You Won’t Believe But This Monster Transport Plane Was Made And Flown By Germans In WWII

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Well, the Germans liked it big before it was cool. This cool transport aircraft ME-323 seems to have been made by an engineer who had a relatively fair idea of how aircrafts are made. But, he forgot to add some key features like streamlined body and proportional fuselage. Hell, this kind of aircraft could now be manufactured by college students with relative ease. But considering the times, this was a crucial aircraft for the Nazis during the war and helped bring their blitzkrieg philosophy to life.

The military plane was a rough variant of the ME 321 military glider that had a different purpose because of its unpowered flight. The German military used this motorized version in a devastating manner, rapidly transporting troops, heavy artillery and even tanks to the battlefield. This capability of their planes was unrivalled and contributed to the efficient running of their military juggernaut.

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With a minimal crew of five people, it could accommodate more than 130 troops or 12 tonnes of equipment. More than 128 of these handy aeroplanes were made, so in a single lift, all of them could carry more than 20000 troops to a forward area. This application of the ME 323 was exploited very well by the Germans, and they airlifted personnel wherever they could. It had a big wingspan of 55 meters and a height of 10 meters. It also had a curious engine allocation as six engines three on either side powered the aircraft. They were Gone-Rhone of origin and were able to propel the plane to a cruising speed of 218 Km/h at 13,000 feet. The broad wings of the aircraft allowed it to have a sufficient range of 800 km that enable it to reach most of the battlefields where the German army was mobilized.

These pictures will show this serious piece of classical aeronautical engineering:

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Belly landed in Russia

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Next to JU-52 which was no small plane itself!

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Look at the Number of landing gears!

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Technicians on duty

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Aiding Axis Allies in Italy

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Soldiers sleeping in the ample shade of its wings

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Looks like an Antonov from this angle

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The nose was retractable to load and unload the aircraft

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The cockpit of ME-323

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Cargo that can be transported

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Unloading heavy artillery from the plane

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2 comments

  1. Nicole Reply

    I only see two landing gear; nothing remarkable there. I also see five wheel on each side; which is noteworthy for the period.

    • WWII History Lover Reply

      It’s very likely that the TEN wheel total was the unusual feature to which he was referring. I don’t recall seeing, hearing about or otherwise being knowledgeable of another airplane of that vintage similarly equipped. Compared to 21st century standards, it is of course rather primitive, but as an airship of its time, it had no equal.

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