#7, Bf 109: More Kills Than Any Fighter Ever Built
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is the most-produced fighter aircraft in history, with 33,984 built between 1936 and 1945. Luftwaffe aces flying the 109 claimed more aerial victories than pilots of any other type, Erich Hartmann alone scored 352 kills in his Bf 109G. The aircraft fought on every front of the European war, from the Spanish Civil War through the final defense of Berlin, and its combat record is staggering by any measure.
What made the Bf 109 remarkable was its combination of small size, powerful armament, and continuous improvement. From the Emil variant of 1940 to the Gustav and Kurfürst of 1944, Messerschmitt kept squeezing more performance from the design, eventually fitting a 2,000-horsepower engine into an airframe originally designed for 680. That engineering adaptability kept the 109 competitive throughout the war, even as Allied fighters grew more capable. In the annals of military aviation history, no fighter has a higher confirmed kill count.
