Category Archives: Luftwaffe

Deutschland / Germany

Fighter, Fighterbomber

Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8/R-1, II/JG 1 (Revell Models)

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TYPE: Fighter, Fighterbomber

ACCOMMODATION:  Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One BMW 801D-2 air-cooled radial engine, rated at 1,677 hp

PERFORMANCE: 405 mph at 9,420 ft

COMMENT: The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed Würger (Shrike) was a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulff Company in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Me 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force) of the Luftwaffe. The twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Me 109, allowing its use as a day fighter, fighter bomber, ground-attack aircraft and to a lesser degree, nught fighter.
The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941 and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V, the main front-line fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF), particularly at low and medium altitudes. The 190 maintained its superiority over Allied fighters until the introduction of the improved Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX. In November/December 1942, the Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front, finding much success in fighter wings and specialised ground attack units (Schlachtgeschwader – Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943.
The Fw 190A series’ performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 20,000 ft and above, which reduced its effectiveness as a high-altitude interceptor. From the Fw 190’s inception, there had been ongoing efforts to address this with a turbosuper-charged BMW 801 in the Focke-Wulf Fw 190B model, the much longer-nosed Focke-Wulf Fw 190C model with efforts to also turbocharge its chosen Daimler Benz DB 603 inverted V12 powerplant, and the similarly long-nosed Focke-Wulf  Fw 190D model with the Junkers Jumo 213. Problems with the turbocharger installations on the -B and -C subtypes meant only the D model entered service in September 1944. These high-altitude developments eventually led to the Focke-Wulf/Tank Ta 152, which was capable of extreme speeds at medium to high altitudes (469 mph at 44,300 ft. While these “long nose” Fw 190 variants and the Ta 152 derivative especially gave the Germans parity with Allied opponents, they arrived too late to affect the outcome of the war.
The Fw 190A-8 entered production in February 1944, powered either by the standard BMW 801 D-2 or the 801Q (also known as 801TU). The 801Q/TU, with the “T” signifying a Triebwerksanlage unitized powerplant installation, was a standard 801D with improved, thicker armour on the BMW-designed front annular cowling, which still incorporated the BMW-designed oil cooler, upgraded from 6 mm on earlier models to 10 mm. Changes introduced in the Fw 190 A-8 also included the C3-injection Erhöhte Notleistung emergency boost system to the fighter variant of the Fw 190 A (a similar system with less power had been fitted to some earlier Jabo variants of the 190 A), raising power to 1,950 hp for 10 minutes. The 10 minute emergency power may be used up to three times per mission with a 10 minute cooldown in “combat power” between each 10 minute use of emergency power.
The Focke-Wulf A-8/R-1 Zerstörer (Destroyer) had a quartette of underwing-mounted MG 151 cannon (Rüstsatz 1, Field conversion set), the standart twin fuselage mounted MG 131 and wing root-mounted MG 15.
Of the total of 23.823 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 built in all variants 6.655 aircraft were Fw 190A-8.
The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. Some of the Luftwaffe’s most successful fighter aces claimed many of their kills while flying it. The Fw 190 had greater firepower than the Messerschmitt Me 109 and, at low to medium altitude, superior manoeuvrability, in the opinion of German pilots who flew both fighters. It was regarded as one of the best fighter planes of World War II .
The Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8/R-1 shown here belonged to the II. Gruppe (Wing) of JG 1 (Jagdgeschwader, Fighter Group) (Ref.: 24).

Fighter, Projects

Horten Ho X, 3D-Print (my3dbase)

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TYPE: Interceptor, Project

ACCOMMODATION:  Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One BMW 003 turbojet engine, rated at 950 kp thrust, later one Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine, rated at 1.300 kp thrust

PERFORMANCE: 684 mph

COMMENT: Due to the rapidly deteriorating war conditions in Germany in the last months of WWII, the RLM (Reichs Luftfahrt  Ministerium, German Air Ministry) issued a specification for a fighter project that would use a minimum of strategic materials, be suitable for rapid mass production and have a performance equal to the best piston engined fighters of the time. The Volksjäger (People’s Fighter), as it became known as, was issued on September 8, 1944 to Arado, Blohm & Voss, Fiesler, Focke-Wulf, Junkers, Heinkel,  Messerschmitt and  Siebel. The new fighter also needed to weigh no more than 2000 kg have a maximum speed of 457 mph, a minimum endurance of 30 minutes, a takeoff distance of 500 m (1604′), an endurance of at least 30 minutes and it was to use the BMW 003 turbojet engine.
Although not chosen to submit a design, the Horten Brothers came up with the Ho X that met the specifications laid out by the RLM. Using a similar concept that they had been working on with their Horten IX (Ho 229) flying wing fighter,  the Ho X was to be constructed of steel pipes covered with plywood panels in the center section, with the outer sections constructed from two-ply wood beams covered in plywood. The wing featured two sweepbacks, approximately 60 degrees at the nose, tapering into a 43 degree sweepback out to the wingtips. Control was to be provided by combined ailerons and elevators at the wingtips, along with drag surfaces at the wingtips for lateral control. A single BMW 003E turbojet engine with 900 kp of thrust was housed in the rear of the aircraft, which was fed by two air intakes on either side of the cockpit.  One advantage to this design was that different jet engines could be accommodated, such as the Heinkel-Hirth He S 011 with 1300 kp of thrust, which was to be added later after its development was complete. The landing gear was to be of a tricycle arrangement and the  pilot sat in a pressurized cockpit in front of the engine compartment. Armament consisted of a single MK 108 30mm cannon or a single MK 213 30mm cannon)in the nose and two MG 131 13mm machine guns, one in each wing root.
In order to determine the center of gravity on various sweepback angles, scale models with a 3.05 meter wingspan were built. A full-sized glider was also under construction but was not completed before the war’s end. Further development would have been to add an 240 horsepower Argus As 10C piston engine in a pusher configuration and later the more powerful Heinkel-Hirth He S 011 with 1300 kp of thrust. Due to the ending of hostilities in 1945, the Horten Ho X was not completed (Ref.: 17).

Fighter, Projects

Messerschmitt Me P.1112, 3D-Print, (my3dbase)

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TYPE: Fighter, Project

ACCOMMODATION:  Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011A0 turbojet engine, rated at 1.300 kp thrust

PERFORMANCE: 680 mph (estimated)

COMMENT: The Messerschmitt P.1112 was a proposed German turbojet fighter, developed by Messerschmitt AG during the closing stages of World War II, and intended for use by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). The progress of the war prevented the completion of a prototype before the fall of Nazi Germany. Its design, however, had a direct influence on postwar US Navy carrier fighters.
The work on the  Me P.1112 started on February 1945 ( Ten weeks before the unconditional surrender of the Reich!!!!!) after Willy Messerschmitt decided to halt the development of the Messerschmitt Me P.1111, which would have required, as standard equipment, a pressurized cockpit and ejection seat. Designed by the head of the Messerschmitt Project Office W. Vogt, between 3rd and 30th March 1945 as an alternative to the Me P.1111, the Messerschmitt Me P.1112 design was less radical than the Me P.1111 and incorporated the lessons learned from the development of the Messerschmitt Me P.1110 design. Voigt estimated that the Me P.1112 would commence flight testing by mid-1946.
Intended to be powered by a single Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine, three design concepts of the Me P.1112 were developed. The last proposed design was the Me P.1112/V1 using a V-tail design and fuselage lateral intakes; the two first were the Me P.1112 S/1, with wing root air intakes, and the Me P.1112 S/2, with fuselage lateral intakes, both with a larger, single fin; both designs lacked conventional horizontal stabilizers. All three had a fuselage maximum diameter of 1.1 metres.The aircraft’s wing design was similar in appearance to that of Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet rocket fighter. The pilot was seated in a semi-reclined position, and was equipped with an ejection seat.
A partial mockup of the Me P.1112 V/1, consisting of the aircraft’s forward fuselage section, was constructed in the “Conrad von Hötzendorf“ Kaserne at Oberammergau, Bavaria, but the Messerschmitt facilities there were occupied by American troops in April 1945, before construction of the prototype could begin
Although the Me P.1112 was never completed, follow-on designs were already proposed, even as design work on the type itself was done. These included a proposed night fighter version, which was intended to be fitted with twin engines mounted in the wing roots of the aircraft.
Following WW II, Voigt’s experience in tailless aircraft design was put to use by the Chance Vought Company in the United States, where he was involved in the design of the Chance Vought F7U Cutlass fighter (Ref 24).

Fighter, Fighterbomber, Projects

Focke-Wulf Single-Seat Fighter with BMW P.8011 (My3dbase.com)

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TYPE: High-altitude Interceptor

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot in pressurized cockpit

POWER PLANT: One BMW P.8011 radial engine with two turbochargers, rated at 2.900 hp

PERFORMANCE: 451 mph in 26.215 ft

COMMENT: By the beginning of 1942, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190A was established in production and service, and most of the more serious shortcomings that has revealed themselves during the fighter’s gestation had been ironed out. A solution had still to be found out. However, the performance of the aircraft at high altitudes was inadequate. So one of the preproduction airframe was fitted with a nitrous oxide injection or GM 1 system for use above the rated altitude of the engine. The nitrous oxide, which was retained under pressure in liquid form in a tank aft of the cockpit, provided additional oxygen for the engine, but sometimes also acting as an antidetonant.
Flight testing proved disappointing. Effective combat altitude was boosted to some 26.000 ft, but insufficient nitrous oxide could be carried to increase power for more than brief periods, difficulties were experienced in lagging the pipelines, and the weight of the system, with its compressed air cylinders and heavily-lagged GM 1 tank, was almost as much as the total gun armament of the standard fighter.
Focke-Wulf was convinced that the desired performance could not be achieved with the BMW 801, and that the engine should be replaced by a liquid-cooled power plant. The design team with Prof. K. Tank favored the Daimler-Benz DB 603, but this engine was viewed with disfavor by the RLM, having been developed by Daimler-Benz without official sanction. Tank was informed that the improved performance now being sought should be achieved with developments of the BMW 801 air-cooled radial.
Meanwhile BMW was working on the BMW 802, a large air-cooled radial engine consistig of two rows of nine cylinders. It was essentially an 18-cylinder version of the 14-cylinder BMW 801. The BMW 802 emerged with an almost identical displacement to the American 18-cylinder Wright R-3350 Duplex Cyclone and somewhat larger than the British Bristol Centaurus. Although promising at first, development dragged on and the project was eventually cancelled.
Another idea to improve the performance was to bolt two BMW 801s back to back. Although seemingly a simple concept, the resulting, 83.5 litre displacement BMW 803 was in fact fantastically complicated. The power of the engine could only practically be used in extremely large propellers, or, as selected, a contra-rotating pair of propellers. This required a large gearbox on the front of the engine, which combined with the layout of the cylinders, left no room for airflow over the cylinders. This demanded the addition of liquid cooling.
Based on this concept of a twin-engine a further improvement led to the BMW P.8011. This engine was, able to produce 2.900 hp at take-off. The supercharger was replaced by two gas turbines enclosed in an aerodynamic engine cowling and driving two contra-rotating three-bladed propellers.
These engines were too heavy and powerful for the standard Focke-Wulf Fw 190 airframe. It was necessary to design a heavier airplane. The answer was a 125% scaled-up version of the Fw 190 with a wing of 42,7 ft span ad 371 sqft surface. The BMW P. 8011 was 38.7 ft long and the maximum weight was more than 11.900 lbs.
This new fighter was provided with an armored pressure cabin and used as high-altitude interceptor. Due to the war situation the project was cancelled in late 1944.
This monster fighter lacked any official designation and was only known as “Focke-Wulf Einsitzer mit BMW P.8011” (Focke-Wulf Single-seater with BMW P. 8011). By the end of 1944 in an article by General “Hap” Arnold, USAAF, published on 29 May 1944 in “Aviation News” refers it as Focke-Wulf Fw 290. But that is an error because the RLM Number “290” was given to the Junkers Ju 290 four-engine maritime control and transport aircraft (Ref.: 7, 24).

Fighter, Projects

Lippisch Li P.01-117, (A+V-Models, Resin)

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TYPE: Interceptor, Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot, in prone position

POWER PLANT: One BMW 109-510 or one Walter HWK 109-509 liquid-fuel rocket engine, each rated between 300 and 1,500 kp thrust

PERFORMANCE: 550 mph (estimated)

COMMENT: This Lippisch Li P.01-117 project dates from July and August 1941 after Alexander Lippisch and his design team moved to the Messerschmitt A.G. in Augsburg in early 1939. At that time a trio of Lippisch Li  P. 01 designs were conceptualized within three weeks – the P.01-117 on July 22, the P.01-118 on August 3 and the P.01-119 on August 4.
The first design P.01-117 featured a cockpit where the pilot laid on a couch, chin up and head forward, the second boasted a novel tilting seat arrangement to improve the pilot’s visibility during a steep near-vertical climb, and the third had a pressure cabin for high altitude operations. Each of them was to be powered by a BMW or Walter HWK rocket engine but only the P.01-118 also had a second rocket engine to provide greater endurance for level flight. From this point on, all mention of the P.01 ceased and the project continued as the Messerschmitt Me 263.
The Lippisch Li P.01-117 was a tailless aircraft, with a swept wing at approximately 35 degrees. The overall plan resembled the later Messerschmitt  Me 163 “Komet” rocket-powered fighter. The fuselage held the fuel tanks and a rocket engine was mounted in the rear fuselage. A pressurized cockpit was located in the aircraft’s extreme nose, and the pilot faced the front in a prone position and looked out through a blister of bulletproof glass. Up to six MG 151/20 20mm cannon were mounted around the nose of this aircraft. Take-off was accomplished by means of a releasable trolley, sometimes additionally boosted by two solid fuelled Schmidding 109-563 take-off rockets with 500 kp thrust each. Additional jettisonable solid-fuelled rockets could be attached to the fuselage. Landing was to be accomplished on a retractable skid, as was later done on the Messerschmitt Me 163. This design went no further than the preliminary design phase, but the Messerschmitt Me 163 went into production and was used operationally by the Luftwaffe (Ref.: 20).

Fighter, Projects

Lippisch P.01-115, (Unicraft Models, Resin)

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TYPE: Interceptor, Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One BMW P-3304/109-002 turbojet engine and an undetermined Walter rocket engine, thrust of each engine unknown

PERFORMANCE: No data available

COMMENT: The Lippisch Li P.01-115 was another design under the Li P.01 series, all designed by Alexander Lippisch and his team while at Messerschmitt A.G.
Dated July 2, 1941, the Li P.01-115 had a similar plan form to the others in the P.01 series (which were similar to the Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket fighter). The fuselage held the armament, fuel and power plants. This was one of the first designs to feature a dual powered fighter. A small BMW P-3304/109-002 turbojet engine was located in the upper rear fuselage and was fed by an air intake on top of the fuselage. In addition, a BMW 109-510 rocket engine was mounted beneath the turbojet and provided takeoff and perhaps emergency power. The wings were swept back at 27 degrees, and only a single vertical tail and rudder was to be fitted. In this tailless configuration, the pilot sat in a cockpit in the front of the plane.  For take-off, a pair of wheels, each mounted onto the ends of a specially designed cross-axle, were needed due to the weight of the fuel, but the wheels, forming a take-off dolly under the landing skid, were released shortly after take-off. and landing was accomplished on a retractable skid. Two forward-firing fixed MG 151 15mm cannon located in the forward lower fuselage comprised the armament.
As with other designs in the Lippisch P.01 series, this design went no further than the drawing board stage. All work was later devoted to the Messerschmitt Me 163 “Komet” and later variant rocket fighters (Ref.: 20).

Nightfighter

Messerschmitt Me 609 NJ (Nachtjäger, Night fighter), (RS Models)

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TYPE: Night- and bad-weather fighter

ACCOMMODATION:  Pilot and radar-operator/navigator

POWER PLANT: Two Daimler-Benz DB 603g liquid-cooled engines, rated at 1,726 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 472 mph at 27.800 ft

COMMENT: As early as 1940, the Messerschmitt design bureau concerned itself with the idea of fusing two fighters into a single airframe to provide a considerable increase in range and payload. The work was based on a RLM edict to simplify the number of combat aircraft to a few basic models.
Known as Messerschmitt Me 109Z Zwilling (twin) and Messerschmitt Me 609, the layouts were primarily intended as Zerstörer (Destroyer), Schnellbomber (Fast bomber or Nachtjäger (Night fighter). Following detailed examinations, the most suitable solution capable of early production indicated the use of a Daimler-Benz DB 605A-powered Messerschmitt Me 109G. A considerable performance increase, however, was to be expected if  2,000 hp Junker Jumo 213 engines were installed, requiring only a few alteration to incorporate complete major components of the standard aircraft. The modifications were limited mainly to the need of a completely new constant –cord wing center section and tailplane that simplified manufacture. Besides relocation of the undercarriage attachment points and the use of larger wheels, the ailerons and outboard leading-edge slots were lengthened and auxiliary fuel tanks were installed. In the course of development work on the twin aircraft, the Messerschmitt Me 309 was also considered and resulted in the Messerschmitt Me 609 destroyer, fast bomber and night fighter. The more powerful engine intended for the Messerschmitt Me 609 led to improvements in flight performance.
For the Night fighter version a FuG 217V/R “Neptun” radar with smal “Hirschgeweih” (Stag’s Antlers) aerial array was provided. These were mounted at the wingtips close to the leading edge. When all work on the unsuccessful Messerschmitt Me 309 was stopped all further effort on the Me 609 was cancelled (Ref.: 24).

Fighter, Fighterbomber

Messerschmitt Me 509 (RS Models)

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TYPE: Fighter, Fighter bomber, Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Daimler-Benz DB 605B liquid-cooled engine, rated at 1,455 hp

PERFORMANCE: 470 mph (estimated)

COMMENT:  Although the Me 509 can trace its roots back to the Messerschmitt Me 309, very little information has survived. The aircraft was to be of an all-metal construction. A new fuselage was designed, with the pressurized cockpit being moved well forward near the nose.  The Daimler Benz 605B 12-cylinder engine was buried in the fuselage behind the cockpit, and drove a three-bladed, Me P 6 reversible-pitch propeller by an extension shaft which passed beneath the cockpit (similar to the US Bell P-39 Airacobra).  The wing was tapered and had rounded wingtips, and was mounted low on the fuselage.  Other Me 309 components were to be used, such as the tricycle landing gear, and the vertical tail assembly was similar to the one used for the Me 309 V1.  Armament was not decided upon for the 509, but it is thought that two MG 131 13mm machine guns and two MG 151 20mm cannon were to be used. Although there were advantages of better cockpit visibility and relocation of the engine weight from the nose gear. That was important, since the Me 309’s nose gear often collapsed. The Messerschmitt Me 509 design and development was stopped when the Me 309 program was ended in mid-1943.
In April 1945, the Japanese completed a very similar project, the Yokosuka R2Y Keiun. Although no firm evidence exists, it is possible that the Messerschmitt Me 309/509 information was licensed to the Japanese military, as were a number of other German designs (Messerschmitt Bf 109, Heinkel He 100, Messerschmitt Me 163, Messerschmitt Me 410, among others). (Ref.: 17).

Cargo, Glider

DFS 230B-1 (Huma Models)

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TYPE: Transport glider

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot plus 9 equipped troops 600 lb cargo

POWER PLANT: None

PERFORMANCE: Maximum towing speed 130 mph

COMMENT: The DFS 230 was a German transport glider operated by the Luftwaffe in World War II. It was developed in 1933 by the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS – “German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight”). The glider was the German inspiration for the British Hotspur glider and was intended for airborne assault operations.
The structural design oft he DFS 230 was thoroughly conventional. The wing comprised a single mainspar at approximately one-third cord with plywood covering forward and fabric aft, the long-span ailerons with inset tabs were fabric covered, and a central keel member or boom intended to absorb the impact transmitted to it from the sprung steel skid. Provision was made for either a single or dual control, and, in addition to the pilot, accommodation was provided  for nine men who were seated on the central boom, six facing forward, and four backward. Entry and exit to the cramped interior was by a single side door. The front passenger could operate its only armament, a 7,9 mm MG 15  machine gun on flexible mounting in upper decking of forward fuselage . A large loading door was  provided at the rear of the cabin in the fuselage portside, and the loading of bulky items of freight was facilitated  by a detachable beneath the wing at the starboard side of the fuselage. Up to 1,200 kg of freight could be loaded or 660 lb of freight in addition to the full complement of 10 men .
For take-off a two-wheel dolly was provided, this being jettisoned once the glider was airborne, it landed by means of a landing skid. The DFS 230s usually employed the Seilschlepp or cable-tow, being attached to a 131 ft cable, but for night and bad weather missions the Starrschlepp (ridgid-tow) arrangement was used. By means of a cable running along the tow rope the pilots of the tow-plane and of the freight glider were able to communicate with each other which made blind flying possible, when necessary. The towing speed of the DFS-230 was approximately 116 mph. It dropped its landing gear as soon as it was safely in the air, and landed by means of a landing skid. The DFS-230 could be towed by a Junkers Ju 52 (which could tow two with difficulty), Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 87, Henschel Hs 126, Messerschmitt Me 110, or a Messerschmitt Me 109.
The DFS-230 had the highest glide ratio (8:1) of any World War II military glider other than the Soviet Antonov A-7. This was because it was thought that the glider had to be capable of a long approach during landing, so that it could be released a greater distance from the target so the sound of the towing aircraft did not alert the enemy.
It had been realized that glider operations were hazardous once the enemy’s ground defences had been alert, the DFS 230 providing an excellent target for small arms fire during its low, shallow landing approach. The DFS 230B was therefore fitted with an external parachute pack beneath the rear fuselage this chute being intended  for deployment in the event of a rapid, diving descent necessary to avoid ground fire.
Late production version was the DFS 230C-1 with nose braking rockets for pin-point landing. A single DFS 230 was converted to an auto-gyro by replacing the wings with the 3-bladed rotor from a Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 helicopter, mounted on a pylon above the fuselage. The undercarriage was revised to include long oleo shock absorbers with a wide track for stability. Towed behind a Junkers Ju52/3M during trials, it was found that the low towing speed and low approach speed made the combination more vulnerable to attack.
The DFS 230 played significant roles in the operations at Fort Eben-Emael, the Battle of Crete, and in the rescue of Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini. It was also used in North Africa. However, it was used chiefly in supplying encircled forces on the Eastern Front. Although production ceased in 1943, it was used right up to the end of the war, for instance, supplying Berlin and Breslau until May 1945.
In total more than 1.600 aircraft had been built (Ref.: 24).

Cargo

Messerschmitt Me 323D-1 „Gigant“, 5./ TG 5, (Italeri Models)

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TYPE: Military transport aircraft

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of five plus 130 troops or 10,000–12,000 kg payload

POWER PLANT: Six Gnome-Rhone 14N radial engines, rated at 1,164 hp; each

PERFORMANCE: 177 mph

COMMENT: The Messerschmitt Me 323 „Gigant“ (“Giant”) was a German military transport aircraft of World War II. It was a powered variant of the Messerschmitt Me 321 military glider and was the largest land-based transport aircraft to fly during the war. In total, 213 were made, with 15 being converted from the Me 321
The Me 323 was the result of a 1940 German requirement for a large assault glider in preparation for Operation Seelöwe (Operation Sea Lion), the projected invasion of Great Britain. The DFS 230 light glider developed by Deutsches Forschungsinstitut für Segelflug, (German Research Institute for Sailplanes)  had already proven its worth in the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium, the first ever assault by gliderborne troops, and would later be used successfully in the invasion of Crete in 1941.
However, in order to mount an invasion across the English Channel, the Germans would need to be able to airlift vehicles and other heavy equipment as part of an initial assault wave. Although Operation Sea Lion was cancelled, the requirement for a heavy air transport capability still existed, with the focus shifting to the forthcoming Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.
On 18 October 1940, Junkers and Messerschmitt were given just 14 days to submit a proposal for a large transport glider. The emphasis was still very much on the assault role; the ambitious requirement was to be able to carry either an 88 mm gun and its half-track tractor, or a Panzer IV medium tank. The Junkers Ju 322 Mammut (Mammouth) reached prototype form, but was eventually scrapped due to difficulties in procuring the necessary high-grade timber for its all-wood construction, and as was discovered during the Mammut‘s only test flight, an unacceptably high degree of instability inherent in the design. The proposed Messerschmitt aircraft was originally designated Me 261w—partly borrowing the designation of the long-range Messerschmitt Me 261, then changed to Messerschmitt Me 263 later reused for Messerschmitt’s improved rocket fighter design, and eventually became the Me 321. Although the Me 321 saw considerable service on the Eastern Front as a transport, it was never used for its intended role as an assault glider.
Early in 1941, as a result of feedback from Transport Command pilots in Russia, the decision was taken to produce a motorized variant of the Me 321, to be designated Me 323. French Gnome-Rhone GR14N radial engines, rated at 1,164 hp, for take-off as used in the Bloch MB 175 aircraft were chosen for use. This would reduce the burden on Germany’s strained industry.
Initial tests were conducted with four Gnome engines attached to a strengthened Me 321 wing, giving modest speed of 130 mph – 50 mph slower than the Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft. A fixed undercarriage was fitted, with four small wheels in a bogie at the front of the aircraft and six larger wheels in two lines of three at each side of the fuselage, partly covered by an aerodynamic fairing. The rear wheels were fitted with pneumatic brakes that could stop the aircraft within 660 ft.
The four-engined Me 323C was considered a stepping-stone to the six-engined D series. It still required the five-engined Heinkel He 111Z Zwilling (Twin) or the highly dangerous „vic-style“ Troika-Schlepp formation of three Messerschmitt Me 110 heavy fighters and underwing-mounted Walter HWK 109-500 Starthilfe rocket-assist take-off units to get airborne when fully loaded, but it could return to base under its own power when empty. This was little better than the Me 321, so the V2 prototype became the first to have six engines and flew for the first time in early 1942, becoming the prototype for the D-series aircraft.
To reduce torque, the aircraft was fitted with three counterclockwise rotation engines on the port wing and three clockwise rotation engines on the starboard wing, as seen looking forward from behind each engine – resulting in the propellers rotating “away” from each other at the tops of their arcs.
Like the Me 321, the Me 323 had massive, semicantilever, high-mounted wings, which were braced from the fuselage out to the middle of the wing. To reduce weight and save aluminium, much of the wing was made of plywood and fabric, while the fuselage was of metal-tube construction with wooden spars and covered with doped fabric, with heavy bracing in the floor to support the payload.
The “D” series had a crew of five – two pilots, two flöight engineers, and a radio operator. Two gunners could also be carried. The flight engineers occupied two small cabins, one in each wing between the inboard and centre engines. The engineers were intended to monitor engine synchronisation and allow the pilot to fly without worrying about engine status, although the pilot could override the engineers’ decisions on engine and propeller control.
Maximum payload was around 12 tonnes, although at that weight, the Walter HWK 109-500 Starthilfe rocket-assisted take-off units used on the Me 321 were required for take-off. These were mounted beneath the wings outboard of the engines, with the wings having underside fittings to take up to four units. The cargo hold was 36 ft long, 10 f) wide and 11 ft high. Typical loads were one 15 cm sFH 18 heavy field howitzer (5.5 ton) accompanied by its Sd kfz 7 half-track artillery tractor vehicle (11 ton), two 4 ton trucks, 8,700 loaves of bread, an 88 mm Flak gun and accessories, 52 drums of fuel (45 US gal), 130 men, or 60 stretchers.
Some Me 321s were converted to Me 323s, but most were built as six-engined aircraft from the beginning. Early models were fitted with wooden, two-blade propellers, while later versions had metal, three-blade, variable-pitch versions.
The Me 323 had a maximum speed of only 136 mph at sea level. It was armed with five 13 mm MG 131 machine guns firing from a dorsal position behind the wings and from the fuselage. They were manned by the extra gunners, radio operator, and engineers.
By September 1942, Me 323s were being delivered for use in the Tunisian campaign. They entered service in the Mediterranean theatre in November 1942. High losses among Axis shipping required a huge airlift of equipment across the Mediterranean to keep Rommel’s Afrika Korps supplied.
A total of 198 Me 323s were built before production ceased in April 1944. Several production versions were built, beginning with the Me 323D-1. Later D- and E- versions differed in the choice of power plant and in defensive armament, with improvements in structural strength, total cargo load, and fuel capacity also being implemented. Nonetheless, the Me 323 remained underpowered. A proposal to install six BMW 801 radials did not occur. The Me 323 was also a short-range aircraft, with a typical range (loaded) of 620–750 mi. Despite this, the limited numbers of Me 323s in service were an asset to the Germans, and saw extensive use .
The aircraft shown here belonged to 5./ TG 5 (5th Gruppe/ Transportgeschwader 5, 5th Sqn,/Transport Group 5) (Ref.: 24).