Bf 109 F-4

Bf 109 F-4

Bf 109 F-2

Bf 109 F-4/trop

Bf 109 F-4

Bf 109 F-2

Bf 109 F-4/trop

Germany

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.3	4.0	4.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:18 000

Purchase:47 000

This page is about the German fighter Bf 109 F-4. For the American version, see Bf 109 F-4 (USA). For other versions, see Bf 109 (Family).

Description

The Bf 109 F-4 is a rank III German fighter with a battle rating of 4.3 (AB) and 4.0 (RB/SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

General info

Flight performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
641	624	11600	20.0	20.7	16.4	16.4	363
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
691	665	11600	18.1	19.0	24.5	20	363

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		460	~12	~6

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 450	< 390	< 450	> 715

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,950 m	1,185 hp	1,333 hp

Engine performance

Engine
Engine Name			Number present
Daimler-Benz DB-601E 12-cylinder			1
Engine characteristics
Weight (each)		Type	Cooling
610 kg		Inline	Water
Engine power (Stock)
Mode	Max		Take-off
Arcade	1,065 hp		1,212 hp
Realistic/Simulator	1,053 hp		1,200 hp
Engine power (Upgraded)
Mode	Max		Take-off
Arcade	1,305 hp		1,452 hp
Realistic/Simulator	1,170 hp		1,318 hp

WEP Duration
Arcade		Realistic/Simulator
25 seconds		Infinite

Survivability and armour

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Bf 109 F-4 is armed with:

• 1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, nose-mounted (200 rpg)
• 2 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

Suspended armament

The Bf 109 F-4 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 4 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (200 kg total)
• 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb (250 kg total)
• 2 x 15 mm MG 151/15 cannons, wing-mounted (gunpods) (125 rpg = 250 total)

Usage in battles

The Bf 109 F-4's instrument panel.

A very good energy fighter for its rank, the Bf 109 F-4 can out climb most opponents due to its high power to weight ratio. However, use of WEP must be limited or else the engine will overheat, although manual engine control can remedy this. Despite that, it can Boom & Zoom and Rope-a-Dope well, although one must watch out for severe control stiffening around 650 km/h.

Unfortunately, the F-4’s 15 mm additional gondolas do not increase the damage output much at all, while reducing flight performance. However, it is recommended you at least use it once to see how effective it is because depending on how you play it can really boost your kill abilities. For example, if you prefer to get into a dogfight, the additional weaponry will not be noticeably effective. However, if you fight in the vertical, where level speed and agility are not necessarily most important, the additional MG 151’s can mean the difference between a kill or nothing at all.

The Bf 109 F-4 is not a great plane when compared to the other Rank 3 planes, but it is effective nonetheless. Do not try to kill a plane by coming behind it and giving them all you got- you don't have much. Instead, try to scare your prey into a turn by peppering it with your 7.92mm MG 17s, and then blow its wing off with the cannon.

Word to the wise: the F-4 is a fairly good turner for its class; if you are chased by a F4U, P-51, P-47D, F6F or Typhoon, turn and destroy. The forward wing slats give the F-4 an exceptionally short turning radius. However, to survive a tangle with a Spitfire is an ordeal. The best strategy would be to scissor until the Spitfire either runs out of ammo or overshoots you and then try to dive and outrun it. Then, repeat. Do not try to out-climb the Spitfire (its community nickname is the Spacefire for a reason), but try to outrun it in a dive. The Spitfire Mk Vc is superior to the F-4, so avoid them.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 7 mm	ETC 50/VIIId
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 7 mm MGs	ETC 500/IXb I	R1 modification
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 20 mm		Offensive 15 mm
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 20 mm cannons		New 15 mm cannons

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Nimble, compared to Russian and American counterparts
• Its 20 mm is lethal if the shells hit
• Relatively good climb rate, possibly as good as a Spitfire or a maxed-out P-39 Airacobra
• Good sustained turn
• Faster than most opponents, such as the Spitfire Mk V, Yak-3, and La-5, especially at altitude
• Good performance at medium altitudes
• Better than the F-4 tropical variant due to engine power.
• The 15 mm cannons have quite high penetration with the armoured targets belt. They are very effective against soft targets.

Cons:

• Overheats quickly
• Additional armament can critically reduce performance, especially in a dogfight
• Poor cockpit visibility
• Prone to catching fire when chasing a bomber
• Gun pods can't load stealth belts, thus giving the user away in a surprise attack
• Turns sluggishly at speeds under 190 km/h

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

In-game description

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a single-seat monoplane fighter used by the Luftwaffe before and during WWII. It was used as a fighter, interceptor, high-altitude interceptor, fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.

The Bf 109 F variant, or "Friedrich", was a replacement for the Emil. Friedrich reached front-line units in the Autumn of 1941 and, by the middle of the following year, almost two-thirds of Luftwaffe fighter regiments were equipped with the variant.

Media

• Skins and camouflages for the Bf 109 F-4 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.