P144017 ME-309 V4

The Messerschmitt Me-309 was a low-wing single-seat fighter with an all-metal German construction. The drive was provided by a single Daimler-Benz DB603G engine with a capacity of 1726 HP. The prototype flight took place in July 1942. Overall, only 4 prototypes were built, and the Me-309 never entered mass production. The first conceptual and design work on the Me-309 began at the Messerschmitt plant as early as 1940, during the Battle of Britain, when it turned out that the British Supermarine Spitfires in many aspects of air combat were superior to the Me-109. The new design uses many innovations, including: a chassis with a front wheel, a completely new engine or an airtight pilot's cabin. However, due to the fact that the Luftwaffe did not prioritize the Me-309 project, work on it was delayed. What's more, in 1941 the mass production of the very successful Fw-190 started, which put into question the further development of the Me-309 design. Eventually, in 1943, work on it was abandoned.