Messerschmitt AG was a preeminent German aviation manufacturer founded by innovative designer Willy Messerschmitt. The company is most famous for its role during World War II, where it produced the Bf 109, the most-produced fighter aircraft in history, and the Me 262, the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter. Messerschmitt’s designs were characterized by a focus on aerodynamic efficiency and “lightweight construction,” a philosophy that allowed his aircraft to set numerous world speed and endurance records during the 1930s.
Following the war, the company was temporarily prohibited from manufacturing aircraft and pivoted to producing civilian goods, most notably the Kabinenroller microcar. Eventually, the firm returned to the aerospace sector through a series of mergers, becoming part of Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB). This lineage continues today, as the company’s structural and technological legacy remains a foundational component of the modern Airbus Group.