Did the Spanish Air Force really have the Messerschmitt BF 109 with a Rolls Royce Merlin engine?

Did the Spanish Air Force really have the Messerschmitt BF 109 with a Rolls Royce Merlin engine? Yes, the Spanish Air Force did indeed operate Messerschmitt Bf 109s equipped with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. These planes were known as the Hispano Aviación HA-1112.

Here’s a bit of background:

• During and after World War II, Spain was manufacturing the Messerschmitt Bf 109 under license. However, after the war, Germany’s supply of Daimler-Benz engines for the Bf 109 dried up.

• In the 1950s, Spain opted to retrofit their HA-1109 aircraft (a version of the Bf 109) with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, which were available through British sources and were widely used in other aircraft like the Spitfire.

• The aircraft with the Merlin engine was redesignated HA-1112-M1L. The Merlin engine gave the aircraft a slightly different look and performance compared to the original Daimler-Benz engine.

The HA-1112 is notable for having been used in the filming of the 1969 movie The Battle of Britain, where they stood in for German Luftwaffe Bf 109s.