Airfix – A04066 – Messerschmitt Me410A-1/U2 & U4

Description:

Unassembled plastic model kit in 1/72 scale of a German WWII Messerschmitt Me410 “Hornisse” heavy fighter and fighter bomber aircraft, produced from early 1943 to mid/late 1944 in around over 1100 units in different variants, but mainly for the two roles mentioned above and as high altitude reconnaissance aircraft (U1 variants).

U4 variant was an specific bomber destroyer variant, fitted with a 50mm Bordkanone, BK-5 cannon, derived from the Panzer III 50mm KwK 39 L/60 gun, but extra weight of the gun and gun itself problems made it a not very used combination despite the long range of Bordkanone. Instead, A-1 variant, fitted with two 7.92mm MG 17 machine guns, two 20mm MG 151/20 cannons in the nose and the 2 extra 20mm cannons of the U2 version was preferred for the bomber destroyer role.

Despite its versatile design, production problems drove the model to be relegated as reconnaissance aircraft and stop production in favor of keep other models in production.

Kit is is a newly tooled kit 2023/2024, consists of 137 parts with options to build either Me410A-1, Me410U-2 or Me410U-4 though the kit only offers decal sheet for two markings, Messerschmitt Me410A-1/U2, 11./ Zerstörergeschwader 26, Gardermoen, Norway, 1945 and Messerschmitt Me410A-1/U4, Stab II./Zerstörergeschwader 26, Königsberg, 1944, not allowing to build a simply Me410A-1 version.