Me 410 B-1

This page is about the German strike aircraft Me 410 B-1. For other versions, see Me 410 (Family).

Me 410 B-1

Me 410 A-1

Do 335 A-1

Me 410 B-1

Me 410 A-1

Do 335 A-1

Germany

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	3.7	4.0

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:13 000

Purchase:76 000

Description

The Me 410 B variant was intended to improve on the Me 410 A with better engines. DB 603G engines were planned to be installed, but production and design issues meant the DB 603G would never be put into any aircraft. Thus, the Me 410 B was essentially just a Me 410 A but with more fuel, strengthened undercarriage, and an oxygen system for high-altitude flight. The Me 410 B-1 was designed quite early in the war, when the Luftwaffe was still utilizing the Me 410 as a high-speed bomber. Thus, it could still carry bombs and lacks the additional cannons of later variants. However, once the Luftwaffe realized the Me 410 was weak as a bomber, its purpose shifted towards converting the Me 410 B-1s in service to the Zerstörer standard. This usually resulted in more cannons being added. 

The Me 410 B-1 has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. Since this is an early variant of the Me 410, it can still carry bombs and lacks modification sets like the WB 151A, which added two more MG 151s. Even by light bomber standards, the Me 410 B-1's loadout is fairly weak, with a maximum loadout of only two 500 kg bombs. One difference between the B-1 and A-1 is the replacement of the 7.92 mm machine guns with 13 mm machine guns. This slightly increases the firepower but still pales in comparison to something like the B-6/R3. 

General info

The Me 410's instrument panel.

Flight performance

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Max speed

at 6 900 m639 km/h

Turn time30 s

Max altitude10 450 m

Engine2 х Daimler-Benz DB-603A

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight11 t

In general, the Me 410 B-1's flight characteristics are adequate. It can accelerate reasonably fast, and its roll rate is average. However, its turn time is not as good as single-engine fighters (which is to be expected), but it may be able to outturn some other heavy fighters. It does not lock up at high speeds, meaning you can dive on enemies without having to worry about that. Even when approaching rip speed, the flight performance stays largely, the same. The DB 603s are excellent engines, and when spaded, at low altitude, without payload, and flying straight, you should be able to manage 470 km/h. However, at higher altitudes, it can go even faster, thanks to its supercharger, reaching speeds past 500 km/h.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 6,900 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	617	599	10450	31.1	32.0	7.9	7.9	500
Upgraded	663	639		28.9	30.0	14.3	10.8

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	✓	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
750	350	457	428	280	~12	~4

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 360	< 360	< 460	> 265

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
5,750 m	3,120 hp	3,551 hp

Survivability and armour

Crew2 people

Speed of destruction

Structural750 km/h

Gear350 km/h

• 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)
• Self-sealing fuel tanks (4 in the wings' roots and 2 in the wings)

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB872 → 1 125

RB1 600 → 2 065

SB3 199 → 4 129

Total cost of modifications24 600

44 600

Talisman cost1 100

Crew training22 000

Experts76 000

Aces500

Research Aces320 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

60 / 120 / 250 %

142 / 142 / 142 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 130 Radiator Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 130 Compressor Research: 1 100 Cost: 2 000 120 Wings repair Research: 2 100 Cost: 3 800 230 Engine Research: 2 100 Cost: 3 800 230 Engine injection Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 220	Airframe Research: 1 100 Cost: 2 000 120 Cover Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 220	mg131_turret_belt_pack Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 130 mg131_belt_pack Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 130 mg131_turret_new_gun Research: 1 100 Cost: 2 000 120 mg131_new_gun Research: 1 100 Cost: 2 000 120 SC 250 Research: 1 100 Cost: 2 000 120 mg15120_belt_pack Research: 2 100 Cost: 3 800 230 mg15120_new_gun Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 220 SC 500 Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 220

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon

Ammunition700 rounds

Fire rate700 shots/min

Weapon 22 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun

Ammunition1 200 rounds

Fire rate900 shots/min

The Me 410 B-1 is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, cheek-mounted (350 rpg = 700 total)
• 2 x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns, fuselage-mounted (600 rpg = 1,200 total)

Suspended armament

List of setups (3)

Setup 18 x 50 kg SC50JA bomb

Setup 22 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb

Setup 32 x 500 kg SC500K bomb

The Me 410 B-1 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 8 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (400 kg total)
• 2 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (500 kg total)
• 2 x 500 kg SC500K bombs (1,000 kg total)

Defensive armament

2 х Turret13 mm MG 131 machine gun

Ammunition500 rounds

Fire rate900 shots/min

The Me 410 B-1 is defended by:

• 1 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, 2 x beam turrets (500 rpg)

Usage in battles

This aircraft, like its predecessors, benefits from a large supply of ammo. When performing ground attacks against soft targets, firing the machine guns separately enables better conservation of the more relevant cannon ammo. It is recommended to use stealth ammo for the machine guns and another belt for the cannons that include tracers, as this enables the pilot to easier gauge the 20 mm's trajectory.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Combined	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

In terms of MEC, the Me 410 B-1 does not offer much. You can control the propeller pitch and radiators, but nothing else. Usually, you can keep the radiators at around 40%, but you may have to increase it to a little past 50% if WEP is engaged, or if your water cooling system is damaged. Unlike the DB 601 from which it was derived from, the DB 603 does not conk out if propeller pitch is increased to 100%, and can be kept there. If your engines are dead and you need to glide back to base, decrease it as needed.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Well armed, mounting 13 mm and 20 mm cannons
• Improves offensive armament, with the 7.92 mm MGs replaced with 13 mm MGs
• Good amount of ammunition for both weapons
• Quite durable, well armoured
• Great straight-line top speed for a heavy fighter
• Sustains high speeds in dives
• Air brakes (useful for dive recovery, dogfighting and landing)
• Without air brakes, accelerates quickly in a dive, allowing for quick escapes
• Retains speed created in a dive for a while
• Good forward visibility (in Simulator)
• Stable flyer
• Machine guns allow for a less wasteful ground attack

Cons:

• Not very manoeuvrable (although quite reasonable amongst heavy fighters)
• Poor energy retention
• Less firepower than the Me 410 A-1/U2
• Different forward-firing guns means two trajectories to know
• Rather large target

History

Archive of the in-game description

April 1944 saw the Me 410 B version replace the Me 410 A on the assembly lines. The main distinction of this variant was its Daimler-Benz DB 603G twelve-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine. The new engines had an increased boost and compression ratio, which allowed a takeoff power of 1,900 hp. The aircraft's armament was reinforced. The pair of 7.92 mm Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 17 machine guns mounted in the nose section were replaced with the same number of the more powerful and efficient 13 mm large-calibre Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 131 machine guns. Me 410 B planes could now have two additional 300-litre fuel tanks suspended under their wing panels, and the main landing gear legs were extended. Just as it was in the case of the Me 410 A, two main versions of the aircraft saw full-scale production: the Me 410 B-1 high-speed bomber and the Me 410 B-2 "destroyer". Various Rüstsatz and Umbausatz kits were used on these aircraft. The Me 410 B-1/U2 and the Me 410 B-1/U4 had armament corresponding to the same versions of the A-1 modification: either a pair of 20 mm Mauser MG 151/20 cannons (the U2 kit), or a 50 mm Rheinmetall BK 5 cannon (the U4 kit). The Me 410 B-2/U2 version of the aircraft had a WB 151 ventral container with two more 20 mm Mauser MG 151/20 cannons. In addition to the 50 mm Rheinmetall BK 5 cannon mounted in the bomb bay, Me 410 B-2/U4 planes had a pair of 30 mm Rheinmetall-Borsig MK 103 cannons installed. To make room, their 20 mm Mauser MG 151/20 cannon and 13 mm Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 131 machine guns were removed. About a hundred such kits were delivered to the Luftwaffe's troops on the front lines. Several more "field modification kits" for the Me 410 B-2 were developed for the purpose of fighting Allied bombers. The R2 kit included a WB 108 container with two 30 mm Rheinmetall-Borsig MK 108 cannons. The R3 kit also allowed the mounting of additional 30 mm cannons of a different type (Rheinmetall-Borsig MK 103) in a WB 103 container. In addition to a WB 151 container, planes equipped with the R4 kit received two additional 20 mm Mauser MG 151/20 cannons mounted under the fuselage. Planes with the R5 kit received a container with four Mauser MG 151/20 cannons, mounted in the bomb bay. In April 1944, several Me 410 B-2/U4 aircraft received a 37 mm Rheinmetall BK 3.7 aircraft anti-tank cannon for trial.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Me 410 B-1 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• Me 410 (Family)

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance