Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia

The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,[Note 1] is a twin-engined Zerstörer (destroyer, heavy fighter), fighter-bomber (Jagdbomber or Jabo), and night fighter (Nachtjäger) developed in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, believing its heavy armament, speed, and range would make the Bf 110 the Luftwaffe’s premier offensive fighter

The Bf 110 served with considerable success in the early campaigns in Poland, Norway, and France. The primary weakness of the Bf 110 was its lack of maneuverability, although this could be mitigated with better tactics. This weakness was exploited by the RAF when Bf 110s were flown as close escort to German bombers during the Battle of Britain. When British bombers began targeting German territory with nightly raids, some Bf 110-equipped units were converted to night fighters, a role to which the aircraft was well suited. After the Battle of Britain, the Bf 110 enjoyed a successful period as an air superiority fighter and strike aircraft in other theatres and defended Germany from strategic air attack by day against the USAAF's 8th Air Force, until an American change in fighter tactics rendered them increasingly vulnerable to developing American air supremacy over the Reich as 1944 began.Messerschmitt Bf 109

Design and development

Throughout the 1930s, the air forces of the major military powers were engaged in a transition from biplane to monoplane designs. Most concentrated on the single-engined fighter aircraft , but the problem of range arose. The Ministry of Aviation (RLM, for Reichsluftfahrtministerium ), pushed by Hermann Göring, issued a request for a new multipurpose fighter called the Kampfzerstörer (battle destroyer) with long range and an internal bomb bay. The request called for a twin-engined, three-seat, all-metal monoplane that was armed with cannon and a bomb bay . Of the original seven companies, only Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Messerschmitt), Focke-Wulf , and Henschel responded to the request.

Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) Messerschmitt

Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer

General Info

Crew: 2 or 3
Length: 12.0714 m (39 ft 7.25 in)
Wingspan: 16.2497 m (53 ft 3.75 in)
Height: 4.128 m (13 ft 6.5 in)
Wing area: 38.4000 m²

Powerplant

Empty weight: 4,425 kg (9,755 lb) * Empty equipped weight: 4,885 kg Gross weight: 6,028 kg (13,289 lb) Max takeoff weight: 6,749 kg (14,880 lb) Fuel capacity: 1,272 L (336 US gal; 280 imp gal) in 4 centre-tanks Powerplant: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 601A-1 V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engines, 780 kW (1,050 hp) each for take-off

Performance

Maximum speed: 475 km/h (295 mph, 256 kn) at sea level; - weight(6,028 kg)

525 km/h (326 mph; 283 kn) at 4,000

Cruise speed: 262 km/h (163 mph, 141 kn) maximum continuous at sea level

Landing speed: 150 km/h (93 mph;
Range: 774 km (481 mi, 418 nmi) at sea level with normal internal fuel at maximum continuous cruise speed

Range at economical cruise speed: 909 km (565 mi; 491 nmi) at 7,000 m (22,970 ft) at economical cruise speed

1,094 km (680 mi; 591 nmi) at 4,200 m (13,780 ft) at economical cruise speed

Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,810 ft)

Armament

Guns: ** 2 × 20 mm (0.787 in) MG FF/M cannon (180 rpg—3 drums with 60 rpg, cannon were reloaded by rear gunner or radio operator during flight)
- 4 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine guns (1,000 rpg)
- 1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15 machine gun for defence

Special Links Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) Messerschmitt

Links to Youtube & Others

By luck (and pressure by Ernst Udet), the RLM reconsidered the ideas of the Kampfzerstörer and began focusing on the Zerstörer. Due to these changes, the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke design better fit the Ministry's requests. On 12 May 1936, Rudolf Opitz flew the first Bf 110 out of Augsburg.

Messerschmitt Bf 110
Destroyer

After a period of use on bombing and reconnaissance, the type found its niche during the winter of 1940-41 as a night fighter in defensive operations.

Youtube Link

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the
Focke-Wulf Fw 190

Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) Messerschmitt AG
Bf 110 "Zerstörer"