BF 109G-6 USAAF W Nr 166 133 1:72

Sky Guardians 1:72 Scale Metal Die-Cast - Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6– Length: 4.88" Wingspan: 5.37”

Designed in 1934 and first flown in September 1935, the Bf 109 was the standard Luftwaffe fighter for nearly a decade. In July 1938 the firm Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG was redesignated Messerschmitt AG, so later Messerschmitt designs carried the prefix "Me", instead of "Bf". After WW II began, the Luftwaffe used the Bf 109 extensively over Europe, North Africa and the Russian Front. When the U.S. began bombing German targets, production of Bf 109s was greatly increased in an attempt to provide enough interceptors to blunt AAF attacks. Between 1936 and the end of WW II, approximately 33,000 Bf 109s were built. After the war, production continued in Czechoslovakia until 1949; and a Spanish version of the Bf 109 was produced until 1958.

The limitations of the Bf 109 design appeared with the Bf 109G series, which began production in early 1942. The Bf 109G had a higher top speed, but was less maneuverable than earlier versions. Some later Gs had bulges in front of the cockpit to accommodate the larger 13mm MG 131 machine guns, which added further weight and drag. Pilots of the Bf 109G found it increasingly difficult to fly against more capable aircraft such as the P-51D "Mustang." Despite its limitations, the G series was the most numerous of the Bf 109 types and remained in production into 1945.