The German heavy fighter that was almost too dangerous to fly

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1939, the Luftwaffe ordered 1,000 units of a plane that had never even flown. The Messerschmitt Me 210 promised superior speed and advanced weaponry, but its design flaws turned a potential successor into a flight hazard that pilots feared.

Designed as a replacement for the Bf 1 10, the Me 210 was intended to be a high-performance heavy fighter. On paper, its capabilities were impressive: powered by two 1,350 PS Daimler-Benz DB 601F engines, it could reach 620 km/h, roughly 80 km/h faster than its predecessor. It featured an internal bomb bay for up to 1,000 kg of ordnance and a sophisticated remote-controlled defensive system using 13 mm MG 131 machine guns.

However, the aircraft's development was plagued by instability. Test pilots found the plane prone to 'snaking' and oscillations even during level flight. The design suffered from severe stalls that frequently transitioned into spins when the automatic leading-edge slats were deployed. The danger was illustrated in September 1940, when the second prototype, the Me 210 V2, was lost after a pilot was unable to recover from a spin.

Despite 16 prototypes and 94 preproduction examples, the fundamental issues remained. While a 'long' version of the fuselage was created to improve handling, the aircraft's reputation never recovered. By April 1942, only 90 German-built units had been delivered to frontline units before production ceased. The failure of the Me 210 program forced the Luftwaffe to continue using the outdated Bf 110, even as losses mounted. The lineage eventually moved toward the Me 410 Hornisse, while Hungarian-built Me 210Ca variants found more success in the hands of the Royal Hungarian Air Force.

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