Roll Rate:

Turn Rate: (sustained) Flaps Up:   205kph, 126m radius, 26 deg/sec

Turn Rate: (sustained) Flaps Down: 160kph, 100m radius, 25 deg/sec

Visibility:  Decent all around except for behind.

Control Feel vs Speed:  Good control feel, elevator trim needed at times to get maximum AoA, at high speed roll is poor (but better than Spit1)

WEP power boost percent: 9%

Safe WEP time: About 5 minutes

General Comments:

The Messerschmitt Bf109E4 had a number of areas that could be improved upon.  The Bf109F4 is the fruit of most of these advances.  First, the plane was considerably cleaned up.  Most of the speed gains were due to aerodynamic improvements.  Second, the wing was redesigned, especially around the wingtips.  With the rounded wingtips, induced drag was reduced, which helped turning performance.  Thirdly, a 260hp brake horsepower increase meant that the plane had over 27% extra power over its' E4, useful in flying faster, accelerating better, and overcoming drag while turning.  Finally, all this was achieved without significant weight gain (about 173kg, or about the same mass as two grown men).

The result was a plane that was all around better than it's predecessor.  From a WW2OL standpoint, the main benefits are significant speed improvement (35kph on the deck with WEP), improved climb, and improved turning ability. 

Get good at this plane, as it's the most common axis plane during the campaign.  The Bf109F is often researched quickly, and the Fw190 doesn't show up until much later in the campaign (and then mostly in smaller numbers).  You will do most of your flying in this plane.

This plane can take on any plane the French have and win.  The only planes the French have that are faster than the Bf109F4 is the P38 and P39, and neither turn as well as the Bf109F4.  The British have it better, however, the Bf109F4 is significantly faster than any of their rides until the Spit9 comes out.

One of the more interesting attributes of the Messerschmitt series of aircraft is the leading edge wing slats.  These are devices that pop open at high angles of attack to provide the outboard wing section additional lift, at the cost of additional drag.  It is due to these devices that the Bf109E4 has a stall speed close to the Spitfire despite having significantly less wing area.  And it is these devices that allow you to barely turn with Spitfires (flaps down) and allows you to turnfight D520s.

A rather notable change is the weapons layout.  The machinegun ammo was halved, while the twin wing cannon were replaced with a single (but better) centerline cannon.  The ammunition was increased from 120 cannon rounds total to 200.  However, one problem this plane has is getting WW2OL credited kills.  Since most of your shots will be direct-6 shots, and because this firepower (despite the cannon) is rather anemic, you will find yourself getting 3:1 damage to kill ratios.  This can be especially frustrating vs a maneuvering airplane, or one that is shooting at a friend.

Fly this like a super-109E, and use the climb rate advantage to good effect.  Don't be afraid to run, especially since you're faster than most of the Allied planes.  Two notes:  1) you cannot outrun a Spit9.  2) H75/H81/D520 will stay with you in a dive.  This plane dominates the opposition until the Spit9 comes out.

Unlike the Bf109E4, the Bf109F4 *can* turn with a Spitfire in a flat-turn.  The reasons are due to the cleaner airframe (lower drag) and more power, and the flaps.  Sustained turn rate is a function of airspeed and G load.  The higher the drag, the lower both will get.  The more power, the higher both will get.  The reason why the Bf109F4 turns better than the Bf109E4 is because it's less draggy, and has more power.  Although both plane's instantaneous turn rates at speed are similar, the Bf109F4 can overcome more of its drag while turning, leading to a better sustained turn than the Spit.

However, unless you use flaps, you will lose to the Spitfire in a flatturn.  The Bf109's flaps are the aileron variety, which are the 2nd best (of the common types) for maneuvering (the best being Fowler-style flaps, like you see on an airliner or P38).  This means that unlike the split-flap variety, you get the benefit of increased lift without as much of a drag increase.  The Bf109F4 gains two advantages when flaps are lowered: 1) smaller turn radius (103 meters vs 115 or so for the spitfire), 2) increased turn rate (25deg/sec, same as Spitfire).  This means you can match Spits in turns if he doesn't start with an E advantage, and you have a smaller radius, meaning if your circles have the same center, he will have difficulty shooting you even if he gets behind you.

But there are two big disadvantages:  1) you are low and slow.  Low and slow means dead if another enemy aircraft shows up, or if you are turning near anti-aircraft emplacements. 2) In order to get your radius so small, you fly slower than the Spit (160kph vs 190kph for the Spit1).  This means he has an energy reserve to allow him to do a vertical yoyo that you will not be able to follow.  Also, the low-speed on-the-edge handling of the 109, esp. at the 13-14 degrees AoA this requires makes it very tricky to do maneuvers.  One wrong aileron movement and you will flop out of the sky.  The Spitfire, however, has no problem flying this close to the edge.

Thus while it is possible to turn with a Spit, I recommend against it unless you are confident in your slow flying ability, are away from likely enemy aircraft to interfere, and feel that you are the better pilot.

Specific Matchup Comments

Bf109F4 vs Hurricane (either):  Your speed advantage is extreme.  Getting away from this plane should not be a problem unless you were foolish enough to get low and slow.  Treat these planes like you did in the 109E4.

Bf109F4 vs Spit Mk 1:  Much easier to handle than in the 109E4 due to the improvements in your ride.  Still, treat this plane with respect.

Bf109F4 vs Spit Mk 5:  The advantages over the 109E4 this plane had are largely neutralized.  However, this plane will shoot you down more than any other plane until the Spit9 shows up.  Again handle this plane like the Bf109E4 handled the Spit Mk1.  One advantage you do have is a 50kph speed advantage on the deck with WEP.  Keep that in mind if things get bad and you have some room to dive.

Bf109F4 vs Spit Mk 9:  This plane is the bane of 109F existance.  All the advantages the Bf109F4 has over the Spit1, this plane has over the Bf109F4.  There's a reason this plane gets more than a 2:1 kill/loss ratio vs the 109F4.  The two biggest disadvantages are 1) climb rate (the Spit9 has a 5m/s climb rate advantage until 4km alt) 2) acceleration (the Spit9 has a 15% thrust-to-weight advantage at 300kph on the deck).  Just when you think you have the Spit9 made, he does a seemingly impossible vertical maneuver then drops in on your six.  Oh, and it's faster across the board (until 9km), so running away is tricky.  To top it all off, it's often hard to tell if a particular Spitfire is a Mk 5 or Mk 9 until you get close.  My suggestion is to try to gain an E advantage and maintain it (tough to maintain with a climb rate deficit), and if he gets co-e, go for scissors (even the mighty Mk9 is outrolled by the 109F at slow speeds).  Oh, and try to take advantage of that false sense of security most Spitfire pilots get when flying the Spit9!

Bf109F4 vs H75:  Even easier than in the Bf109E4, although again keep in mind your inferior roll rate and the fact Hawks can dive with you.

Bf109F4 vs H81:  For some reason these planes do quite well vs the Bf109E4, despite being slower, having a poorer climb rate and acceleration, and the fact the 109F can turn with it.  The H81's biggest problems are its weight and acceleration.  Energy fight this plane, and if that fails, flatturn him (with flaps down when you get slow).  I've routinely outturned H81s in the Bf109F4, although all the usual issues with turnfighting apply (getting low and slow in hostile airspace).  Maybe it's because most LW pilots aren't used to being able to turn with an opponent, and try to scissors instead (where the H81 can keep up much better than the Spitfire).  The Bf109F4 *should* be the better plane than the H81, at least on paper.

Bf109F4 vs D520:  D520s used to be looked down upon by some LW pilots due to the inferior speed and turning ability.  Then new data on the plane's performance was found and the plane's flight model revised to closer match reality.  It turns out that the D520 was a much better plane than originally thought, and is superior to the Bf109E4 in everything but speed and climb.  However, the Bf109F is a different animal.  Sure, the D520 will outturn you eventually in a flat turnfight, but if you chose to stick your nose vertical, your superior climbing ability will soon give you an advantage.  In addition, you are 70kph faster in a sustained chase, so you have many more options for disengaging than the Bf109E. 

Bf109F4 vs P39:  On paper, the Bf109F4 dominates the P39.  However, the P39 is like a faster D520 that can't turn, and will often be flown like one by good pilots.  You'll either find these planes (if they're ever RDPed in a campaign) as ground attack, or at higher altitudes.  Be very wary of a high altitude P39, as it's being flown by a good pilot.  One important detail is that the P39 can dive very well, and is faster on the deck than a Bf109F4, so don't try to run away without taking precautions first.  You do, however, massively outturn a P39.

Bf109F4 vs P38:  Trouble.  Sure the Bf109F4 can outturn P38s with ease in a turnfight, however, they have an awesome gun package that is very effective in a chase, and have an annoying habit of being able to hold their nose vertically for longer than other planes, making rope-a-dopes dangerous.  The biggest issue, however, is the P38 is much faster than the Bf109F4 on the deck (by about 35kph).  If you're running away and one of these gives chase you're in trouble.  The P38 has arguably the best long-range guns package in the game, and thus will pick you apart in a chase.  Fortunately these birds don't turn very well, and make *huge* targets.  Also, I suspect that the French leadership aren't very impressed with this ride, so you might not ever have to worry about running away from this particularly troublesome plane.