If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Messerschmitt Me 323
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_323
The Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant ("Giant") was a German military transport aircraft of World War II. It was a powered variant of the Me 321 military glider and was the largest land-based transport aircraft of the war. A total of 213 are recorded as having been made, a few 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 Sea Lion, the projected invasion of Great Britain. The DFS 230 light glider 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 now on the forthcoming Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. As per the Me 321, the Me 323 had massive, semi-cantilever, high-mounted wings which were braced from the fuselage out to the middle of the wing. To reduce weight and to save on aluminum, 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 flight 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 center 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 Hellmuth Walter Werke-designed Walter HWK 109-500 Starthilfe RATO (rocket assisted takeoff) units used on the Me 321 were required for take off. The RATO's were mounted beneath the wings outboard of the engines, with the wings having underside fittings to take up to a total of four RATO units. The cargo hold was 11 m (36 ft) long, 3 m (10 ft) wide and 3.4 m (11 ft) high. The typical loads it carried we One 15 cm FH18 field artillery piece (5.5 ton) accompanied by its Sd.Kfz.7 halftrack transport vehicle (11 ton), two 3.6 tonne (4 ton) trucks, 8,700 loaves of bread, an 88 mm Flak gun and accessories, 52 drums of fuel (252 L/45 US gal), 130 men, or 60 stretchers. Role Heavy transport Manufacturer Messerschmitt A.G. First flight April 1942 Introduction 1943 Retired 1944 Primary user Luftwaffe Produced 1942–1944 Number built 198 Developed from Messerschmitt Me 321 By September 1942, Me 323s were being delivered for use in the Tunisian campaign, and entered service in the Mediterranean theater in November 1942. The high rate of loss among Axis shipping had made necessary 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. There were several production versions, beginning with the D-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 significantly underpowered. There was a proposal to install six BMW 801 radials, but this never came to pass. The Me 323 was also a short-range aircraft, with a typical range (loaded) of 1,000–1,200 km (620–750 mi). Despite this, the limited numbers of Me 323s in service were an invaluable asset to the Germans, and saw intensive use. Specifications (Me 323 D-6) General characteristics Crew: 5 Capacity: 130 troops or 10–12 tonnes of equipment Length: 28.2 m (92 ft 4 in) Wingspan: 55.2 m (181 ft 0 in) Height: 10.15 m (33 ft 3.5 in) Wing area: 300 m² (3,228 sq ft) Empty weight: 27,330 kg (60,260 lb) Loaded weight: 29,500 kg (65,000 lb) Max. takeoff weight: 43,000 kg (94,815 lb) Powerplant: 6 × Gnome-Rhône 14N-48/49, 1180 PS for take-off (868 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 285 km/h (177 mph (154 kn)) Cruise speed: 218 km/h (136 mph (118 kn)) Range: 800 km (500 mi) Ferry range: 1,100 km (684 mi) Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,123 ft) Rate of climb: 3.6 m/s (710 ft/min) Armament Guns: multiple 7.92 mm MG 15, MG 81 or 13 mm MG 131 machine guns * |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Messerschmitt Me 210 pics 2nd try [14/18] - Messerschmitt-Me-210A1-Hornisse-Versuchsstaffel-210-(2H+DA)-Holland-1942-01.jpg (1/1) | Miloch | Aviation Photos | 0 | August 3rd 16 06:57 AM |
Messerschmitt Me 210 pics 2nd try [13/18] - Messerschmitt-Me-210A1-Hornisse-(VN+AT)-WNr-210182-in-flight-1942-02.jpg (1/1) | Miloch | Aviation Photos | 0 | August 3rd 16 06:57 AM |
Messerschmitt Me 210 pics [21/21] - Messerschmitt-Me-210A1-Hornisse-Versuchsstaffel-210-(2H+DA)-Holland-1942-01.jpg (1/1) | Miloch | Aviation Photos | 0 | August 3rd 16 06:46 AM |
Messerschmitt Me 210 pics [20/21] - Messerschmitt-Me-210A1-Hornisse-(VN+AT)-WNr-210182-in-flight-1942-02.jpg (1/1) | Miloch | Aviation Photos | 0 | August 3rd 16 06:46 AM |
Messerschmitt Me 210 pics [17/21] - messerschmitt me 210 crash landed sandbox mediterrania luftwaffe plane aircraft 2.jpg (1/1) | Miloch | Aviation Photos | 0 | August 3rd 16 06:46 AM |