The Messerschmitt BF-109 was a standard German Luftwaffe single-seat fighter for nearly a decade. It is believed that more than 33,000 of these fighters were produced between 1936 and the end of World War 2. During the war, the BF-109 fought on every front in which the Luftwaffe was engaged. The BF-109 first saw actual combat during the Spanish Civil War where it proved to be an effective weapon against the Russian Fighters of the Republic forces. The BF-109 was considered an excellent fighter since it handled well and possessed excellent low-speed control response. The BF-109's were produced in quantity right up to the end of the war in 1945.