What if the ME 210 production is avoided.

What if the German are smart enough to avoid ordering production of the ME210 for 1941 before the protypes were even ready (Perhaps Wever lives or Udet dies early or Udet just figures that one thing out or something along those lines).

Presumably then you could have produced more ME110s in the 1941-1942 time frame.

Could you then have more ME110s available as Jabos for Russia and/or night fighters over Germany???? (or is the restriction really trained pilots anyway?)
 
Alternatives

The Me210 was flawed, but the Bf110 was obsolete by then and questionable at first. There were alternatives for a twin engined Night Fighter/Recce/Strike aircraft. What about the Arado 240? If there were iddle hands at Messerchmitt there was certanly a need for more Bf109F, even if for export to allied airforces.

arado_ar-240-s.gif
 
The Bf-110 was ending the end of its useful life (except as a night fighter) by 1942-43. As you noted, the main problem with the Me-210 was that it was put into production before the first prototype had flown, and its failure then completely screwed up Luftwaffe heavy fighter development. If the 110 replacement had been procured in the normal manner (several competing designs, prototypes, and gradual development of the winner), Germany likely would have had a follow-on heavy fighter entering service by 1943 anyway, which was when a heavy zerstorer was really becoming needed as a bomber destroyer. Maybe the Ar-240, a development of the Fw-187, a Bf-109 zwilling, or even a gradually improved Me-210 (equivalent to the Me-410). This would also have the effect of keeping Bf-110 production lines in operation until the new fighter was ready ... and avoid the scandals surrounding Willi Messerschmitt.
 
A faster butterfly

A quick read about the Do335 reveals that Dornier had been trying to convince the LW to order a tendem engined machine since 1939 (as the P59) and actually build a proof of concept demonstrator in early 1941 (the Go9) Then Dornier tried to enter the P231 for the intruder role (basically an early Do335) and saw it killed by Goering. So an earlier Do335 (with DB605) is possible. It could be used as a single seat fighter bomber/Recce/Interceptor and as a dual seat night fighter.
 
A quick read about the Do335 reveals that Dornier had been trying to convince the LW to order a tendem engined machine since 1939 (as the P59) and actually build a proof of concept demonstrator in early 1941 (the Go9) Then Dornier tried to enter the P231 for the intruder role (basically an early Do335) and saw it killed by Goering. So an earlier Do335 (with DB605) is possible. It could be used as a single seat fighter bomber/Recce/Interceptor and as a dual seat night fighter.

I thought about the Do-335 myself, but you've really got to change how the RLM looks at unconventional aircraft to have it put in production any earlier than in OTL. Also, I've read that the centerline push-pull concept as employed in the Do-335 had some problems associated with rear engine overheating and interference between the two conflicting propwashes that affected handling, and these really hadn't been resolved when it was put in production (as an emergency late war program). Because so few production Do-335 were flown under operational conditions, we really don't know if the teething problems could have been solved.
 
Other options for an unconventional Bf-110 replacement could have been the Bf-109Z (twin Bf-109) or the taillless Me-329, which was evolved from an earlier design study for a radical Bf-110 replacement:
 

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Someone has been looking at Luftwaffe '46 I see :p
Though I admit that the Me-329 looks awesome. And it likely would have made a great aircraft, though the unusual arrangement could lead to a troubled development.
 
A highly recommend site for all AH-commers...and as Nazi Wunderwaffe sites go, far more trustwothy than most.
 
A highly recommend site for all AH-commers...and as Nazi Wunderwaffe sites go, far more trustwothy than most.
A great site indeed, some of those designs make me wish I was a billionaire, just so I could have it built for real!
 
I am thinking if a couple of hundred of extra Bf 110s were available on the eastern front in the middle of 1941, their range and ground attack capability would have been helpful in supporting the armored spearheads, maybe enough to doom Leningrad in 1941 or over Odessa, Crimea and the Black Sea (even if you had to give them to the Rommanians because of a lack of German pilot training), the Germans might have finished off Sevastopol in 1941.
 
No Air Supremacy

I am thinking if a couple of hundred of extra Bf 110s were available on the eastern front in the middle of 1941, their range and ground attack capability would have been helpful in supporting the armored spearheads, maybe enough to doom Leningrad in 1941 or over Odessa, Crimea and the Black Sea (even if you had to give them to the Rommanians because of a lack of German pilot training), the Germans might have finished off Sevastopol in 1941.

The Germans never had total air supremacy in Russia, only local air superiority in some areas. The Bf110 operating as long range strike aircraft would have been faced with soviet fighters, happy to find targets outside of Bf109F range. The Bf110 would have to fight for its life, and would suffer looses.
 
The Germans never had total air supremacy in Russia, only local air superiority in some areas. The Bf110 operating as long range strike aircraft would have been faced with soviet fighters, happy to find targets outside of Bf109F range. The Bf110 would have to fight for its life, and would suffer looses.

At least in 41-42 the Germans were able to operate JU88s deeply in train busting raids and what not, there were losses to be sure, but since there is no radar net, they could get in and out ok most of the time. The ME110 aint no Stuka, it could drop its bombs and be pretty fast still.
 
At least in 41-42 the Germans were able to operate JU88s deeply in train busting raids and what not, there were losses to be sure, but since there is no radar net, they could get in and out ok most of the time. The ME110 aint no Stuka, it could drop its bombs and be pretty fast still.

So why not more Ju88? Not much slower, more range, much bigger bombload.
 
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