Me 410 A-1
Contents
| This page is about the German twin-engine fighter Me 410. For other uses, see Me 410 (Family). |
Description
The Me 410 A-1 is a Rank III German twin-engine fighter
with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB/RB) and 3.7 (SB). It was in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.
General info
Flight Performance
Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.
| Characteristics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock | |||||||
| Max Speed (km/h at 6,700 m) |
Max altitude (meters) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (meters/second) |
Take-off run (meters) | |||
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | ||
| 602 | 587 | 10400 | 31.9 | 32.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 444 |
| Upgraded | |||||||
| Max Speed (km/h at 6,700 m) |
Max altitude (meters) | Turn time (seconds) | Rate of climb (meters/second) |
Take-off run (meters) | |||
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | ||
| 648 | 624 | 10400 | 29.6 | 30.7 | 14.4 | 10.8 | 444 |
Details
| Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flap | Take-off flap | Landing flap | Air brakes | Arrestor gear |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Limits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wing-break speed (km/h) |
Gear limit (km/h) |
Combat flap (km/h) |
Max Static G | |
| + | - | |||
| 750 | 350 | 480 | ~10 | ~4 |
| Optimal velocities | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons (km/h) |
Rudder (km/h) |
Elevators (km/h) |
Radiator (km/h) |
| < 360 | < 360 | < 460 | > 265 |
| Compressor (RB/SB) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Setting 1 | ||
| Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
| 5,300 m | 3,020 hp | 3,330 hp |
Survivability and armour
- 8 mm steel - front of cockpit (either side of the glass)
- 5 mm steel - wings leading edge (in front of fuel tanks)
- 8 mm steel - prop hub and gear bay
- 9 mm steel - top and bottoms of wings (around the liquid cooling system
- 8 mm steel - plates in the tail
- 8 mm steel - bulkhead aft of gunner
- 8 mm steel - between gunner and pilot
- 12 mm steel - pilot's headrest
- 60 mm bulletproof glass - in front of the pilot (inside aircraft)
Armaments
Offensive armament
The Me 410 A-1 is armed with:
- 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, cheek-mounted (350 rpg = 700 total)
- 2 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun, cheek-mounted (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)
Suspended armament
The options available for the Me 410 A-1 are:
- Without load
- 8 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs
- 2 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs
- 2 x 500 kg SC500K bombs
Defensive armament
The Me 410 A-1 is armed with:
- 1 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, 2 x beam turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
Usage in battles
The Me 410 A-1 is the first variant unlocked of the Me 410 lineup of planes, succeeding the Do 217 fighter variants. Compared to Do 217, the Me 410 boasts significantly better flight performance in virtually all aspects and performs much more like an improved BF 110 C-4. However, in the large spectrum of things, this doesn't really say a lot as the Me-410 gets pitted against even faster, more nimble and better armed single-engine fighters than it's predecessors. Perhaps even more grievous of a pitfall, it's armament of 2x 7.92mm MG15 machine guns and 2x 20mm MG 151 cannons hardly outgun conventional fighters. A small but nonetheless noticeable plus is that defensive armament has very good coverage of the entire rear of the aircraft besides the immediate area behind the tail boom.
The Me 410 A-1, like the Do 217 and the BF 110 C-4, is completely committed to Boom and zoom tactics, and just like the predecessors, is useless at absolutely everything else. Trying to retain energy and knowing where your friends and enemies are is key to surviving in the aircraft. This also means, just like with the previous heavy fighters, that you should never commit to following a certain enemy. If an enemy is starting to turn off to the point where you need to use elevators to assist you in a turn, you will be burning far too much energy and make yourself easy prey for more nimble fighters.
Manual Engine Control
| MEC elements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixer | Pitch | Radiator | Supercharger | Turbocharger | ||
| Oil | Water | Type | ||||
| Not controllable | Controllable | Not controllable | Controllable | Combined | Not controllable | Not controllable |
Modules
| Tier | Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Fuselage Repair | Radiator | Offensive 7 mm | Turret 13 mm | |
| II | Compressor | Airframe | New 7 mm MGs | New 13 mm MGs (turret) | |
| III | Wings Repair | Engine | Offensive 20 mm | ||
| IV | Engine Injection | Cover | New 20 mm cannons | ||
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Nose-mounted armament gives a very dense cone of fire
- Good traverse arcs for the 13mm machine guns
- Reasonably fast for a twin-engine fighter
- Has air brake.
- Larger ammo capacity than conventional fighters.
- Significantly more manoeuvrable than the Do 217 fighters.
- Capable of mounting a decent amount of bombs (for a fighter) by default in the internal bomb bay.
Cons:
- Large target for enemy aircraft
- Subpar manoeuvrability; even a few bombers can out-turn it
- Pilot can be vulnerable in a head-on attack
- Defensive armament cannot shoot directly behind the aircraft, leaving a very critical blindspot in the coverage.
- Slow.
- A sitting duck if caught in a low energy state.
- Compresses easily at high speeds.
- Wings rip easily at high speeds in RB/SB.
History
The Me 410 was the development of the Me 210. Which had many aerodynamic flaws that resulted in Me 210 squadrons being decimated by more nimble Hawker Typhoons. The Me 410 was re-designated so it is associated with the Me 210. This included a lengthened fuselage, more powerful Daimler-Benz DB603A engines, and larger wing surface area. Most importantly, the installation of automatic slats that greatly improves handling characteristics. Early versions of the Me 410 were designed as fast night and day bombers. But quickly fell prey to better British night fighters. In the role of a heavy fighter, the Me 410 was used to attack US day-bomber combat box formations. Equipped with 50mm BK cannons or 210mm Werfer-Granate rocket tubes. These modifications made the Me 410 rather clumsy and manoeuvrable. This made easy targets to the bomber's escorts, fast and agile Spitfires or P-51 Mustangs. The Me 410 often worked in co-operation with Bf-110s. In the closing stages of World War Two, many Me 410s were used as homeland defence or tactical reconnaissance.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the aircraft;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
- other literature.
| Germany twin-engine fighters | |
|---|---|
| Messerschmitt | Bf 109 Z-1 |
| Me 410 A-1/U2 · Me 410 B-1/U2 | |
| Dornier | Do 17 Z-7 · Do 217 J-1 · Do 217 J-2 · Do 217 N-1 · Do 217 N-2 |
| Focke-Wulf | Ta 154 A-1 |
| Junkers | Ju 88 C-6 · Ju 388 J |
