BFW M.31

Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW)

Industry	Aerospace
Founder	Willy Messerschmitt
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Aircraft

The BFW M.31, occasionally referred to as the Messerschmitt M.27, was a German two-seat sports aircraft from 1932, featuring a radial engine, low-mounted cantilever wings, open cockpits arranged in tandem, and a fixed landing gear. Only a single unit was ever constructed.

Development

During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Willy Messerschmitt at Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) developed a succession of low-wing sports monoplanes, designed for either solo or dual occupancy. This lineup included the BFW M.19, BFW M.23, BFW M.27, the M.31, and BFW M.35. Among these, only the M.23 achieved sales exceeding double digits. The "M" designation stood for "Messerschmitt."

Sharing the same wingspan as the M.23c, the M.31 was similar to the M.27 in several respects. It was a tandem two-seat monoplane with open cockpits, equipped with a low cantilever wing and a braced tailplane—features also found on the M.23b and M.27 models. The fuselage beneath the upper decking was more rounded compared to earlier designs, constructed from two longitudinal panels per side instead of one; notably, the lower panel was angled inward. Unlike the spatted undercarriage on the M.27, the M.31's fixed landing gear lacked wheel fairings. Its powerplant was a neatly cowled radial engine driving a conventional two-blade propeller. Some aviation experts have regarded it as the most aesthetically refined design within this series.

The aircraft took to the skies for its maiden flight in 1932 and was exhibited at the German Aerosport show in 1933. Despite this exposure, it did not receive any production orders beyond the prototype stage.

Specifications

File:Messerschmitt M.31 3-view L'Aerophile December 1933.jpg

Three-view illustration of the Messerschmitt M.31 from L'Aérophile, December 1933

References

Citations

Sources cited