Scale ModelWorld Exclusive - New Airfix Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse takes flight

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.

This latest edition of Workbench is being posted a little later than usual, but for very good reason - we have BIG news to share with you! As the great and the good from the modelling world head for Telford and the latest instalment of the world renowned and hugely enjoyable Scale ModelWorld Show, the Airfix team are putting the final touches to our display stand and preparing to introduce visitors to the exclusive first showing of a brand new model tooling. Visitors to this year's show will be the first people to see our new 1/72nd scale Messerschmitt Me 410 kit in all its stunning glory, the latest in a long line of Scale ModelWorld new tooling announcements from Airfix.

With this post timed to coincide with a wider trade launch for the new kit, we will be taking this first opportunity to introduce you to a new kit which should already be available to purchase on the Airfix website by the time you're reading this, looking at the history behind this handsome aeroplane and featuring the stunning box artwork produced in support of its release, yet another Workbench artwork exclusive. We will go on to look a little more closely at the two scheme options included with the new kit, two very different interpretations of the Luftwaffe's Heavy Fighter concept. You can be sure that we will head backwards to look at the design and development of the new kit and to gain the designer's insight in a forthcoming edition of the blog.

It's Scale ModelWorld weekend and we have a spectacular new Airfix model kit tooling to tell you about. If you are heading down to Telford this weekend, why not make a visit to the Airfix stand and an introduction to our new Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse kit your first modelling port of call!

The Luftwaffe and their Heavy Fighters

Introducing the new Airfix 1/72nd scale Messerschmitt Me 410 Luftwaffe Heavy Fighter model kit, the first time this aircraft has featured in an Airfix range.

In what has turned out to be a rather unusual year when it comes to the announcement of additional new models joining the current Airfix range during the year, we have already unveiled several new models, including the unexpected announcement of our 1/48th scale Westland Sea King tooling. As we head towards this year's Scale ModelWorld Show and a weekend where the eyes of the modelling world are fixed firmly on the event taking place at Telford, in the Midlands, we couldn’t let such an auspicious occasion go by without making one further addition to the 2023 Airfix range could we, one we are certain will become a firm favourite with modellers the world over in the months and years to come.

In fact, Scale ModelWorld could hardly be a more appropriate event at which to unveil our latest new tooling project, as the only complete example of the magnificent aircraft in question is to be found on public display less than ten miles away from Telford's International Centre, at the RAF Museum Midlands at Cosford, the very aircraft we LIDAR scanned at the outset of this project. To make this announcement all the more significant, this is the first time that this particular aircraft subject has ever taken its place within an Airfix range, so as this also happens to be one of the most purposeful and appealing aircraft of the Second World War, this really is a major development for the Airfix team.

Despite the fact that the Messerschmitt Me 410 is undoubtedly one of the most attractive looking aircraft of WWII, produced by one of the most famous aircraft manufacturing companies the world has ever known, the Hornisse is nowhere near as famous as the single and twin engined fighters from the same company which preceded it into service. Even though the Me 410 was packed full of all the latest technology the aviation world had to offer, including such innovative design features as remotely controlled machine gun barbettes and a multi-functional weapons bay in its nose, Messerschmitt's powerful twin remains largely unknown to many people, even those who would call themselves ardent aviation enthusiasts, but why is this? 

It could be because the aircraft endured something of a troubled and protracted development, effectively entering service two years later than it should have done, thus diminishing its operational effectiveness. Perhaps it's the fact that just a single, complete preserved example of the aircraft is on museum display anywhere in the world, meaning that the Hornisse remains something of an aviation discovery which has eluded a great many people until now, but whatever the reason, hopefully, the release of this new kit may help the Messerschmitt Me 410 be a secret no more - it's time to feel the sting of the Hornisse.

Messerschmitt Me 410 - The pursuit of heavy fighter perfection

Beautiful and sinister in equal measure, the Messerschmitt Me 410 was one of the most advanced aircraft of the Second World War, but due to the perseverance with its flawed predecessor, entered the war two years too late.

In the months prior to the start of the Second World War, Germany's Luftwaffe had some of the most feared and capable fighting aeroplanes the world had ever seen at their disposal, with their Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter setting the standard against which all future fighting aeroplanes would be judged. Despite the success of the Bf 109, military officials in Germany appeared to be almost obsessed with the development of a specific type of aeroplane, one which held the potential of claiming complete domination of the skies, their Heavy Fighter or Zerstörer (Destroyer) series.

The thinking behind this concept was perfectly plausible on paper and posed the question, What if we gave a single engined fighter a second engine and made it faster, with greater range and the ability to deliver even greater firepower? Essentially, what they were looking for was a twin Bf 109 fighter, an aircraft so devastating that nothing could stand against it in the air battles to come, and as it had the backing of Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, who was going to argue against such thinking?

During the early 1930s and having been 'encouraged' to do so by Göring himself, the German Ministry of Aviation issued specifications for the production of a heavy fighter, inviting Germany's major aviation companies to tender, with Messerschmitt, Focke Wulf, Henschel and Arado all submitting proposals. The Messerschmitt design emerged as the clear winner of this competition, however, just as contracts for the production of a series of prototypes were being signed, the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) decided to alter their requirements. They now decided that their modern Luftwaffe should be equipped with separate aircraft to fulfil the 'Battle Destroyer' role, so what they now required was both a Schnellbomber (fast bomber) and a Zerstörer (heavy fighter). Bayerische Fligzeugwerke were able to quickly modify their design in support of these changes and as their machine was the clear front-runner in the original contest, it would go on to become the Luftwaffe's much vaunted Zerstörer, continuing to attract more high profile supporters along the way. 

This CAD rendered image will be used to introduce the new Messerschmitt Me 410 kit to visitors at this weekend's Scale ModelWorld show at Telford.

Great War fighter ace and national hero Ernst Udet was another great proponent of the strategic potential of the heavy fighter concept and took every opportunity to explain his beliefs to anyone in a position of influence who was willing to listen to him. He also worked tirelessly to convince the RLM that they must establish a Kampfzerstörer force as a matter of some urgency, in order to support the aspirations of the German leaders, which by that time were now all too apparent. His views were shared by the Luftwaffe's Commander-in-Chief Hermann Göring and between them, they ensured the new heavy fighter being developed by Bayerische Fligzeugwerke (soon to become Messerschmitt AG) became something of a priority project for the nation.

As the Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer moved into its final development and service trials phase, the aircraft was beset with a series of setbacks and delays, causing the Messerschmitt team no end of frustration. This tumultuous period of aviation advancement went hand in hand with huge strides in aero engine technology, as new engines were under constant development, all producing more power than ever before, just the thing a fast new Destroyer aircraft was going to need. 

Unfortunately, new technologies often bring with them unforeseen delays and whilst the aircraft was ready to begin its test flying program, continuing problems with the new Daimler Benz DB 600 powerplants would force an eleventh hour decision to proceed with alternative engines. Initially, Messerschmitt were forced to use Junkers Jumo 210B engines, which didn't possess the same power output as the DB 600, undoubtedly shackling the performance of the new heavy fighter.

Other than test and pre-production evaluation aircraft, the first major production variant of the Messerschmitt Bf 110 to be fitted with the originally intended new Daimler Benz powerplants (the DB 601) was the 'C' series, aircraft which entered service in 1939. As a priority aircraft type, production of new aircraft proceeded at an impressive rate and by the end of the year, around 500 Bf 110s were in service and significantly, Germany was now at war.

The Luftwaffe's 'Destroyers' go to war

Championed by Luftwaffe Commander-in-Chief Hermann Göring, the potential of the Destroyer concept was probably best illustrated by the Messerschmitt Me 410.

As the Luftwaffe and Blitzkrieg swept through Poland, Norway, the Low Countries and onwards into France, the Messerschmitt Bf 110 Destroyer proved to be ruthlessly effective, with their additional range and firepower proving to be devastatingly effective both in the air and during ground attack sorties. With an absence of serious Allied fighter opposition facing them, these aircraft were allowed to operate as operational conditions allowed, relatively unchallenged and able to perform a number of different roles as and when required. As the conflict moved on to the massed air attacks against Britain, the confident Destroyer crews would be in for a rude awakening, although it could definitely be argued they were walking into a trap set by their own Luftwaffe commanders.

When the aircraft and their crews came up against the fast, agile fighters of the Royal Air Force, the Messerschmitt Bf 110 was quickly found to be seriously lacking in the aerial agility fighter aircraft needed to dominate the skies and would suffer significant losses over England. This was mainly due to the fact that they were deployed in a bomber protection/close fighter support role, one for which the aircraft was never actually intended. In fact, he combat performance of the aircraft over Britain was so poor that these much vaunted aerial Destroyers couldn't operate on their own without the protection of Bf 109 fighter cover, and at that time, it really did appear as if the faith shown in the Zerstörer concept by Goering and Udet had been misplaced.  

Nevertheless, the Messerschmitt Bf 110 would go on to find many other roles to which it was much better suited, seeing service in many different combat theatres during WWII and throughout the conflict. 

Germany's next generation of Zerstörer

Even before the Messerschmitt Bf 110 had been forced to endure its mauling at the hands of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, work on developing its more capable successor in the Zerstörer role was already at an advanced stage. With officials remaining convinced about the potential of the heavy fighter concept, the new Messerschmitt Me 210 was a very different looking aircraft to its predecessor, packed with the latest technological innovations and utilising the latest variant of Daimler Benz engine.

Time to introduce you to the latest new tooling project to join the Airfix kit range, our beautiful new 1/72nd scale Messerschmitt Me 410.

Built sample models finished in both the scheme options included with the first release of this attractive new kit, one which is available NOW!

Although the new aircraft intentionally utilised many of the same components used during Bf 110 production, its appearance could hardly have been more different, with its short, purposeful nose helping to accentuate the size of the aircraft's engines and the fact that this aircraft meant business. Featuring a ventral weapons bay under the nose of the aircraft to minimise the effects of drag, it also incorporated a pair of remotely operated MG 131 machine guns, which were housed in teardrop shaped barbettes on either side of the rear fuselage, operated from the rear cockpit by a gunner using a clever electronically controlled system utilising a hand pistol grip and compensated gunsight. The gunners targeting view was further enhanced by a blown rear canopy which extended past the line of the fuselage, meaning no attacking aircraft could escape his gaze.

The Messerschmitt Me 210 was unquestionably a spectacular looking aircraft, with its short, muscular fuselage and huge engine nacelles giving it a truly sinister appearance, however, looks can sometimes be deceiving in the world of aviation and this aircraft proved to be one with a great many flaws. Once flight testing of the new heavy fighter began in earnest, it immediately became apparent that it exhibited worrying and potentially dangerous instability characteristics. After making its first flight on 2nd September 1939, the day after Germany invaded Poland, the subsequent flight report was scathing of the Me 210, describing it as dangerous and unstable.

This was a major setback for both Messerschmitt and the Air Ministry, particularly as an order for 1000 aircraft had already been placed on the drawing board potential of the aircraft and something had to be done about the situation. A lengthy period of testing, evaluation and modifications followed, which would last a full year, however, none of this work drastically altered the problems this aircraft suffered from, it was simply a flawed aeroplane.

Although the Messerschmitt Me 410 shared many visual similarities to its troubled predecessor the Me 210, this was a very different aeroplane altogether and one which was everything the Me 210 should have been.

The Messerschmitt Me 210 would eventually enter service in April 1942, however, this did little to rescue the reputation of the aircraft - some reports from the time describe how pilots hated it, even describing it as a machine which was trying to kill them. Whether this was a result of the reputation the Me 210 had already attracted, or the fact that it was just such a difficult aircraft to fly it's difficult to say, but whatever the reason, production of the aircraft was halted only a few weeks after the first aircraft had been delivered and in the end, only 357 aircraft were produced and most of these were built under licence in Hungary.

Less than 100 Messerschmitt built Me 210 fighters were delivered to the Luftwaffe, with an additional 100 later supplied by the Hungarians, with the vast majority of these going on to see service in North Africa and the Mediterranean. It does have to be said that the Hungarians actually liked their aircraft and would operate them effectively throughout the remainder of the war, yet another interesting aspect of this unusual aviation story. Did the Messerschmitt designers simply cram too much innovation and technology into a single aircraft design? They most definitely spent far too long trying to modify an aircraft which they knew was an extremely flawed design.

As for Messerschmitt, they were still convinced about potential of the heavy fighter concept and were confident that they could produce an aviation phoenix from the flames of the Me 210, however, it would involve a radical redesign of their original Messerschmitt Bf 110 replacement.

Messerschmitt Me 410 - The Zerstörer Göring had always wanted

A project of this magnitude deserves to be supported with the production of stunning artwork and if we wanted any inspiration to finish this kit in the lead scheme of the two included in the new kit, here it is - The Hornisse Fjord. 

When Hermann Göring imagined what his Zerstörer force might look like as the concept was first muted back in the mid 1930s, surely it must have been close to what a sky full of Messerschmitt Me 410 heavy fighters would have offered. Although this was a development of the earlier and ultimately disappointing Me 210 and indeed, shared a great many visual similarities to its predecessor, the Me 410 was a very different aircraft. In fact, Hitler would go so far as to proclaim it as his 'Backbone of Germany's Home Defence', having seen a cannon armed example flown during a demonstration of his Wonder Weapons.

If you know where to look, despite the similarities shared by the two aircraft, it isn't difficult to differentiate between a Messerschmitt Me 410 and its predecessor and with it, identifying an effective combat aircraft from an extremely flawed one. Looking at a side profile of the aircraft, the Me 410 has a slightly taller and noticeably longer fuselage, with lengthened, more refined engine nacelles housing the new and more powerful Daimler Benz DB 603 engines.

These modifications alone gave the aircraft a more elegant appearance, if also highlighting its potential as an effective combat aircraft. The instability issues which blighted its predecessor were rectified by redesigning the wing shape and incorporating automatic leading edge slat technology, to give the aircraft much better low speed handling qualities. The wing of the Me 210 featured two different leading edge sweep angles, with a 6 degree sweep inboard of the engines and 12.6 degree sweep outboard, however, the Me 410 wing design did away with this, maintaining a constant 5.5 degree sweep across the length of the leading edge. When combined with the automatic leading edge slats, these modifications virtually eliminated all the instability issues suffered by its predecessor, allowing the Me 410 to concentrate on becoming an effective combat aircraft, rather than simply staying in the air.

The prototype Messerschmitt Me 410 made its first flight during the Spring of 1942, immediately showing itself to be a much more capable aircraft than its predecessor, essentially the Zerstörer the Luftwaffe had been hoping to introduce two years earlier. Now given the name Hornisse (Hornet), they were hoping the new heavy fighter would stir up a storm in the air, and like its predecessor, was ordered in large numbers not long after the flight of the prototype and even attracting the same priority production status.

A much more refined design than its predecessor, the Messerschmitt Me 410 was an excellent multi-role aircraft, but proved particularly effective when used in the heavy fighter bomber killer role.

From the outset, even though the first aircraft were produced as Schellbombers (fast bombers), it could easily be argued that the Messerschmitt Me 410 was a true multi-role aircraft, one capable of performing a variety of different tasks effectively, with flexibility intentionally built in to its overall design. Could we even go so far as to suggest this was the closest the Germans ever got to producing something like the British de Havilland Mosquito they hated and admired so much?

With it ventral weapons bay in the nose of the aircraft, the Me 410 could be configured to perform a multitude of operational tasks, with fast bomber and heavy fighter being its primary roles, but with others such as night fighter, reconnaissance, bomber killer, torpedo bomber, dive bomber, long range/maritime strike and training roles all eventually being undertaken. In fact, something of a design industry was to grow around the concepting of proposed future variants of the Me 410 throughout its service life, even though it entered service two years later than initially anticipated.

Although developed as a Schnellbomber, many of the first Me 410s entering service were used in nightfighter/intruder or reconnaissance roles, however, it didn't take crews long to discover that this was a much better aeroplane that its predecessor, as it was welcomed into widespread service. 

Messerschmitt's Hornisse bomber killer

The new kit finished in both scheme options, with the Rheinmetall BK 5 autocannon toting A-1/U4 in the prominent position - don't they look beautiful, if a little sinister!

Perhaps the most impressive of all the Messerschmitt Me 410 configurations were the bomber killer 'U4' variants, aircraft which sported the huge, projecting Rheinmetall BK 5 autocannon, a development of the 50mm Kampfwagenkanone anti-tank gun found in the Panzer III tank. With 21 shells housed in a magazine in the weapons bay of the Me 410 and a shell already loaded in the breach, a single shell possessed the destructive power to bring down an Allied bomber and at ranges where the Luftwaffe aircraft were impervious to return fire from the bomber stream. 

Unfortunately, despite the fact that 1,189 Messerschmitt Me 410 heavy fighters would eventually be built, Allied fighter advancement had not remained static in the two years between the introduction of the disappointing Me 210 and its much more capable replacement, meaning that the issues which plagued the Messerschmitt Bf 110 during the Battle of Britain still existed for its eventual replacement in 1943 and beyond.

Although an excellent and extremely heavily armed aircraft, the Me 410 could not adequately defend itself against the latest Allied single engined fighters in contested airspace. No match for the latest Spitfires, Tempests and P-51D Mustangs, once USAAF commanders freed their fighters from bomber protection duties and allowed then to go hunting the Luftwaffe, any advantage the heavily armed Me 410s had in their bomber killer role were effectively negated and if caught in the gunsights of Allied fighters, they were unlikely to survive the encounter.

Production of the Messerschmitt Me 410 ended during August 1944, when the manufacturing lines were switched to producing single engined Messerschmitt Bf 109G fighters for home defence duties, however by that stage in the war, things were already looking rather futile for the beleaguered Luftwaffe. Remaining Me 410 units continued fighting until the final days of WWII, although very few aircraft would be left intact by the end of hostilities.

Today, just a single complete example of a Messerschmitt Me 410 is to be found on display anywhere in the world, one of the prized aviation possessions maintained by the Royal Air Force Museum at their Midlands RAF Cosford site, the very aircraft Airfix scanned at the outset of this exciting new model tooling project.

Despite its protracted development and relatively limited operational success, the Messerschmitt Me 410 is undoubtedly one of the most impressive looking aircraft types of the Second World War, interesting as the ultimate incarnation of Germany's fascination with the Zerstörer heavy fighter concept.

A new Airfix kit of distinction

By the time you are reading this introduction, the Messerschmitt Me 410 will be being added to model shop displays all over the world and will certainly be available on the Airfix website.

Any modeller will tell you that the aircraft of the Second World War continues to provide fascinating subject matter and enduring inspiration for many a build project, so the announcement of this appealing new kit is sure to find favour with many within our community. The first time the Messerschmitt Me 410 has ever featured in an Airfix range, the built model images included throughout this introduction feature really do highlight the aesthetic appeal of this Luftwaffe Zerstörer, with the beautiful schemes in which the aircraft is finished underlining the sinister appeal many Luftwaffe aircraft always have for modellers. 

As we confirmed at the beginning of this feature, the new 1/72nd scale Messerschmitt Me 410 kit is available NOW, so it's probably a good idea if we include details of the two scheme options included in the initial release of this spectacular new kit.

Scheme A - Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U2 Werk Nummer 140007 3U+AV, II./Zerstörergeschwader 26, Gardermoen, Norway, 1945.

It could be argued that by the time the extremely proficient Messerschmitt Me 410 began arriving with front-line Luftwaffe units, it was already too little too late and the fate of the European air war had already been decided. A much more capable aircraft than its predecessor, the Me 410 proved to be a capable multi-role aircraft and probably the most effective of all the Zerstörers, however, it was still no match for the British Mosquito, against which it was always compared.

Had this been the aircraft introduced back in 1940 instead of the Me 210, perhaps the much vaunted Zerstörer concept might have had some significant successes, however, as it was, two years of delay only served to blight the Me 410 with the same problems suffered by both its predecessors, a basic inability to defend itself against Allied single engined fighter attack.

Nevertheless, the Messerschmitt Me 410 proved to be an excellent fighting aeroplane, one which was accepted for Luftwaffe service in January 1943, with around 50 aircraft reaching front-line units by the end of Spring the same year. One of the first units to receive the Me 410 was Erprobungskommando 25, a specialist unit established to develop and test advanced weapons for potential use across the Luftwaffe, air-firing weapons such as air launched unguided high explosive rockets and ever more powerful heavy cannon.

One noteworthy operation involving a large number of Messerschmitt Me 410 heavy fighters took place during the Spring of 1944, when a force of around twenty aircraft stealthily followed a large number of USAAF bombers back to their bases in England, following the completion of their latest bombing raid. With crews preparing to land and probably letting their guard down for the first time in several hours, the Luftwaffe Heavy Fighters struck, claiming a significant number of bombers destroyed, for the loss of just a single aircraft to ground based anti-aircraft fire. Once discovered, the Me 410 had the speed to make it back to bases in Northern Europe before they could be intercepted by British fighters.

The A1/U2 variant of the Messerschmitt Me 410 was the standard 'Heavy Fighter' variant of the aircraft, powered by a pair of the proven Daimler Benz DB 603A engines and optimised for operations against the massive Allied daylight bomber streams. Due to the positioning of the aircraft's forward fuselage bomb bay, the Luftwaffe were not particularly impressed with the Me 410 in a Schnellbomber role, particularly as opening the bomb bay doors created instability issues at this vital time, therefore making accurate targeting almost impossible, however, as a heavy fighter, that was a different story altogether.

Full scheme details of this heavy fighter variant of the Messerschmitt Me 410, followed by two images featuring a model finished in this attractive scheme.

The A1/U2 Zerstörer made use of a unit previously developed for use on the Me 210, one referred to as a Waffenbehälter WB 151A and literally translated as a Weapons Container. This unit allowed the installation of two forward firing MG 151/20 cannon in the nose bay of the fighter, in addition to the aircraft's standard armament of two MG 151/20 cannon, two MG 17 machine guns and two MG 131 guns in remotely controlled barbettes on either side of the aircraft's rear fuselage. This weapons package was intended to break up the mighty Allied daylight bomber streams, allowing individual bombers to be targeted and destroyed more effectively, with a reduced threat from enemy return fire. This modification also included the addition of another section of armoured windscreen and the fitting of a 'fighter' Revi 12C or 12D gunsight - it would take around ten hours for a competent team to make these changes to an aircraft's configuration.

No. II. ZG26 (Zerstörergeschwader 26) spent the majority of it's war operating the Junkers Ju-88 in Greece, however, it would transfer to Norway from September 1944, operating in the Zerstörer role flying the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Me 410. Initial operations using the Me 410 were thought to have been in a reconnaissance role, however, some aircraft were configured as heavy fighters and using additional underwing drop tanks, were probably used to mount long-range anti-shipping patrols throughout the region.

It's not known exactly how many Messerschmitt Me 410 heavy fighters were operated in Norway, however, several were noted in various states of serviceability as airfields surrendered to Allied forces towards the end of the war and there are official reports that units operating the Me 410 reverted back to flying the Bf 110 during the final weeks of conflict.

Scheme B - Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U4 Werk Nummer 420292 CC+3U, Stab II./Zerstörergeschwader 26, Königsberg, 1944.

As the war entered a devastating new phase for Germany, the massed formations of USAAF bombers attacking targets deep into Germany by daylight resulted in fighter units on all other fronts being stripped of their strength, as aircraft were ordered back to bases in Germany to mount the increasingly desperate defence of their homeland. In this role, both the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and newer Me 410 heavy fighters were viewed as the Luftwaffe's most important fighters, with their additional range and heavy firepower enabling them to mount long sorties, attacking the bomber streams on their way to and back from their latest targets.

At the forefront of this defensive struggle, Hitler was particularly keen on the A-1/U4 variant of the Messerschmitt Me 410, an aircraft which was equipped with the mighty Rheinmetall manufactured BK-5 cannon. Having seen one of these impressively armed heavy fighters demonstrated for him at a new weapons development event, he proclaimed this aircraft as the 'Backbone of Germany's Home Defence', one which would clear the skies of American bombers and one of his Wonder Weapons.

These aircraft were certainly impressive looking and if the pilot could get the gun to fire as intended, it could produce devastating results. The Luftwaffe's latest bomber killer, this variant featured a weapons bay mounted BK-5 autocannon protruding from the nose of the aircraft, a weapon which was a development of the 50mm Kampfwagenkanone anti-tank gun found in Panzer III tanks. With 21 shells housed in a magazine in the weapons bay of the fighter and a shell already loaded in the breach ready to fire, the pilot could usually rely on at least one round being fired, before this temperamental system jammed, leaving just standard armament to be used during the sortie, if this hadn’t been removed as a weight saving measure.

Full scheme details of this heavy cannon armed Me 410, a variant of the fighter which was intended to decimate USAAF bomber streams at distances which made the threat of being hit by return fire almost impossible.

A single, well aimed shell possessed the destructive power to easily bring down an Allied bomber and could be fired at ranges where the attacking Luftwaffe aircraft were effectively impervious to the wall of return fire put up by the bomber stream, however, this soon had to be qualified, with any such engagement only having a positive outcome if Allied fighters were not in the same airspace, or if engagements were at much closer quarters.

As the war entered a devastating new phase for Germany and the Luftwaffe, the massed formations of American bombers striking targets deep into enemy occupied Europe and Germany itself, resulted in fighter units on all fronts being stripped of their aircraft, as they were now required to fight in defence of their homeland. In this role, both the earlier Bf 110 and newer Me 410 heavy fighters were seen as being the most effective aircraft with which to lead this defence, as they possessed both the range and firepower to cause maximum damage and were championed by the Führer himself.

Initial results were encouraging, but with the unrelenting Allied onslaught placing a huge strain on the available recourses of the beleaguered Luftwaffe, success rates soon began to plummet. The arrival of the P-51 Mustang and a change in tactics which allowed USAAF fighter units to leave the bombers and go hunting for the Luftwaffe, resulted in the tables quickly being turned on the Zerstörer force and instead of being the hunters, they immediately became the hunted. Unable to defend themselves against Allied fighter attack, the Me 410s could only safely operate if protected by their own force of single engined fighter aircraft, making them something a liability, rather than a feared adversary.

Championed as one of Germany's wonder weapons against the Allies, officials went to great lengths to avoid giving the true picture regarding the performance of Zerstörer units to either the German public, or to their Führer, for fear of incurring his wrath and spreading panic throughout the population.

With its underwing fuel tanks and sinister looking BK-5 autocannon, could any modeller possibly ignore the many charms of this magnificent new kit, our scale representation of an aircraft which must surely be considered one of the most interesting types of the Second World War? 

The Messerschmitt Me 410 would ultimately be viewed as an effective aircraft type, liked by both crews and the Luftwaffe units which operated them. Celebrated as war winning bomber destroyers, the German propaganda machine championed these aircraft as dominators of the sky and II./ZG 26 the Hornissengeschwader or Hornet Squadron as imperious defenders of German airspace - no wonder the German public loved them. The name Hornisse became synonymous with the operation of Messerschmitt's 'Destroyer', even if it was much less devastating in combat than its reputation suggested. In fairness, this was more down to that two year introduction delay (the Me 210 debacle) than the aircraft's lack of operational capability.

During the latter stages of the war, combat attrition rates would prove so alarming for Luftwaffe Destroyer units that the fighters of ZG 26 were forced to re-locate to Königsberg in East Prussia, restricting operations to raids against Berlin where Allied fighter cover was not reported. Unfortunately for them, following the introduction of the P-51 Mustang, those missions would be few and far between. When Allied units could make good their combat losses within a matter of hours, the Luftwaffe had no such luxury and the writing was very much on the wall by that stage.

The Messerschmitt Me 410 heavy fighter presented with this scheme was a Stab II./ZG 26 aircraft, which basically designated this as a Headquarters or Command aircraft, placing this ahead of other aircraft in the unit hierarchy, with this classification identified by the green 'C' carried on the aircraft's fuselage coding. The fighter is also equipped with the distinctive, protruding BK-5 autocannon which was used by the Hornissengeschwader in operations against USAAF daylight bombing raids.

Full box presentation of a new kit we're delighted to be welcoming to the Airfix range, the stunning Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse.

This magnificent new tooling addition to the 2023 Airfix range is our show announcement exclusive for this weekend's Scale ModelWorld event and we will bring you a full report of its public debut in a forthcoming edition of Workbench. For those unable to make the show this year, if everything goes as planned, our magnificent new Messerschmitt Me 410 kit will be in stock and available NOW, so even if you can't come and see the built samples proudly displayed on our stand at SMW, you can secure your example, an appealing new build project for anyone’s winter build schedule.

Finally, we are delighted to welcome our new Messerschmitt Me 410 model kit and hope Workbench readers have enjoyed this exclusive introduction to it.

We are afraid that's all we have for you in this latest edition, but we will be back next Friday with more project development updates and the very latest Airfix kit exclusives. In the meantime, we are always keen to hear your views on all things Airfix and in particular, any thoughts and opinions you may have regarding our Workbench blog. If you would like to drop us a quick line, could we please ask that you use our workbench@airfix.com email for all correspondence. 

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