Arrival of Eagles: Luftwaffe Landings in Britain 1939-1945 by Andy Saunders

Author:Andy Saunders [Saunders, Andy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HISTORY / Military / Aviation
ISBN: 9781909808393
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing
Published: 2014-10-18T21:00:00+00:00

Included in the suite of official RAE photographs was this image of the cockpit in which the gun-breech aperture left by the removal of the MG 151 cannon can be seen clearly.

Also at Farnborough, and crucially as it later turned out, the engine-mounted MG 151 cannon was stripped out for a detailed look at this newly-encountered weapon. As a result, a large aperture between the engine bay and cockpit was left by the removal of the gun due to the fact that the breech end of the cannon protruded into the cockpit well. Compensating ballast in the form of lead shot sewn into long canvas sleeves was added in its place and some effort was made to blank off the opening into the engine bay but sealing gaskets and bulkheads were left out. Otherwise, the Messerschmitt’s damaged coolant system was repaired and the radiators overhauled and pressure tested.

What the Royal Aircraft Establishment now had was an airworthy Messerschmitt 109 F and what the Royal Air Force wanted was to know how it performed in the air against the Spitfire. It was essential, therefore, to assess its combat strengths and weaknesses. Repainted in RAF markings and given the serial number ES906, the Messerschmitt was test flown at RAE Farnborough on 19 September 1941 before it was delivered on 11 October to the Air Fighting Development Unit at RAF Duxford for comparative tests against the latest marks of Spitfire. So much, though, for obvious RAF interest in the Messerschmitt 109, but what about the intelligence value of its pilot, a relatively high-ranking Luftwaffe fighter leader and a high-scoring pilot?

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