the first production aircraft began to roll off the assembly line in Augsburg, several Bf 108s had set new endurance records, one of which led to its "christening." German aviatrix Elly Beinhorn flew a Bf 108A, named "Taifun" (typhoon) from Berlin to Constantinople in one day, an accomplishment that led Messerschmitt to apply the name "Taifun" to all subsequent production models of the Bf 108.
The 2-seat aircraft was impressive enough to promote the design's evolution into a four-seat touring aircraft that was also well-suited for military communication, liaison and ambulance roles. Other changes incorporated in the Bf 108B included the replacement of a tailskid with a tailwheel, and a different powerplant, the 240 hp Argus As 8C inverted-V piston engine, which drove a 2-blade propeller. Most of the 885 Bf 108 aircraft manufactured were of this version, which was built first by Messerschmitt and later by Societe Nationale de Constructions Aeronautiques du Nord, in France, during and after the war.
There was one Bf 108C, a conversion from the standard Bf 108 that used, instead, a 400hp Hirth HM 512 inverted-V piston engine. There was also a Me 208 variation, which modified the Bf 108 design into a tricycle gear aircraft. The first two Me 208s were built by Nord during WWII. After the war, Nord built the Bf 108 as the Nord N.1000 "Pingouin" (penguin) and the Me 208 as the Nordalpha and Ramier ("Woodpigeon") series, based on the Renault 6Q or Potez 6 piston engines. A record breaker when it was introduced 66 years ago, the Bf 108's performance is still impressive by contemporary personal sports-plane standards | 
