History:

Over the years a small number of scale replicas, usually 75 per cent, of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 have been privately built from scratch in Australia. They are usually registered under Recreational Aviation Australia (RAA) Regulations but one built in Queensland was fitted with a conversion of a Leyland V-8 motor vehicle piston engine, this aircraft being registered on 30 September 1999 as VH-FGB³ (c/n 01) to its owner builder Terrence Clifford of Nanango Qld on 30 September 1999. This aircraft was known on the register as a an Amateur-built ME-109. The registration was again changed on 30 November 2017 to VH-FGK³.  At one stage it was painted overall grey but was repainted in a Luftwaffe camouflage scheme.

Another was built from fibreglass by Peter McNamara in Kingaroy, being a scale replica of a Bf 109F; and another was built by Nestor Slepcev, he designing a number of other aircraft including the Slepcev Storch before closing down manufacture in Australia and returning to Slovakia.

The Slepcev replica only faintly resembled a Bf 109 and was powered by a 48 kw (65 hp) Rotax 582 engine.  It was built of steel tube fuselage with ply, aluminium and fabric covering.  The tailplane, fin and rudder were from a Piper Chieftain of Oxley Airlines which had become a life expired aircraft.  Mr Slepcev added new wingtips, ailerons and flaps, the undercarriage being fixed.

Photograph:

Messerschmitt Bf 109 Replica VH-FGB (c/n 1) at Kingaroy, Qld in 2014 (Ian McDonell)

Further information:

Information on this aircraft is currently limited. The Author welcomes any further specifications and/or details to update the site.