Hungarian Me 210C

[Leo Niehorster]

From what I have read, the Hungarians seemed quite happy with their nationally produced Messerschmitt Me 210C. Did the Hungarians have a substantial part in developing the this specific model? Or was it merely based on the production license from the Germans without any modifications? Or, if modified, were these modifications made by Hungarian industry?

Why did the Hungarian Air Force Experimental Institute form a Me 210C unit?

How close/similar were the Me 410 and the Me 210C?

Thanks
Leo

[CB1]

Hi,

This comes from Lóránd Dombrády's "A magyar hadigazdaság a második világháború idején" /Hungarian War Industry in WW2/, Petit Real, 2003, Budapest:

"MoD notified Dunai Repülõgépgyár (DRG) in APR43 that RHAF requires a long-range recon variant of the Me 210 as well. German experts were involved in the planning.
On 10DEC43 DRG reported that two aircraft of the LRR variant had been finished and were undergoing trials.
Some constructional problems also arose. On 12JUL43 MoD notified DRG that the Messerschmitt accepted to test the installation of a bigger oil-cooler and DRG is to build the new cooler into one of the aircraft produced for the Luftwaffe so Messerschmitt can test it."

Other modifications I know of: they planned to install a Turul-type radar device in the nightfighter variant but the Turul was never produced and the planned to use Lídérc-type acoustic-guided AA missiles from underwing tubes. If these count as modifications.

Bye,
Krisz

[Leo Niehorster]

Thank you, Krisz. That help a lot.

Cheers
Leo

[CB1]

Hi,

This comes from the AUG94 issue of "Háború és béke", page 26

"1943 strategic bombing in Germany had shown the likely future of Hungary. Hungarian Air Force had few fighters and no destroyers. Haditechnikai Intézet (Military Technology Institute), Dunai Repülõgépgyár (DRG-Danube Aircraft Factory) and Repülõkísérleti Intézet (RKI-Institute of Aircraft Experiments) worked out the plans of a heavy fighter. It was the modification of the Me 210Ca-1 gyorsbombázó <fast bomber> already in production in Hungary. A 40mm Bofors AA gun was installed in the weapons bay and triple-tube launchers were fitted under the wings. The aircraft underwent trials in the summer of 1944. DRG converted 3-4 airplanes at most before the factory was bombed on 8AUG44. There are no records about any combat missions. The aircraft had the ability to strike the allied bombers from a distance of 1200 meters and possessed an awesome firepower (six 152mm rockets)."

Bye,
Krisz

[Leo Niehorster]

Very intersting.
Thanks again, Krisz.

[Csaba Becze]

Leo, it is along story, drop me a PM if you have some exact questions (more exact plz, than "was it a good plane?":)

[cavszabo]

Hi Leo,

The key difference was in the motor. The standard plane had the Daimler-Benz DB 601, while the Hungarian planes used Hungarian built DB 605 engines, much more powerful.

Sources. Gyuri Punka and especially János Péterdi, former test pilot of the Me 210D programme.

Chris

[_BiG_]

Hi!

My father was a gunner on Me 210 Ca-1 (their airfield was between Nagybánya (Baia Mare) and Felsőbánya (Baia Sprie) in North-Erdély - they are in Romania now). He told me the gunner of their planes was armed with two Gebauer 8mm machineguns instead the remote controlled MG 131. This modification was made because the germans didn't deliver the original weaponry.
The rear cockpit was also modified, the guns was moved on round tracks.

BiG

[peeved]

Hungarian Me 210 from exp.eBay.de.

Markus

[DenesBernad]

This machine was assigned to the Hungarian 5/1. Experimental Night Fighter Squadron.
It will be featured in an upcoming book.

Dénes

[CB1]

Hi,

http://www.palba.cz/forumfoto/displayimage.php?pid=4583&fullsize=1

The 40mm cannon muzzle between the propeller cones and the triple launcher under the wing are visible.

Bye,
Krisz