Me-323 is a bomber?

[cheddar cheese]

On WarbirdsResourceGroup it states this about the Me-323:

"One 17.7 ton bomb was dropped in trials, though the aircraft crashed during the trials due to structural failure after the test aircraft had been straffed by Allied fighters days earlier."

Does anyone have any more information about this that would back it up?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Same concept as a C-130 with a "Daisy Cutter," WW2 style!

 

[cheddar cheese]

Wayhey!

 

[me262]

AFAIK the me 323 was a transport plane, devived from the glider me 321

 

[me262]

and a pic from the gigant

 

[evangilder]

Talk about a huge target!

 

[Medvedya]

Originally designed for 'Sealion' apparantly.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

AFAIK the me 323 was a transport plane, devived from the glider me 321

Yes but what he is saying is that it was tested with a 17.7 ton bomb. That still means it was a transport.

However CC I have not been able to find any other sources that would confirm this. It would however be possible concidering it could cary 20,000lb of cargo. Here is some info that I translated from the site
http://www.waffenhq.de/flugzeuge/me323.html


Due to the starting problem of the transport glider Messerschmitt ME 321 "giant" about a motorizing of the wide-body transport already in the autumn 1941 one thought. While motorizing would limit without a doubt the load volume, one expected nevertheless a weather-independent airplane that now independently could start. With the engine choice should to hiving rubbing works be fallen back, in order not to load anyway strongly strained German production additionally. While the Okkupation France were the German armed forces the production plants of Bloch into the hands partly please. There the twin-engine bomber Bloch 175 was produced, which gnome-he-hone 14 n-Doppelsternmotoren with two was equipped. These engines were supplied to cells, a method, which the Junkers Ju 88-Motorisierung resembles: the engines rest in a motortraeger and are including the accessory equipment encased. With the complete exchange thus individual engines are not replaced, but the engine installation is exchanged as a whole.
On the basis of a Messerschmitt ME 321-B developed the Messerschmitt ME 323 V-1, which gnome-he-hone 14 n-Doppelsternmotoren with their four also together four times 990 HP of take-off power however did not satisfy. The V-1 followed the models V-2 to V-7. The engine installation was changed several times, the chassis symmetry was increased to altogether ten wheels. Finally the load trace was widened on the track width of the German National Railroad (1,435 mm plus seitenabstand). Since the take-off power was not sufficient yet, one tested the installation of six engines and built still the V-8 to V-11. The computational construction period amounted to between 12.000 and 15.000 hours.
The final result was the Messerschmitt ME 323 D, by which between 1942 and 1944 201 copies were built. In the basic structure comparably with the ME 321, one built the six engines in the wing centre with the ME 323. Six bombardment-safe, self sealing fuel tanks with a normal capacity were inserted likewise there by 10.740 litres. In the wing an airplane engineer had as in each case on-boardengine-waits his job on each side, which was covered by a plexiglass hood. Beside the two pilots additionally a radio operator was on board taken. The first two series were the Messerschmitt ME 323 D-1 and D-2, from which approximately 30 machines threw in Leipheim left. They had six times 720 HP of take-off power and rigid two-sheet wood screws.
Among the defense armament five mg conditions with coiling gas pressure loaders of the type mg 15, calibers ranked 7.92 mm. Into the plexiglass windows rubber seals were trained, which could take up eight to ten mg 34. Thus infantry federations in a the position were to defend their support effectively against attacks. The D-2 corresponded the D-1, exhibited however a modified service station as well as an easily changed avionics. You followed the D-6 with series engines gnome-he-hone 14 N 48/49, thus air-cooled 14-Zylinder-Doppelsternmotoren with six times 990 HP take-off power. These propelled Dreiblatt Ratier adjust propellers. The port engines turned approximately, the to starboard engines in the clockwise direction. The D-6 received instead of the mg 15 five 13 mm mg 131. After some machines had been lost in the aerial combat, the pilots deplored the protection lacking upward. Messerschmitt created therefore the e-series, beginning with the Messerschmitt ME 323 E-1. The E-1 came on six times 1,100 HP of take-off power and had on the bearing areas two HDL 151/20-Flaktuerme. As operating personnel two Flakkanoniere were on board taken. Since the HDL 151/20-Flakturm proved in the employment as only conditionally effectively, the E-2 was equipped with HDL 131-Waffenstaenden.
When the first Flakkreuzer of the USAAC over Europe appeared, also Messerschmitt took up the work on such a project. With the Messerschmitt ME the synthesis from 323 and eleven 20 mm of automatic cannons mg 151/20 succeeded to 323 E-2/WT (weapon carriers) plus four further mg 131. With its 17 men crew flew the E-2/WT without pay load excluding escort employments for larger ME 323-Flotten. For passive security the machine was part-armored laid out: In multiple layers laminated 20 mm of steel sheets and 90 mm of bullet-proof glass disks protected the crew of this flying contactor ditch. Despite numerous firings of Russian hunters one could not prevent the fall of the ME 323 at the east front however: almost all machines were lost in the context of the fighting. As the largest German transport aircraft the ME 323 was besides of hardly capable of being turned off engine problems troubled, since the French engines in continous use often overheated. There are only few photos of the ME 323, where not at least one engine stands! The ME 323 was nevertheless a successful draft.
When 1943 with Messerschmitt the manufacturing capacities were needed for other series, the construction team changed around merry to building of airships zeppelin GmbH, abbott aircraft construction. Here developed the Zeppelin/Messerschmitt ZMe 323 F, which came with their six Jumo 211 R with ring radiator on six times 1,340 HP of take-off power. Otherwise the resembling machine did not go to a E-2 however any longer into production.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i am seriously doubtful about it carrying this bomb i mean especailly if there are no other sources.........

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I can not confirm it. I dont think the Germans had a bomb that big anyhow.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

which is why i'm doubting it even more, if it did carry this bomb you'd think they'd make a bigger deal of it??

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I am sure of it. I am going to see what I can dig up, but this really is the fist I have heard of it.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

and how the hell would it be carried?? they couldn't just sling it underneath, they couldn't put it under a wing...........

 

[cheddar cheese]

In the cargo hold, obviously.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

then how the hell would they drop it??

 

[cheddar cheese]

Maybe it was specially prepared. If not I do not know.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

maybe there was a hole just big enough to fit the bomb out of cut into the rear, through which the bomb was pushed during flight

 

[cheddar cheese]

Or maybe they just opened the doors at the front and went into a dive, making it a dive bomber

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i was actually thinking that

 

[cheddar cheese]

Sort of like a Stuka, but bigger, uglier and more vulnerable