World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Me 410 Hornisse ("Hornet") heavy fighters were essentially a variant of the Me 210 development, but the designation was changed to avoid association with the predecessor aircraft. The major difference between the Me 210 and the Me 410 heavy fighters were the upgraded engines, which improved performance and increased payload. Production began in May 1943, and shortly after they were operating against British aircraft. By late 1943, many of them were in use as bomber destroyers, but they were extremely vulnerable to American the British fighters, which were far more agile and maneuverable. Production ceased in Aug 1944 after 1,160 units were produced as capacity was directly toward producing Bf 109G fighters instead. For the remainder of the European War, Me 410 Hornisse heavy fighters engaged in reconnaissance missions only.

Me 410 Hornisse Timeline

SPECIFICATIONS

Me 410A-1/U2

Machinery	Two Daimler-Benz DB 603A liquid-cooled V12 engine rated at 1,726hp each
Armament	4x20mm MG151 cannon, 2x7.92mm MG 17 machine guns, 2x13mm MG 131 machine guns, 1,000kg of bombs
Crew	2
Span	16.39 m
Length	12.40 m
Height	4.28 m
Wing Area	36.20 m²
Weight, Empty	6,100 kg
Weight, Maximum	10,650 kg
Speed, Maximum	624 km/h
Speed, Cruising	587 km/h
Service Ceiling	10,000 m
Range, Normal	2,300 km

Photographs