Messerschmitt AG
Messerschmitt AG stands as one of the most prominent German aircraft manufacturers of the 20th century, renowned for iconic World War II designs such as the Bf 109 fighter and the revolutionary Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Post-1945, the firm was dissolved under Allied occupation but re-emerged; it merged with Bölkow in 1968 to form Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), later absorbed into Deutsche Aerospace (DASA) in 1989, ultimately contributing to today's Airbus through successive consolidations.
History
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Its prehistory traces back to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG (BFW), founded in February 1916 when MAN AG and several banks acquired the struggling Otto-Flugzeugwerke to establish a new aviation entity in Augsburg, Bavaria. Initially focused on license production (e.g., Albatros aircraft) due to wartime demands, BFW faced post-World War I challenges under the Treaty of Versailles restrictions on German aviation.
The company was reformed in 1926 as a joint-stock entity (from Udet-Flugzeugbau GmbH), with early involvement from BMW AG. On 25 March 1926, Messerschmitt Flugzeugbau GmbH (founded in 1923 in Bamberg) was formed from the “Messerschmitt-Flugzeugbau” and the “Sportflug GmbH” and in 1928 it merged with the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in Augsburg. In 1927, Willy Messerschmitt had joined the BFW as chief designer and engineer, bringing innovative concepts from his earlier independent work on gliders and light aircraft (e.g., M 17 and M 18). He assembled a skilled design team and gradually dominated the firm's direction, despite setbacks including bankruptcy in 1931 triggered by the crash-related cancellation of orders for the M 20 airliner and personal animosity with Reich Aviation Ministry head Erhard Milch.
Revived in 1933 amid rearmament, BFW achieved major success with the Bf 108 touring aircraft and especially the Bf 109 fighter (winning the 1935 Luftwaffe contest), cementing Messerschmitt's influence. On 11 July 1938, the company was officially renamed Messerschmitt AG, with Willy Messerschmitt appointed chairman and managing director—reflecting his control and the shift to "Me" prefixes for new designs. During World War II, Messerschmitt AG became central to Luftwaffe production, yielding the Bf 109 (and its variants), Bf 110 heavy fighter, Me 210/410, and pioneering Me 262 jet fighter.
Post-WWII
After World War II, the factory was largely dismantled and subsequently dissolved, after a small car, a microcar, and sewing machines had been manufactured from remaining stock. The German aircraft manufacturing industry, which had been the world's leading manufacturer of aircraft, came to a complete standstill. The stolen single-engine P.1101 fighter was acquired by the Bell Corporation, slightly modified, and used to build an aircraft powered by an Allison J45 A-17 turbojet engine. This aircraft was named the Bell X-5 and first flew on 20 June 1951.
In 1953, Professor Willy Messerschmitt moved to Spain, where he designed, among other things, the HA 200 jet trainer. When aircraft manufacturing was permitted again in West Germany in 1955, he returned and began licensed production, including the production of the F-104 Starfighter for the Luftwaffe of the Bundeswehr, and contributed to the design and development of the VJ 101 C vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. In 1968, the new company merged with the company of his former employee, Ludwig Bölkow, to form Messerschmitt-Bölkow GmbH.
