Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia

The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet) was a German heavy fighter and Schnellbomber used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. Though an incremental improvement of the Me 210, it had a new wing plan, longer fuselage and engines of greater power. The changes were significant enough for the aircraft to be renamed the Me 410.

Development of the Me 210 had been under way since 1939 but the aircraft proved unstable and was never considered for full-scale production. Modifications to the layout produced the Me 210C and 210D, which proved somewhat superior. As studies progressed on the Me 210D, and with a separate parallel attempt to improve upon the 210 with the Messerschmitt Me 310 in the second half of 1943—which provided almost no aerodynamic improvement over the 210's risky handling qualities—it was instead decided to introduce a new model, the Me 410.

Operational history

The Me 410 night bomber proved to be an elusive target for the RAF night fighters. The first unit to operate over the UK was V./KG 2, which lost its first Me 410 on the night of 13 – 14 July 1943, when it was shot down by a de Havilland Mosquito of No. 85 Squadron RAF.

The Me 410 was also used as a bomber destroyer against the daylight bomber formations of the USAAF , upgraded with Umrüst-Bausätze factory conversion kits, all bearing a /U suffix, for the design—these suffixes could vary in meaning between subtypes. As one example, the earlier Me 410 A-1/U1 designation signified a camera-fitting in the under-nose ordnance bay for reconnaissance use (as the A-3 was meant to do from its start), while the Me 410 B-2/U1 designation signified a mount of a pair of the long barreled, 30 mm MK 103 cannon in the undernose ordnance bay. The /U2 suffix designated a fitment of two additional 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons in the under-nose ordnance bay instead—the A-1/U4 subtype fitted the massive, 540-kilogram (1,190 lb) Bordkanone series 50 mm (2 in) BK 5 cannon , loaded with 21 rounds in the same under-nose ordnance bay in place of either the /U1's cameras or MK 103s, or the /U2's added pair of MG 151/20 autocannon . For breaking up the bomber formations, many Me 410s also had four underwing tubular launchers, two per wing panel , firing converted 21 cm (8 in) Werfer-Granate 21 infantry barrage rockets. Two Geschwader , Zerstörergeschwader 26 and 76 , were thus equipped with the Me 410 by late 1943.

Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) Messerschmitt

Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet)

General Info

Crew: 2
Length: 12.484 m (40 ft 11.5 in)
Wingspan: 16.3513 m
Height: 4.280 m (14 ft 0.5 in)
Wing area: 36.2031 m²

Powerplant

Empty weight: 7,518 kg Gross weight: 9,651 kg Fuel capacity: 550 imp gal (660 US gal; 2,500 L) in four wing tanks Powerplant: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 603A V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engines, 1,290 kW (1,750 hp) each for take-off 1,360 kW (1,850 PS) at 2,100 m (6,890 ft) 1,195 kW (1,625 PS) at 5,700 m (18,700 ft) Propellers: 3-bladed VDM constant-speed propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 507 km/h (315 mph, 274 kn) at sea level, 624 km/h (388 mph; 337 kn) at 6,700 m (21,980 ft)
Cruise speed: 587 km/h
Range: 1,200 km (750 mi, 650 nmi) at maximum continuous cruise speed, 1,690 km (1,050 mi) at economical cruise speed
Ferry range: 2,300 km (1,400 mi,
Service ceiling: 10,000 m
Time to altitude: 6,000 m in 10 minut

Armament

Guns: ** 2 × 7.92 mm (0.31 in) MG 17 machine guns with 1,000 rpg, firing forward
- 2 × 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151/20 cannon with 350 rpg, firing forward
- 2 × 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151/20 cannon with 250 rpg in the bomb bay, firing forward
- 2 × 13 mm (0.51 in) MG 131 machine guns with 500 rpg, each firing rearward from FDSL 131/1B remote-operated turret, one per side
Rockets: 4 × 21 cm (8.3 in) Werfer-Granate 21 rockets
Bombs: up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of disposable stores^[

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Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet)

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Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) Messerschmitt AG
Messerschmitt Me410 Hornisse