Messerschmitt Me 210

The Messerschmitt Me 210 was a German heavy fighter and ground-attack aircraft of the Second World War, designed as a replacement for the Bf 110. The first examples were ready in 1939 but had unacceptably poor flight characteristics because of serious flaws in the wing planform and fuselage design, and a large testing programme through 1941 and early 1942 did not cure them. It entered limited service in 1942 and was soon replaced by the Me 410 Hornisse, a further development. Its failure forced the Luftwaffe to keep flying the Bf 110 after it had become outdated, despite mounting losses.