Quote:
Originally Posted by Robo.
But if what they say is true and 186 E-7s with 601N engine were present in the Channel area in the last month of the BoB (October), then it should be in the game, too.
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I think this need to be clarified a bit - the 186 E-7 delivered means that this much was produced as 'new builds', or Neubau by factories (as opposed to conversion of existing airframes, so conversions are not included in this number). These aircraft went to storage at first, as normal, and a number - not all of them - was issued to the the frontline units as needed.
E-7 had two engines mounted: DB 601Aa (so performance was same as E-4 but more importantly, the E-7 could carry a droptank and boost its range to 1300 km) and 601N. In the latter case its designation is E-7/N. I think its evident that all the early E-7 had 601Aa (since 110s had priority first for this engine and 109s had received priority only in October 1940), the one in the late automn/winter/spring 1941 had the 601N, and a performance between the 109E and F, roughly 590-595 km/h top speed. A number were produced in 1941 as E-7/Z, meaning 601N engine plus GM-1 boost.
I think its interesting to see the production of 109 aircraft in the BoB period (July - October 1940, as the British define it):
New airframes were delivered in the following number (not including conversions). Previous production is thus not inlcuded, just the number produced in the above period.
E-1: 55
E-1/B: 110
Total E-1 variants: 165
E-3a: 75 (export version)
E-4: 47
E-4/N: 20
E-4/B: 211
E-4/BN: 15
Total E-4 variants: 293
E-7: 186
F-1: 9
Total Bf 109: 728
So as a matter of fact the E-7 is the 2nd most produced variant of the BoB period.