Corgi Aviation Archive Series Diecast Model

Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/U2 – ‘White 16’, Horst Prenzel, Luftwaffe 1./JG 301, RAF Manston, Kent, England, World War II, July 21, 1944

1:72 Scale.  Length: 5".  Wingspan: 5.4"


Limited Edition of 750 Models Worldwide

The opportunity to capture and evaluate the latest versions of your enemy’s aircraft was of great interest to both allied and axis military planners throughout WWII, not only in order to assess the technology itself but also to develop tactics which would be useful to fighter pilots when meeting the aircraft in combat. Most of these aircraft would come into the possession of their new owners following combat and usually after suffering varying degrees of damage however there were rare occasions when Luftwaffe aircraft were unwittingly delivered in tact to a grateful RAF. Such an occurrence took place on July 21,1944 when a pair of bomber hunting Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/ U2 fighter pilots became disorientated and landed at Manston airfield in Kent. One of the pilots appeared to be distracted while approaching the unfamiliar field and fearing that he was running out of runway, retracted his undercarriage and made a belly landing. The other machine, Bf 109 ‘White 16’, flown by Horst Prenzel made a perfect landing and therefore presented the RAF with a pristine example of this latest variant of the Luftwaffe fighter. It was later evaluated by famous test pilot Captain Eric Brown, but was destroyed only a few months afterwards during a take-off accident while serving with the Air Fighting Development Unit at RAF Wittering.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German fighter aircraft used during World War II. First flown in 1935, it was one of the first modern fighters of the era with all-metal construction and retractable landing gear. Originally conceived as an interceptor, the Bf 109 was developed to fulfill multiple roles including bomber escort, fighter-bomber, all-weather fighter and ground-attack. Although it had weaknesses, including short range and challenging take-off and landing characteristics, the Bf 109 stayed competitive with Allied fighters until the end of the war. The Bf 109 was produced in greater numbers than any other fighter in history with 33,984 units built up to April 1945.


The Corgi Aviation Archive features a wide selection of high quality, ready-made, diecast model airplanes. Each model is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, using specifications of the original aircraft. Corgi models are built with diecast metal and some plastic components.

This model of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 features: