In the development of various heavy weapons, the German Government clearly placed far greater importance on the development of aircraft.
After all, tanks were subject to too many terrain restrictions, while aircraft were unaffected by terrain and limited only by the weather.
Moreover, all kinds of aircraft could carry out missions such as transport, air support, airborne drops behind enemy lines, and long-range bombing. Among all heavy weapons, they were the most versatile.
In the research and development of military aircraft, one aircraft manufacturer had risen above the rest: the local military-industrial enterprise now known as the Bavaria Aircraft Factory.
The aircraft factory might not have been well known, but its new name a few years later—Messerschmitt Aircraft Factory—would become truly famous during World War II.
As early as the previous year, the German Government had privately solicited designs for a new generation of fighter aircraft. The design selected by the German Government was the Be109 single-engine, single-seat, single-wing, all-metal piston fighter designed by the Bavaria Aircraft Factory's designer, Messerschmitt.
This conceptual aircraft was also called the Bf109. That name might sound unfamiliar, because the Bavaria Aircraft Factory would change its name to the Messerschmitt Aircraft Factory a few years later, and the Bf109 would also be known as the Me109. It was Germany's main fighter during World War II, remained in service until the end of the war, fought from Europe all the way to Africa, and participated in every campaign Germany waged.
The length of time this aircraft remained in service alone was enough to show just how outstanding the design philosophy it embodied had been.
Precisely because the German Government saw such promise in the aircraft's design, the moment it announced its vigorous development of military industry, the Bavaria Aircraft Factory received its attention and was immediately