ME-323, the Messerschmitt "GIANT" - Largest Air Transport of WWII

[Tracer]

The number of airfields you can operate from with that airframe must have also been an issue.

Wonder if they ran it through any Immelmann Turns or Barrel Rolls during test flights?!

It's has to be one real strong, one real heavy wing. It also supports the 5th engine. I would sure like to see the performance chart for this unique aircraft.

 

[Another Ahab]

It's has to be one real strong, one real heavy wing. It also supports the 5th engine. I would sure like to see the performance chart for this unique aircraft.

Absolutely, and then when you consider recent conversation in the SR-71 "Blackbird" Thread about issues of yaw in-flight, this thing must have had some of those issues.

 

[Tracer]

This is the StratoLaunch aircraft that was just rolled out a couple of months ago. I was surprised to see that a single large horizontal was not used. The aircraft will carry rockets and launch them into space from high altitudes. The aircraft is constructed mostly of composites.

 

[Another Ahab]

Easy enough with today's computer capabilities to synchronize thrust of that thing from the six engines.

But I'm imagining that was a l-i-t-t-l-e trickier back in the day when that subtlety was likely managed mostly through seat-of-the-pants "engineering" from the pilot.

Any multi-engine aviators in the pack who can speak to that?

 

[Tracer]

Absolutely, and then when you consider recent conversation in the SR-71 "Blackbird" Thread about issues of yaw in-flight, this thing must have had some issues.

No doubt, I'm sure they had some surprises. Back then they really were test pilots, no flight simulators.

 

[Another Ahab]

No doubt, I'm sure they had some surprises. Back then they really were test pilots, no flight simulators.

Grim stuff. You can almost hear the conversation in the Engineering Department now:

- "Well. That didn't work so well."

- "Yeah, you're right. Let's tweak it a little and see how that works."

- "Okay. Now, who's next in our pilot rotation?"

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

View attachment 687125 This is the StratoLaunch aircraft that was just rolled out a couple of months ago. I was surprised to see that a single large horizontal was not used. The aircraft will carry rockets and launch them into space from high altitudes. The aircraft is constructed mostly of composites.

Not really intending to hijack this thread (that I started in the first place), but....



Since the StartoLaunch isn't exactly a "military vehicle" I'm going to refrain from starting a dedicated thread for it. Yet at the same time, I thought it appropriate to share this article here.....

• Meet the Stratolaunch, the world's largest airplane

https://www.cnet.com/pictures/meet-...d=1861078414&nan_pid=1861078414&ad_id=6534018

 

[Guyfang]

Impressive machine. Smart engineers. It could be an excellent launch platform.

 

[Another Ahab]

Look what I found, a "tiny" Gigante.

The soundtrack is what sold me....



https://youtu.be/yFxwLb6NmDA

 

[Another Ahab]

Ran across some background that the Gigante was the outcome of Hitler's decision to invade Britain.

This would be the Me-321 (the glider), the Me-323 was a later development

That invasion was never part of Hitler's original plan. You all might know the story of his blank stare at his foreign minister Ribbentrop (on Britain's declaration of war), when dumbfounded Hitler turned to Ribbentrop and asked him, "What now?!".

The invasion approach settled on was:

- Massive gliders.

It made sense considering they had France already, and the trip across the English Channel from there was peanuts, so why bother with the engineering, expense, and complication of engines?
Funny thing was apparently nobody thought of how to get them airborne until AFTER they had the prototype.

 

[Another Ahab]

Here's a portion of a vid (not too long, 5 minutes +/-), that is a quick summary. Pretty good.

Part of it is the narrative of a Gigante pilot who was brought down by a B-26 over the Mediterranean and survived.

There's also a portion with some odd cheery almost Disney-quality music showing a Gigante being assembled, but the labor appears to be Wehrmacht instead of slave labor. Must be a story there, but don't know what it is:




https://youtu.be/DeDXaf8T8LE

 

[Karl kostman]

Coladwarrior thanks for posting its amazing what folks did with the technology that they had but by anybodies standards 7000 HP all in reciprocating engines is a lot! it is sure to bad that not even one of these planes exist today, I would love to see it fly and get a real feel for just what this plane was all about! Very neat!!
Karl