Messerschmitt Me 310
The Messerschmitt Me 310 was a prototype German heavy fighter of World War II. It was a project to save the aerodynamically troubled Me 210.
| Me 310 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Heavy fighter |
| Manufacturer | Messerschmitt |
| First flight | 11 September 1943 |
| Number built | 1 |
Design and development
The armament was to be the same as the Me 210 A-1: two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, two 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns, and two remotely controlled, rearward-firing 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns.
A single aircraft was built by converting Me 210 V13 (code GI+SQ). It had a pressurised cockpit and was powered by two 1,380 kW (1,850 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 603A inline engines. The Me 310 first flew on 11 September 1943, but the project was cancelled later the same year, as it showed hardly any aerodynamic improvement over the Me 210. A subsequent prototype, the Me 410, showed sufficient improvement in its aerodynamics to be put into production.[1]
Specifications (Me 310)
Data from [2]
General characteristics
- Crew: two (pilot and gunner)
- Length: 12.20 m (39 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan: 17.90 m (58 ft 9 in)
- Height: 4.30 m (14 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 37.7 m² (406 ft²)
- Loaded weight: 11,050 kg (24,360 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Daimler-Benz DB 603A, 1,380 kW (1,850 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 655 km/h (408 mph)
- Range: 1,900 km (1,185 mi)
- Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
Armament
- Guns: *2 × fixed, forward-firing 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons
- 2 × fixed, forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns
- 2 × rearward-firing 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns in remote-controlled barbettes
References
- Mankau, Heinz. "Messerschmitt Bf 110, Me 210, Me 410: an illustrated history". Atglen, PA: Schiffer Pub., 2003. ISBN 978-0-7643-1784-2
- Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Doubleday & Company Inc., 1970. ISBN 0-385-05782-2.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_me_310.html