Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet)

The Messerschmitt Me 210 was designed as a successor to the Messerschmitt Bf 110. However, it's design was beset with problems, and by the time it had matured to a good aircraft it had a terrible reputation from which it could not recover. Using the Me 210 as a starting point, and changing the designation for partly psychological reasons, the Me 410 Hornisse was quickly completed. In fact, the first Me 410 prototype (Me 410 V1) was a modified Me 210A-0 pre-production aircraft. Flight trials proved that the Me 410 didn't have the vices of the Me 210, and performed excellently with good handling. This was reason enough for the Me 410 to be ordered into production only a few weeks after the first flight.

Initially built as a fast light bomber (Me 401A-1), the second production variant was a heavy fighter (Me 401A-2). The Me 410A-2 was identical to the Me 410A-1 and carried exactly the same gun and internal bomb armaments, but lacked the dive-bombing sight and provision for the four external bombs. A number of aircraft were later fitted as a bomber destroyer.

The name "Hornisse" (hornet) is actually an unofficial one. The Me 410 was in use by amongst other II/ZG 26 also known as the "Hornissengeschwader". This Geschwader had received wide publicity because of it's successes.

Another version that was used extensively was that of the bomber destroyer. By mid-1944 most surviving Me 410's were operated in the Defence of the Reich against day bombers. The good speed and heavy armament brought down many bombers, but the Me 410s were easy targets for the much more nimble North American P-51's and Republic P-47's that were escorting the bombers.

Specifications (Me 410 A-1)

General Characteristics

• Crew: 2 (pilot and gunner)
• Length: 12.56 m (41.2 ft)
• Wingspan: 16.34 m (53.6 ft 7 in)
• Height: 3.7 m (12,14 ft)
• Wing area: 36.20 m² (390 ft²)
• Empty weight: 6,627 kg (14,597 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 11,244 kg (24,766 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Daimler-Benz DB 603A liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,750 PS (1,726 hp, 1,287 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 624 km/h (388 mph)
• Range: 2,300 km (1,400 mi) combat
• Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,810 ft)

Armament

• Two 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns
• Two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons
• Up to 1,000 kg (2,204 lb) of bombs

The Kit

Our 1:12 scale kit was originally designed by Tino Starkloff for 1:12 European Combat matches. We have re-designed the nacelles for C3536 electric motors.

Click here to see the slimer version in action!

Kit Specifications:

• Wing span: 51.57 inches
• Area: 387 square inches
• Length: 38.19 inches
• Power: 2x C3536 Brushless Outrunner

Our Me 410 kit is a short kit containing:

• All laser-cut wood parts needed to build the model:
  • fuselage and cowl formers
  • wing ribs and spars
  • fin and rudder
  • stabilizer and elevator
  • lower skins for the wing
  • plywood motor mounts
• vacuum-formed clear plastic canopy
• vacuum-formed cowlings
• vacuum-formed upper cowl skins
• full-size plans - 2 large sheets
• construction manual
• full set of decals

Our kit's decal set represents the markings of an Me 401A-1 of Zerstörergeschwader 1. Alternative decals are also provided for an aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 51.

Status

The kit is now shipping.

To order this kit, please go to the Kits page.

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