Developed from earlier Bf109E variants, the Bf109E-4/N Trop was modified for use in the arid and dusty conditions of the North African desert. The large tropical filter covering the engine’s air intake being the most obvious difference between this and the standard E-4.

Upon introduction to the desert war the tropical Bf109s were more than a match for the RAF’s Hurricanes and Tomahawks and it was not until the introduction of the Spitfire Mk.V that the balance was redressed.