Me 210 Destroyer
One of the most catastrophically disappointing aircraft developed for the Third Riech during World War 2 was the Messerschmitt Me 210. This heavy fighter seemed to have it all: a unique aerodynamic design, two powerful Daimler-Benz DB 601 fuel injection engines, a revolutionary landing gear system, and more than enough firepower to give it the advantage over almost any other aircraft of its type. It was to be Germany’s next great “Zerstörer,” or “destroyer.” The Me 210 was so impressive on paper that Nazi Germany ordered a thousand units before there was even a prototype. However, when the first units came out of the factory, the numerous flaws, shortcomings, and engineering oversights soon made it the most unpopular fighter among pilots. Not only that, but the backlash was so significant that Willy Messerschmitt, the founder of Messerschmitt AG, was almost forced to resign while his company faced dissolution. Eventually, the aircraft had to be taken apart and recommissioned as different units to recover some of the resources pledged to the failed project. The Me 210s that did reach the frontlines were scattered to the furthest reaches of the conflict, where their poor performance left them considered one of the worst twin-engined aircraft to ever be built for the Luftwaffe…
Credit Dark Skies
