Hobby Master HA8757 | Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6 J-704, 7 Fliegerkompanie, Swiss Air Force, 1944

General Background:

The first Bf-109G “Gustav” entered service in March 1942. New features were a pressurized cockpit with three larger guns mounted on the nose and none on the wings but could be field mounted. The Bf-109G could overheat causing oil leaks; starting a fire forcing the pilot to bail out. The Gustav was produced in many variants including long-range fighters, recon fighters and bomber destroyers. The Bf-109G-6 lacked a pressurized cockpit but was the most numerous Bf-109 produced and the first to carry 13mm machine guns; equivalent to the American 50 caliber Browning.

The Aircraft:

In 1940 the Swiss Air Force purchased 12 Me-109 G-6s from Germany and added 2 more captured aircraft. Messerschmitt Bf 109 G6 SAF J-704 Werk Nr 163245 Fliegerkompanie 7, joined the Swiss Air Force on May 26, 1944. The aircraft originally was Stkz RQ-BI. After two engine failure emergency landings, a lost canopy during flight and a crash into other aircraft on the ground. J-704 only had 57 hours flight time so it was repaired, repainted and fitted with a tall tail and withdrawn from service on February 2, 1947.

Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6 specifications
Production timeline – February 1943 – October 1943
Number produced – 5,000+
Dimensions
Length – 9.04m (29ft (8in)
Wingspan – 9.92m (32ft 6.5in)
Height – 2.5m (8ft 2.25in)
Weight
Empty – 2,700kg (5,900lb)
Operational – 3,400kg (7,500lb)
Performance
Powerplant – Daimler-Benz DB605A-1, 12 cylinder inverted vee, liquid cooled, 1,475hp
Maximum speed – 640km/h (398mph)
Range – 850km (528miles)
Service ceiling – 12,000m (39,370ft)
Armament
2 X 13mm (.51in) synchronized MG 131 machine guns with 300 rounds each
1 X 20mm (.78in) MG 151/20 cannon as centerline Motorkanone firing through propeller hub with 200 rounds
Or
1 X 30mm (1.18in) MK 108 cannon as centerline Motorkanone with 65 round per gun (G-6/U4 variant)
2 X 20mm MG 151/20 under-wing cannon pods with 135 round per gun (Rustsatz V option)
Rockets - 2 X 21 cm (8 in) Wfr. Gr. 21 rockets (G-6 with BR21)
Bombs
1 X 250 kg (551 lb) bomb
Or
4 X 50 kg (110 lb) bombs
Or
1 X 300 litre (79 US gal) drop tank