Matchbox PK-113 / 40113 Messerschmitt Me 410 A-2/U4 & B-1 Hornisse — 1/72 Scale Plastic model kit

Manufacturer: Matchbox / Lesney

Kit number: PK-113

Later catalogue number: 40113

Barcode: 035995421356

Aircraft: Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse

Versions represented: A-2/U4 and B-1

Scale: 1/72

Original tooling/release: 1976

Parts: 54

Plastic: Three colours

Status: Out of production

The specialist Matchbox catalogue records the original PK-113 as a 1976 first edition, with 54 parts moulded in three colours.

This is one of the classic early Matchbox aircraft kits and is consequently quite different in character from later 1/72 Me 410 kits.
Matchbox and kit history

The kit dates from Matchbox's particularly productive 1970s period, when Lesney Products expanded the Matchbox brand beyond its famous die-cast vehicles into injection-moulded scale models.

PK-113 appeared in 1976 in Matchbox's distinctive orange packaging. Its relatively low parts count was deliberate: Matchbox aimed to make the kits accessible to younger modellers while still providing recognisable representations of important aircraft.

The original kit was moulded in three colours, a characteristic feature of the Matchbox range. The 54-piece construction is quite simple compared with contemporary specialist kits, but the model captures the distinctive twin-engine, twin-boom-looking appearance of the Me 410 and provides the large-calibre cannon configuration associated with the A-2/U4.

The kit is still sufficiently well regarded that the Revell Community has featured it in a Matchbox group build, with modellers specifically identifying it as the Matchbox 1/72 PK-113.
Kit contents

The original PK-113 contains approximately 54 parts.

The basic contents comprise:

two fuselage halves;

port and starboard wings;

engine nacelles;

two Daimler-Benz engine representations;

propellers;

cockpit;

pilot's position;

tail assembly;

retractable undercarriage;

wheels;

external stores;

defensive armament;

large-calibre cannon installation;

clear canopy;

decals;

assembly instructions.

The kit represents the Me 410 A-2/U4 and B-1 configurations. Specialist catalogue records identify the two variants on the original kit.

The A-2/U4 is particularly interesting because it represents the famous 50 mm BK 5 cannon installation intended for attacking Allied heavy bombers.

A contemporary modelling review describes the Matchbox kit as a typical vintage Matchbox product, moulded in multiple colours, and identifies the kit as an Me 410 A-2/U4 with two decal options.
The real aircraft — Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse

The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse, or "Hornet", was a German twin-engine heavy fighter, bomber destroyer, reconnaissance aircraft and night-fighter developed during the Second World War.

It was essentially the successful development of the troubled Messerschmitt Me 210.

The Me 210 had been intended to replace the Bf 110, but suffered severe aerodynamic and handling problems.

Messerschmitt redesigned the aircraft extensively. The resulting Me 410 received:

a lengthened fuselage;

redesigned outer wing panels;

more powerful engines;

revised aerodynamic surfaces;

improved handling;

greater speed;

increased weapons-carrying capability.

The resulting aircraft looked very similar to the Me 210, but was a substantially improved machine.
Development from the Me 210

The Me 210 programme had become a serious problem for the Luftwaffe.

The original aircraft was difficult to fly and suffered from instability.

The Me 410's revised outer wing panels changed the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft. The wing sweep of the outer panels was brought into line with the inner panels, improving the aircraft's handling.

Six incomplete Me 210 aircraft were converted to Me 410 standard during late 1942.

The first Me 410 prototype subsequently flew toward the end of 1942.

The Luftwaffe accepted the improved aircraft and ordered it into production.
Entry into service

Deliveries of production Me 410s began in January 1943.

Production continued until September 1944, when the worsening German military situation and changing fighter requirements brought the programme to an end.

Approximately 1,160 Me 410s of all versions were produced by Messerschmitt's Augsburg works and the Dornier plant at Munich.

This makes the Me 410 substantially less numerous than the Bf 110 it was intended to replace.
Engines

The Me 410 A-series was powered by two Daimler-Benz DB 603 liquid-cooled V-12 engines.

The engines provided substantially more power than the DB 601s of the earlier Me 210.

The additional power was essential because the aircraft was large and heavily armed.

For an A-series aircraft, representative power was approximately 1,750 hp per engine, depending upon the exact DB 603 installation.

The engines drove three-bladed propellers and were mounted in streamlined nacelles beneath the wings.
Performance

Representative Me 410 A-series figures are approximately:

Crew: 2

Engines: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 603

Maximum speed: around 620–625 km/h / 385–388 mph

Length: approximately 12.4 m

Wingspan: approximately 16.4 m

Role: heavy fighter, bomber destroyer, reconnaissance and night fighter

Typical armament: 20 mm cannon, machine guns and optional heavy weapons.

Published specifications vary according to the exact sub-variant and equipment fit. A representative A-1/U2 configuration is listed at about 624 km/h maximum speed.
Armament

The Me 410 could carry a formidable collection of weapons.

A standard fighter/bomber-destroyer configuration could include:

2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon

2 × 13 mm MG 131 machine guns

additional weapons depending on the conversion kit;

bombs;

rockets;

heavy cannon installations.

The aircraft's fixed forward armament was supplemented by remotely operated defensive gun turrets mounted on the sides of the rear fuselage.

These distinctive Ferngerichtete Drehlafette mounts gave the rear gunner substantial defensive firepower.
The 50 mm BK 5 — A-2/U4

The most spectacular weapon associated with the Me 410 is the 50 mm BK 5 cannon.

This weapon was installed in the A-2/U4 and other specialised bomber-destroyer configurations.

The cannon was derived from the 50 mm KwK 39 tank gun and was adapted for aircraft use.

Its purpose was straightforward: allow the Me 410 to attack Allied heavy bombers from outside the effective range of many defensive guns.

The gun could fire a very powerful projectile capable of inflicting severe damage with a single hit.

The Matchbox PK-113 specifically depicts this distinctive configuration, making the large cannon an important identifying feature of the kit.

The gun installation carried a limited ammunition supply. Later B-2/U4 information records 22 rounds for the BK 5, illustrating the fundamental trade-off between weapon size and ammunition capacity.
Bomber destroyer

The Me 410 became particularly important during the Allied strategic bombing campaign over Germany.

Its combination of:

speed;

heavy armament;

long range;

two engines;

substantial ammunition capacity;

made it potentially dangerous to formations of heavy bombers.

Against relatively unescorted bomber formations, the aircraft could be highly effective.

The Matchbox's A-2/U4 subject therefore represents one of the Me 410's most heavily armed roles.
The problem of fighter escorts

The Me 410's greatest weakness was its vulnerability to single-engine Allied fighters.

As the Allies increasingly provided long-range fighter escorts for their bomber formations, the Me 410's situation became much more difficult.

The aircraft could not turn with fighters such as the P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt, and its size made it comparatively conspicuous.

The Me 410 could still inflict damage when it reached the bomber formations, but surviving the encounter with escorting fighters became increasingly difficult.

Contemporary historical summaries note that although crews appreciated the Me 410, its performance was ultimately insufficient against the high-performance Allied fighters encountered later in the war.
Other roles

The Me 410 was not restricted to bomber interception.

Variants were developed for:

light bombing;

reconnaissance;

night fighting;

maritime attack;

bomber destruction;

ground attack.

The A-3 reconnaissance version had a deeper fuselage to accommodate cameras and additional fuel.

Some aircraft were fitted with radar for night operations or maritime missions.

The design's ability to carry large external loads made it a flexible platform.
Night fighting

Some Me 410s were used as night fighters.

The type's speed and endurance were useful for intercepting Allied bombers, although dedicated night fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 110, Junkers Ju 88 and Heinkel He 219 filled this role more extensively.

Some Me 410 variants received radar equipment and additional equipment for night operations.
Maritime operations

The Me 410 was also adapted for maritime attack.

The B-5 was developed for maritime operations and could carry radar and specialised anti-shipping weapons.

Proposed and tested loads included torpedoes and large bombs, demonstrating the considerable payload potential of the airframe.
Production and cancellation

Production continued through 1944, but the changing strategic situation increasingly favoured single-engine fighters.

By September 1944, production had ceased after approximately 1,160 aircraft had been completed.

The Me 410 therefore had a relatively short operational career, lasting roughly from 1943 to 1945.

It was not an unsuccessful aircraft in absolute terms; rather, its usefulness became increasingly constrained by the changing air war.
Surviving aircraft

Very few original Me 410s survive today.

One of the most significant survivors is preserved at the Royal Air Force Museum, where an Me 410 is displayed as an important example of the German heavy-fighter programme.

Because surviving complete examples are museum aircraft rather than normally traded warbirds, there is no meaningful open-market selling price comparable with an airworthy Spitfire or Mustang.
Historical full-size aircraft price

A reliable contemporary retail or unit procurement price for the Me 410 is difficult to establish.

German wartime aircraft procurement was conducted through government contracts, and published figures can include engines, equipment, armament and production costs in different ways.

I would therefore not assign a fabricated historical unit price to this aircraft.

For catalogue purposes:

Historical selling/procurement price: No sufficiently reliable standalone figure located.

Current full-size selling price: No normal open-market price; surviving Me 410s are museum/heritage aircraft.

That is preferable to converting a wartime production-cost estimate into a supposed "selling price", which would give a misleading valuation.