Bf110 - the Nachtjagd's 'Hurricane' ?

Erich : Thanks for the book suggestions - sounds like there's a gap in the market here ! Funnily enough, since my posting I found a copy of one of the good old 'Aircraft Profiles', No 207 'Messerschmitt Bf 110 Night Fighters' by Alfred Price which is a nice little intro to the story with some interesting photos.

Ta152 - yes, the Stirling suffered from limited wingspan which was indeed due to a need to fit pre-war RAF hangars.... But also the bomb-bay was very limited indeed, being designed around smaller bombs. Perhaps worst of all was the ungainly and incredibly complicated undercarriage which frequently collapsed on both takeoff and landing. Having said which, it had superb flying characteristics and some pilots rate it as the best four-engined bomber in terms of 'pure flying'. I found a copy of Murray Peden's book last year and have yet to get around to reading it but I know it's rated as an all-time classic.

 

Martin :

Yes that profile booklet is nice to have, I need to pull it out and take a look again. The Ju 88 nf profile isn't bad either though some of the pics are mis-marked.

E

 

This is where I'm slightly fortunate - inspired by this thread, called in at the RAF Museum this afternoon ( on business, of course ! ) to take a careful look at : -

http://www.johnbass.co.uk/OtherAircraft/BF110.htm

Bf110G-4/R6, 730301 ( I/NJG3 1945 ) which I think is the world's only surviving G-4 ? ( I'm sure Erich will put me right...! )

And a very beautiful but rather sinister-looking machine it is, too.

 

This is Erich crying foul ! great looking machine although that camo scheme is a bit bogus, but who cares really. Yes I think it is the only complete machine in existance although I have colour photos of one being assembled from spares left over in Denmark and being put together. It unfortunately has had the sharks mouth painted on it from earlier NJG 3 days although the FuG 220d set says it is a late date 1944/1945 machine when the sharks mouth motif was removed long ago.....
it would be so nice Martin to take a tour of that bird.....ah maybe someday when we can all get together for a reunion eh ?

E

 

I think it may have been repainted since that photo was taken.... it is a nice display, as the Bf110 sits alongside JU88R-1 360043 ex- IV/NJG3 from 1943.

 

Martin, U say the Ju 88R was from 1943 ?...... was this then flown to the UK or into an area to surrender ? I do not remember the RAF possessing one of these until the surrender in 1945.

Yes the Bf 110G-4 should be overall RLM 76 blue-grey and the squiggle would be much tighter and finer against the blue background, the welle lines should be grey-vilot and was introiduced in 1944. The yellow wing tip is all wrong, should not even be there. The radar as it is should indicate an earlier FuG 220c or b set and also around the late 1943 real early 1944 time frame.

E

 

The yellow wing-tip on the Bf110 has definitely now disappeared.

The Ju88 was based in Norway and was flown to the UK intact in May, 1943 'presumably by a member of the Secret Service' says another website ...