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Germany's Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet) heavy fighter1,2
Messerschmitt Me 410 fighter:
Messerschmitt Me 410A-US fighter cockpit:
Messerschmitt Me 410A-1 fighter:
Messerschmitt Me 410A-3 fighter:
Messerschmitt Me 410A-3 fighter:
Design
The Messerschmitt Me 410 was based on the failed Me 210.1,2
A number of changes were made to make the Me 410 a useful combat aircraft.2 The fuselage was made deeper and longer.2 The wings had automatic wing slots, new outer wing panels, and changed ailerons and flaps.2
Armament
The fuselage had remote controlled barbettes in the fuselage sides.2
Prototype
The Me 410 prototype first flew at the end of 1942.1,2
Production
In January 1943 deliveries of the Me 410A-1 bomber and Me 410A-2 Zerstörer started.2
Production of the Me 410B started in April 1944.2
Production ended in September 1944.2
- Total: 1,1601,2
- Messerschmitt: 9022
- Dornier: 2582
Variants
- Me 410A-1: Light bomber.1 Had two 20 mm guns in the nose and two 7.92 mm MGs in barbettes on the sides of the fuselage.1 It could carry two 2,205 lb / 1,000 kg bombs.1 Used against the British Isles starting in 1943.1
- Me 410A-1/U1: Photo reconnaissance.1,2
- Me 410A-1/U2: Fighter bomber.2 Heavier armament.2 Had gun pack in the ventral weapons bay.2
- Me 410A-1/U4: Bomber destroyer.1,2 Had a 50 mm gun under the fuselage.1,2 It carried 21 rounds.1
- Me 410A-2: Heavy fighter.2
- Me 410A-3: Long range reconnaissance.2 Additional fuel in weapons bay.2
- Me 410B: Had two Daimler-Benz DB 603G engines (1,900 HP).1
- Me 410B-1:
- Me 410B-2: Heavy fighter.2
- Me 410B-3: Reconnaissance.2
- Me 410B-5: Torpedo fighter.1,2 Didn't go into production.2
- Me 410B-6: Anti-shipping fighter.1 Had two 30 mm, two 20 mm, and two 13 mm guns.1 It used a FuG 200 Hohentweil radar.1
Usage
The Me 410s were used of Britain as night fighters and bombers.2
Off the coast of France the Me 410s were used as anti-shipping bombers.2
To battle the American bombers, the Me 410s were pressed into anti-bomber service but suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the American fighters.2
From the middle of 1944 most of the Me 410s were converted to Me 410A-1/U2s and Me 410B-1/U2s to be used on Zerstörer missions.2
| Messerschmitt Me 4102 | Messerschmitt Me 410A2 | Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U21,2 | Messerschmitt Me 410B2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Heavy fighter bomber2 | Heavy fighter1 | ||
| Crew | 22 | 21 | ||
| Engine (Type) | 2: Daimler-Benz DB 603A2 | 2: Daimler-Benz DB 603A inlines1 | 2: Daimler-Benz 603G2 | |
| Cylinders | Inverted V 122 | |||
| Cooling | ||||
| HP | 1,750 each2 | 1,750 each1 | 1,900 each2 | |
| Propeller blades | 3 each2 | 3 each1 | 3 each2 | |
| Dimensions | ||||
| Span | 53' 7.75"2 16.35 m2 |
53' 7.75"1 16.35 m1 |
||
| Length | 40' 11.5"2 12.48 m2 |
40' 8.5"1 12.4 m1 |
||
| Height | 14' 0.5"2 4.28 m2 |
14' 0.5"1 4.28 m1 |
||
| Wing area | 389.7 ft2 1 36.2 m2 1 |
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| Weight | ||||
| Empty | 13,558 lb1, 17,598 lb2 6,150 kg1, 7,982 kg2 |
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| Loaded | 23,483 lb1, 24,772 lb2 10,650 kg1, 11,236 kg2 |
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| Performance | ||||
| Speed at sea level | 317 mph2 510 kph2 |
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| Speed @ 21,980' / 6,700 m |
388 mph1 625 kph1 |
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| Speed @ 26,575' / 8,100 m |
391 mph2 629 kph2 |
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| Climb to 21,980' / 6,700 m |
10.7 minutes1,2 | |||
| Service ceiling | 32,810'1,2 10,000 m1,2 |
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| Range | 1,448 miles1, 1,450 miles2 2,330 km1, 2,333 km2 |
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| Armament | ||||
| Nose | 2: 20 mm2 2: 7.9 mm MG2 |
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| Ventral | 2: 20 mm2 | |||
| Barbettes in fuselage side | 2: 13 mm MG2 | |||
| Bomb | 2,205 lb2 1,000 kg2 |
Sources:
- Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
