Messerschmitt AG
Quick Summary
Messerschmitt AG was a German aircraft manufacturer founded in 1938, evolving from the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke. The company was led by Willy Messerschmitt, a prominent aircraft engineer who had previously designed gliders and sailplanes.
The company's most famous aircraft was the Bf 109, a single-seat fighter that became a primary aircraft for the German Luftwaffe during World War II. Approximately 35,000 Bf 109s were produced. Other notable military aircraft designed by Messerschmitt included the Me 110, Me 163 (a rocket-propelled aircraft), and the Me 262, Germany's first operational jet fighter.
After the war, Messerschmitt's firm produced prefabricated housing and sewing machines during a ban on aircraft production. Willy Messerschmitt later advised the Spanish government and resumed aircraft production in 1958. The company eventually merged to form Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm.
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