The Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun (English: “Typhoon”) was a German single-engine sport and touring aircraft, developed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in the 1930s. The Bf 108 was of all-metal construction.

Originally designated the M 37, the aircraft was designed as a four-seat sports/recreation aircraft for competition in the 4th Challenge International de Tourisme (1934). The M 37 prototype flew first in spring 1934, powered by a 250 PS (247 hp, 184 kW) Hirth HM 8U 8.0 litre displacement, air-cooled inverted-V8 engine, which drove a three-blade propeller.

Although it was outperformed by several other aircraft in the competition, the M 37’s overall performance marked it as a popular choice for record flights. Particular among these traits was its low fuel consumption rate, good handling, and superb takeoff and landing characteristics.

The Bf 108A first flew in 1934, followed by the Bf 108B in 1935. The Bf 108B used the substantially larger, 12.67 litre displacement Argus As 10 air-cooled inverted V8 engine. The nickname Taifun (German for “typhoon”) was given to her own aircraft by Elly Beinhorn, a well-known German pilot, and was generally adopted.

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 or 2
  • Capacity: 2 or 3 passengers
  • Length: 8.29 m (27 ft 2 in)
  • Wingspan: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
  • Height: 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
  • Wing area: 16.4 m2 (177 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 806 kg (1,777 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,350 kg (2,976 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Argus As 10C V-8 inverted air-cooled piston engine, 174 kW (233 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed variable-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 305 km/h (190 mph, 165 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 260 km/h (160 mph, 140 kn)
  • Landing speed: 85 km/h (53 mph; 46 kn)
  • Range: 1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi) at 250 km/h (160 mph; 130 kn)
  • Service ceiling: 6,200 m (20,300 ft) (with 3 pax + 50 kg (110 lb) baggage)
  • Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 3 minutes 12 seconds
  • 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 7 minutes 30 seconds
  • 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 14 minutes
  • 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in 22 minutes
  • 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in 39 minutes
  • Wing loading: 82.3 kg/m2 (16.9 lb/sq ft)
  • Power/mass: 0.133 kW/kg (0.081 hp/lb)

Messerschmitt AG was a German share-ownership limited, aircraft manufacturing corporation named after its chief designer Willy Messerschmitt from mid-July 1938 onwards, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, in particular the Bf 109 and Me 262.

The company survived in the post-war era, undergoing a number of mergers and changing its name from Messerschmitt to Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm before being bought by Deutsche Aerospace (DASA, now part of Airbus) in 1989.

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