The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was the Luftwaffe’s principal fighter aircraft during the Battle of Britain. It could outclimb and outgun the RAF’s Hurricanes and Spitfires. However, its limited range allowed pilots only 20 minutes flying time during raids over south-east England.
This Bf 109E, flown by Leutnant Wolfgang Teumer, was shot down by a No. 66 Squadron Spitfire and force-landed at RAF Manston on 27 November 1940. It was repaired using parts from other shot-down Bf 109E’s and test flown by RAF pilots to gain information about its advanced capabilities. One of only a few original Messerschmitt Bf 109Es in existence, this example forms part of the Museum’s ‘Fighter Four’ display, a unique collection of the four principal single-seat fighters engaged in the Battle of Britain, each a genuine survivor of that conflict.
