Me 410 bomb bay configurations

[Megalodon]

[Krusty]

Well I double checked and the handbook says 2x 7mm, but there are a number of diagrams and even some photos suggesting 2 additional 7mm guns. I guess they must be relatively rare, or perhaps the holes aren't gunports. Cameras? Air vents needed for the additional guns?

Seems to stem from pictures of the 4x20mm plane.
http://i814.photobucket.com/albums/zz63/krustacious/Me410%20scans/me410-4pack2.jpg

It matches the diagrams here:
http://i814.photobucket.com/albums/zz63/krustacious/Me410%20scans/me410_gunpod6.jpg

But this other ones doesn't have such holes:
http://i814.photobucket.com/albums/zz63/krustacious/Me410%20scans/me410-4pack1.jpg

So it must not be additional 7mm guns.

Megalodon, I'm not sure if that one picture is intended to show that the plane really did carry Mk108s or not. It's making a major mistake. The image clearly shows the Mk103 muzzle brakes and the Mk103 cannon layout and setup and keeps calling them Mk108s. It's not the first time. Such mistakes have been made (in reverse) on the 109K-4 as well.

The pictures and the facts show the Mk103 was used, but the Mk108 was not.

Mk108, short stubby thing found on Fw190A8 wings:


Mk103, high powered long barreled ALWAYS has distinctive muzzle brake (part of the design):

[Krusty]

Recent find today: What if the 410 had counter rotating props?

Kurfurst (yes, him) asked on LEMB a while back:

I thought the 410B had 603E engines, which AFAIK is quite similiar in concept to the DB 605AS, ie. 603A + 603G supercharger = 603E...? Right?

The response from member name felix99, citing his source:

A good question, Kurfürst. If you check the report extract from the GL/C Chef meeting of 3 Jun 43, p. 116, of the 110/210/410 book, you will see the following: "(The GL/C Chef) confirms the weeks-old decision to initially power the Me 410 with the DB 603A, followed by the DB 603A and D. Starting on 1 January 1945 the Me 410 will convert to the standard fighter/heavy fighter engine in the form of the DB 603 G/K and rapid-change variable pitch propeller. (General Vorwald stated that) the DB 603 E/F has been ruled out for both the Me 410 and the He 219."

The two items in brackets are as stated in the original report on the meeting. And, in case anyone isn't aware of this, note that the 2nd letter for each engine is the counter-clockwise propeller rotation version of that engine. So, the 603A rotates the propeller clockwise, and the 603D is the 603A with the propeller rotating counter-clockwise.

I think that with counter rotating props it would have given the design a noted edge, even if overall specs weren't too great. Similar to the P-38.

So far the only photos I noticed are both same-handed. Anybody know if the counter-rotating setup was ever used?

[Babalonian]

I think someone cited earlier in this thread the the 410 was originaly designed to have counter rotating engines, but due to supply shortages and the allied bombing campaign they axed it to make things easier.

[Charge]

"I think that with counter rotating props it would have given the design a noted edge, even if overall specs weren't too great. Similar to the P-38."

What do you mean a noted edge? It slightly improves certain stall characteristics but its not a miracle maker. Did they put counter rotas in Mossie, Beau etc etc? No.
Such feature would not have made 410 any "better" than it was, IMO. Maybe it would have helped 210 to overcome its stability problems but those were ironed out in other means in 410.

-C+

[Karnak]

The RAF rejected handed engines for the Mosquito because it would complicate logistics and the only benefit they saw was a small reduction in the pilot's workload.  The Mosquito's successor, the Hornet, did have handed engines.

[cut67]

Are we adding this plane? lol

[Karnak]

Are we adding this plane? lol

"We" aren't, but hopefully HTC does at some point.

[Krusty]

Charge, I mean in stalling and behavior, not overall performance. Same as the P-38. That kind of edge.