The Messerschmitt
Bf-110 was designed as a heavy fighter/fighter bomber.
In the initial
phases of WWII it was a successful machine, with it's heavy armament, but in
1940 during the Battle of Britain it's vulnerabilities came out.
Sure if a 110 got
on your tail and fired a burst at you, well you stood little chance, but they
were slower and less maneuverable than the RAF's Hurricanes &
Spitfires, and in the end, the escorts needed escorts!
It seemed that the
110 was due for the scrap heap until it was reinvented as a night fighter.
It's speed and
maneuverability was just fine for hunting Bomber Commands heavies.
The airframe was
capable of being adapted to carry radar and heavier weapons, especially when
Schragge Musik, two 20mm cannons mounted just off the vertical, was
introduced.
The Bf-110 served
on to the end of the war and took a heavy toll on Bomber Command's raids.
Click on
images below to see larger images
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My
model is a Bf-110G4 is a conversion of the Dragon/Revell 1/32nd scale kit
using the superb AIMS conversion.
The
replacement resin parts drop into the kit with very little need for any
cutting or modification.
You
get a complete cockpit, a canopy in cast clear resin which is as thin and
clear as any kit part.
The
set includes a beautifully printed decal sheet offering numerous colour
schemes.
Instructions
are in the form of a CD which you upload to your computer and includes
reference photos of the actual machine as well as comprehensive
instructions, and full colour decal & painting guides.
The model was
painted using Xtracolor enamels which are RLM matched.
Though the 110 was
seriously outclassed when it came up against Allied fighters, it excelled at
night as a bomber hunter killer.
RAF Bomber Command
has the second highest casualty rate of any combat unit, after U-Boat crews.
This high rate of
loss is partially due to the efficiency of this night fighter,