BFW M.23

The BFW M.23 was a German sport and record‑breaking monoplane developed in the late 1920s by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, the company that would later become Messerschmitt. First flown in 1929, the aircraft was conceived by Willy Messerschmitt as a low‑power, high‑speed platform for the burgeoning air‑sport movement and for setting distance and speed records. Its sleek, cantilever low‑wing design employed a wooden structure covered with fabric, while the enclosed cockpit offered improved aerodynamics compared with contemporary open‑cabin types. Powered initially by a 35‑hp Haacke HFM‑2 engine, later versions received larger Argus or Hirth units up to 80 hp, allowing top speeds of around 170 km/h (105 mph). The M.23’s lightweight construction, short wingspan of 7.2 m and careful attention to streamlining made it exceptionally efficient, earning several world records in the 1929‑1931 period, including the longest distance flown by a light aircraft. Its success demonstrated Messerschmitt’s talent for aerodynamic refinement and provided crucial experience that paved the way for later high‑performance designs such as the Bf 109. Consequently, the M.23 holds a respected place in early aviation history as a bridge between modest sporting planes and the high‑speed racers of the 1930s.

Messerschmitt

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