Willy Messerschmitt
Aerospace Engineer, Aircraft designer
1898 – 1978
Who was Willy Messerschmitt?
Wilhelm Emil "Willy" Messerschmitt was a German aircraft designer and manufacturer. He was born in Frankfurt am Main, the son of Baptist Ferdinand Messerschmitt and his second wife, Anna Maria née Schaller.
Probably Messerschmitt's single most important design was the Messerschmitt Bf 109, designed in 1934 with the collaboration of Walter Rethel. The Bf 109 became the most important fighter in the Luftwaffe as Germany rearmed prior to World War II. To this day, it remains the most-produced fighter in history, with some 35,000 built. Another Messerschmitt aircraft, first called "Bf 109R", purpose-built for record setting, but later redesignated Messerschmitt Me 209, broke the absolute world airspeed record and held the world speed record for propeller-driven aircraft until 1969. His firm also produced the first jet-powered fighter to enter service — the Messerschmitt Me 262, although Messerschmitt himself did not design it.
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- Born
- Jun 26, 1898
Frankfurt - Nationality
- Germany
- Profession
- Education
- Technical University of Munich
- Died
- Sep 15, 1978
Munich
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
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"Willy Messerschmitt." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/willy_messerschmitt>.
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