Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U4

[*NDM*JohnnyX]

Awesome Bomber hunter/tank killer, best known for a BK5 50mm with 21 rounds. Balanced or unbalanced, would be a nice perked twin engine heavy fighter.

[Panzzer]

Does the U4 Rüstsatz mean the BK5-cannon? Sorry, I haven't read that much about the 410..

[*NDM*JohnnyX]

The G-6 model, the most produced Bf 109 version, had very heavy armament. The G-6/U4 variant with Rüstsatz R6 was armed with two MG 131 above the engine, a 30 mm MK 108 cannon shooting through the propeller axis and one 20 mm MG 151/20 in each wing.

Got that from wikipedia, so apparantly the u4 designation varies from airframe to airframe.

[Krusty]

That cannon-armed version was not the best known. The most common was standard MG151/20s and a combination of MG151/20s and 30mms. What was often done was the internal bomb bay was filled with a rotating drum with 6 WGr 21 rockets (better than the 110G's 4 rockets, eh?) which could be fired at bombers.

The big gun version (which, btw, they tried on the Me262 as well) was only a test thing, and if I remember was not common (on an already rare plane). I would like to see the 410. It would be ..... "interesting"... to try and master

[*NDM*JohnnyX]

That variant just happens to be my favorite, although over a thousand total 410s were built and alot saw service, I think if a variant can be decided on that's fair to all parties this would be a great multi purpose ride.

[Octavius]

I would never leave this plane.  cept to continue my affair with the P40.

[Panzzer]

Originally posted by *NDM*JohnnyX
... so apparantly the u4 designation varies from airframe to airframe.

Yep, I knew that - the Rüstsatze are plane dependant - different plane, different modifications. What I meant to ask was whether the U4 meant the BK5 in Me410... But I guess it does. How many of these were in action? (As I said, I haven't read that much about the 410... - sorry!)

[*NDM*JohnnyX]

Well Krusty says it was mainly a test version, I'm not terribly familiar with this ME. Always liked the looks of it and after researching it a bit I found it has very competitive specs and by all accounts was a good flying airplane. Some of the other loadouts would fit right in, but this one would be the most fun. And yes the u4 was the BK5, lol.

[*NDM*JohnnyX]

Me 410A-2/U4    Bomber destroyer version. These aircraft retained the standard forward-firing gun battery in combination with a single 50 mm BK 5 gun supplied with 21 rounds of ammunition from a cylindrical magazine.


Number built: unknown out of 1.160 total

Boy, that helps

[Krusty]

Originally posted by Octavius
I would never leave this plane.  cept to continue my affair with the P40.

I would probably be the same, only replace P40 with 190a5.

[Krusty]

The U4 was indeed the factory designation for the BK5 cannon. Note that U is factory modification, not the same as R4, which is something that can be taken off/put on in the field.

I did a couple google searches.

Me 410A-1 had this armament: 2 x MG 131 + 2 x MG 151 + 2 x MG 131 (rear barbettes) + 1000 kg bomb load

However some had 7mm MG17s before going to MG131s. My book is brief on the matter, and only covers the 410 in short detail. The book says that some were destroyer versions with 4 forward firing MG151/20s, or 2 MG151/20s and a BK5 with 21 rounds (that would be the U4 but the book doesn't mention the designation). The A-2/U-2 was a night fighter with SN-2 Lichtenstein radar and 2 MG151s and 2 MK108s..

The book mentions "Many of the 1,121 ME410s carried Rutsatz packs housing two or more mg151, mk108, or mk103, and [EDIT: Check this out!!] occasionally experienced pilots fitted as many as eight MG151/20s all firing ahead."

[*NDM*JohnnyX]

Wow, this thing would have to cost some perkies I think but it would be worth it. Depending on what it actually flew like, this would be a great addition. Thanks for the info Krusty!

[Krusty]

Wish I had more info. That's all I could find on short notice.

Originally posted by Krusty
"...occasionally experienced pilots fitted as many as eight MG151/20s all firing ahead."

That, there, is my favorite part >:D

[*NDM*JohnnyX]

Haha, yeah mine too. I found this:

It also included 1,750 hp (1.287 kW) DB603A engines, whose performance increased up to 1,850 hp at higher altitude, .These drove the Me 410 to 390 mph (628 km/h) and greatly improved climb rates, service ceiling, and most notably the cruise speed which jumped to 360 mph (579 km/h) even though the new design added 1,500 lb (680 kg) to the original. Shackles under the wings for four 50 kg bombs were also added, as the new plane could lift a load larger than could be fit into the internal bay.

Talking about the improvements over the 210. Pretty impressive speed for its size.

[Krusty]

Well the 210 was a joke... It was so unstable it wasn't flight worthy. It needed a total redesign, and that's what it got -- with the 410.

Add to that, I think, the 210 had engine problems, and they only got ironed out in the 410's redesign.