Bf109E-4 'Emil' Overview Introduced as an era aircraft to match up with the early Spitfire Mk 1 and Hurricane Mk 1 models, the 109E4 could actually be reasonable in the main arena. A shortage of speed is a problem, but other than that it isn't all that poor a package, bringing twin cannons, an average climb rate, and the lightest 109 in the game. In the right conditions where you have a little space to corner people, you might find the 109E4 to be quite effective. |
 Bf109-E4 |
The Bf109E-4 is actually almost a good plane being small, lightest of the 109's, and quite nimble. There are also planes like the FM2 and Hurri IIC that tend to attract some use in the MA but have similar, or less, top speed. It seems in the MA though that people look for speed and guns, and while one will substitute for the other in some cases, a lack of both is a problem.
Engine Performance
The E4 is actually fairly reasonably powered for a plane of the era, though it isn't very fast. Cruising speed at sea-level is around 283mph, with WEP giving you about another 10mph, putting you squarely in the lower 1/3 of planes in the game in terms of top speed.. Altitude increased help the sitiuation with about 4mph gained at cruise for every 1K of altitude increase up to a maximum of 15K (340mph cruise). WEP tends to add about 5-8mph at most altitudes, which isn't a whole lot. Acceleration and climb are decent though at 3,000ft/minute with WEP, surprising quick and certainly within an acceptable range up to the same ceiling of around 15K alt. WEP is important, so save it for use in combat or when you need to climb quickly. Even though it typically represents only a small amount of top speed gain, it really helps in acceleration. Range is a bit disappointing, though this is a historical weakness, with only 25 minutes of full power on internal fuel with no option for a drop tank.
Firepower
So close, yet so far. The 109E4 is very different from other 109's in arrangement of the weapons, adopting twin wing mounted cannons instead of the usual single spinner mounted gun. Additionally, this early 109 has the clearly inferior MG/FF 20mm cannons (as compared to the typical MG151) with only 60 rounds/gun. The MG/FF have poor ballistics, slower rate of fire because of synchronization with the propellor, and the typical convergence issues with wing mounted guns. Not saying that the MG/FF is any less effective if you land hits, but landing hits is much more difficult so shorter ranges and longer tracking times are typically adopted to compensate. As backups are a pair of cowl mounted 7.9mm machineguns, which offer lots of ammuntion but little in the way of hitting power. Something is better than nothing though and given enough time the 7.9mm can get the job done and convergence is not really an issue (set it out to max). Overall the firepower package is best used at very short ranges where you can bring the cannons to bear with little requirement for difficult aiming. That tends to not be the situation most of the time as enemies are constantly maneuvering against you so you will need to fly a bit smarter to get in nice and close. I would set the cannons to a relatively short convergence point (D200) since outside that range aiming is very difficult because of bullet drop. There is no option for gondolas although in the case of the E4 the speed penalties would rarely make it worthwhile.
Maneuverability
Maneuverability is generally pretty good. The E4 actually has a slightly smaller wing area but also is quite a bit lighter than any other 109 variant. The E4 turns pretty well and is another one of the 109's that can surprise you with agility. The best maneuvering speeds for the E4 are a little lower in general than the other 109's, I find something from 250-375 as best. The cannons in the wings tend to add quite a bit of weight at a point away from the main fuselage and that hurts roll performance a bit at most speeds. The E4 suffers the same compression related problems as later 109's and it tends to set on a little sooner, at about 425mph where the roll all but disappears. The lower top speed of the 109E4 is a bit of a blessing in that sense though, with less chance that you will over-speed yourself and let the E4 get out of control on you.
Fighting in the Bf109E-4
The 109E4 is going to be a challenge to be successful in, but you do have most of the raw tools you need to get the job done. The problem is in the polish, which later 109's tended to add, along with additional power. They key will be to find an evironment where you can work against smaller groups of enemy planes so that you don't get overwhelmed or have to go defensive too quickly. Climb to a reasonable altitude not exceeding 15K and being mindful of your limited endurance with even full internal fuel. Cruise to the combat area, selecting a target that has already slowed down sufficiently so as not to be able to easily escape. Once you have someone in a tight fight, it is unlikely he can out-accelerate or out-climb you quickly enough to escape.
Try and get in close and give yourself easy shots at short ranges. I know this is commonly good practice, but in the E4 it is almost critical. Try and unload your aircraft before you fire to give a better chance to compensate for the high ballistic drop in the cannons. Don't fire the cowl weapons by default so as not to confuse the identification of hits. Short bursts, trying to ensure enough lead and drop are key. Use the cowl guns as ranging weapons or to keep the enemy honest. You are unlikely to inflict killing shots with them, but you may damage the enemy and make your job easier. Remember that you can turn better than any other 109 too, so most people will not expect you to even consider a turn-fight. The 109E4 has the same 109 icon as all the rest of the models, F4, G2, G6 or G10, so until they get fairly close and identify you by colour (which won't be that hard for people who know how to tell the difference). You are more like a sheep in wolves clothing (backwards... I know).. but a sheep with teeth if you get close enough.
Defensively, I'd try and make sure you bring friends who can help you egress if you plan to land some of those kills. You simply don't have the speed to leave whenever you choose, and there are several aircraft who can out-turn you fairly easily if you get pinned in a turn-fight. Your turn ability is surprisingly good though, so don't disregard that option and you can likely turn almost equal with something like a Spit IX, which is pretty impressive. Try and always keep a lane open to exit through and don't allow yourself to get surrounded too quickly or when low. You likely won't have the power to break out of that and your cannons will be dry before you can really scare anyone off. Always watch your fuel state too.. overuse of WEP and long transits to/from a friendly field can leave you with little range.
A final note or two. The 109E4 is actually pretty good, but takes a high level of situational awareness to survive in. It can turn, something about the same as a Spit IX, which leaves you vulnerable to the myriad of Spit V, Zero, FM2, Hurri's, N1Ks, etc, several of which you can't out-run either. People are more likely to respect you though as another 109 variant, so you can sometimes surprise them when they think they can turn gently and still avoid you as in when they face a G6 or G10. That can be the opportunity you need, so exploit it, take your shot, then get out of there before they figure you out as an imposter.
Fighting the Bf109E-4
While the E4 is pretty horribly under-powered by late war standards, it still has some tricks up it's sleeve and you are unlikely to notice it is a E4 model until you get very close. This can be a problem since the standard 109 tactic is typically to turn to avoid them since most of the 109 drivers fly later model 109's that turn poorly. This can be a problem with the 109, who could match your turn long enough to pin you in place and then finish you off with some cannon fire. One of the worst things with the 109E4 though is the pilot who is flying it. I've found that they are the either of two extremes, elite veteran or unknowing newbie, of which you might be able to tell right at merge. While the newbie is an easy kill, the veteran is likely to give you a pretty tough fight in a plane you wouldn't expect it from.
Identifying the E4 is pretty easy though, just look for the big yellow nose and straight edged camoflage scheme. The other 109's simply don't look the same once you notice these visual differences. Always assume you are not dealing with an E4 though since the other 109's, especially the 30mm equipped ones, can be dangerous in a single pass.
Offensively, try and land hits, the 109E4 is not terribly strong and seems to be less armoured so that smaller calibre hits do more damage. Also, try and force the E4 into a turning defense without committing to that yourself. The E4 is neither a great stall-fighter, nor a great dive-escape plane, so if you can get him slowed down he will likely have to stay around and turn until he can find a place to spring free (which may not happen at all). He won't risk a dive unless he knows you are in a inferior diving plane, or which only the late model Zero comes to immediate mind. Even if you have to break off and reposition, the E4 is unlikely to be able to run very far before you catch back up to him again and can start all over. Don't accept Head-Ons at close range and don't count on a climb or acceleration advantage to get you out of trouble if you over-commit. Just try and land hits, not need to get greedy, the E4 should be like dessert compared to some of the scarier opponents you may meet.
If you get a 109E4 on your tail, try and break way from him. If you have altitude, you can exploit the handling problems of 109s over 425mph and likely roll to a new heading and break contact. It is highly unlikely the 109 can even catch you unless you are in a really slow aircraft yourself. If you don't have altitude, then try and hold the E4 away from you while giving him poor shots at high crossing angles or difficult leads. The cannons on the E4 are such that anything other than a point-blank, or tracking from rear, shot are pretty tough. If you can survive out the first 10 seconds of him firing his cannons then you have likely run him dry of his really dangerous ammunition. Don't try and get in a turn-fight with him though unless you are in a really hot turner.. the E4 is going to give a tough time in a turn-fight to even the likes of later Spitfires. See if you can't land a couple of hits of your own in the process though since the 109 E4 is not really all that strong and cannot absorb damage well. Be careful of the cannons, if you hear light pings and think he still has cannons, most likely they are falling below you, so don't immediately dive. Most E4 pilots, while adapted for the higher drop rates of the Mg151 cannons on LW fighters, need to adjust even further for the MG/FF models so tend to fire too low.