Designed as a competition aircraft, the Bf 108 took part in the 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme and the 1936 Olympics. Entering service with the Luftwaffe in 1935, the aircraft would be involved in what became known
as the Mechelen incident during the Second World War. The type would continue to be produced post-war.
In 1934 the Fourth Challenge International de Tourisme (28th August 1934 - 16th September 1934) was to take place in Poland, and with Germany requiring an aircraft to compete, a contract was given to Bayerische Flugzeugweke AG
to build an aircraft. Known as the Bf 108, it could hold upto four people and the 13th June 1934 would see the prototype make its first flight. Only seven examples of the first variant, known as the Bf 108A, were produced,
six were powered by 225-hp Hirth HM8U engines, one by the 220-hp Argus As 17B engine.
With training for the Challenge International de Tourisme underway, one of the aircraft would crash. This nearly led to the Bf 108 being withdrawn from the competition as a result of pressure from Germany's team manager.
In the end four aircraft would compete and despite taking the top three spots in both the maximum speed and fuel consumption, overall they were unsuccessful.
Development of the type continued, leading to the Bf 108B in 1935. This would be the most produced variant and featured a number of changes, including the upper external tailplane being removed and a tail wheel replaced
the skid. Powered by the 240-hp Argus As 10C engine, it had a top speed of 186 mph, a range of 620 miles with a service ceiling of 20,300 ft. No armament was installed.
Over the next couple of years the Bf 108 won a number of competitions and was used for several record breaking flights. These included flights by German pilot Elly Beinhorn who sometimes flew a Bf 108A called Taifun,
which the type would be known as. The type would also compete in the aviation rallies that took place during the 1936 Olympic Games (1st August 1936 - 16th August 1936), which were held in Berlin, Germany.
The Bf 108 would enter service with the Luftwaffe in 1935 as a communications aircraft and during its service in the Second World War (1939 – 1945) it was involved in what became known as the Mechelen incident. This saw
an aircraft piloted by Major Erich Hoemanns, which was carrying a single passenger, Major Helmuth Reinberger, crash land in neutral Belgium on the 10th January 1940 with the plans for the German invasion of the low counties
onboard. This led to a delay in the invasion and to a change of plans.
A number of designs for different variants of the type were put forward, however, only one would reach the prototype stage. Known as the Me 208, two prototypes were produced by the time the Second World War ended, although
one was lost as a result of an air raid. Post-war saw the type put into production and now known as the Nord Noralpha.
During the Second World War the French company SNCAN had built the Bf 108 and continued production of the type post-war under a new designation of Nord 1000 Pingouin. A further two variants of the type were produced, the
1001 Pingouin, powered by the Renault 60-10 engine, and the 1002 Pingouin II, powered by the Renault 60-11 engine.
In total 885 Bf 108s were produced, with 258 built post-war, bringing total production to 1,170.
Nord 1002 at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford
