Reconnaissance and Transport Aircraft

Weight: 1325kg (2915lb).

Speed: 150km/h (94mph).

Service ceiling: 4600m (16100ft).

Range: 385km.

Crew: 2, pilot and navigator.

Armament: 1 x 7.92mm (MG 15).

Development of this aircraft began in 1935, although production did not begin until spring 1937 and the aircraft was introduced until the early winter of 1937. The plane was simply constructed with the fuselage welded from steel pipes and skinned with fabric. The aircraft's fixed landing gear had two spring supports. The cockpit housed a crew of three and had an excellent field of vision. The aircraft had unique flight characteristics requiring only 30 meters to take off and only 16 meters of runway to land using wheel brakes. The aircraft was very versatile and as well as fulfilling its main role of reconnaissance and unit liason, it could also be used to evacuate wounded (a stretcher could be placed in the cabin), drop goods or even serve as a light bomber capable of carrying a bomb load of up to 150kg. It was used throughout the War on all fronts and remained in production until early 1945.

Weight: 3950kg (8690lb).

Speed: 285kmh (178mph).

Service ceiling: 6750m (23625ft).

Range: 865km (540 miles).

Crew: 3, pilot, navigator and 2 x gunners.

Armament: 2 x 7.9mm MG-17 in the wing, 2 x 7.9mm MG-81Z upper and rear lower part of gondola and a bomb load of up to 200kg.

Development of this aircraft began in July 1938. Except for the double tail assembly, the FW-189 did not in fact differ from conventional planes. It had an all-metal construction. The three-spar wing had a rectangular center section with an almost fully glazed crew gondola in the middle. The main and rear spars passed through the gondola. The aircraft boasted excellent responsiveness and fairly good flight characteristics. Production began in the summer of 1940.
A camera was installed in a special socket in the fuselage floor. The aircraft also carried special equipment including a radio station and direction finder. In mid-1941 a new variant was introduced, the Fw189A-2. The Mg15 guns were replaced with two twin mountings of the Mg81Z gun and the rear part of the gondola could be rotated, thereby extending the firing zone. In mid 1942 the Fw189A-4 was introduced. It featured the introduction of armour protection for the engines, fuel tank and cabin floor.
The FW-189 was used from 1940 through to the last days of the War and mostly saw service on the Eastern front. Its combat effectiveness was flawless. The aircraft could be controlled and landed even if one of the engines was damaged. It could also operate in the most unfavourable weather conditions. The aircraft turned out to be highly manoeuvrable and could avoid most fighter attacks, whilst its defensive armament was sufficient to hold enemy attacks in check.

Weight: 11,030kg (24,317lbs).

Maximum Speed: 295kmh (185mph).

Service Ceiling: 5490m (19215ft).

Range: 1500km (937 miles).

Crew: 4, pilot, navigator, load specialist and gunner.

Armament: 4 x 7.92mm mg's in forward and rear dorsal and each beam position.

Nicknamed "Tante Ju" (Auntie Ju) and "Iron Annie", the Junkers Ju-52 was the most famous German transport of the war. In April 1931, the single-engined Ju-52 prototype was fitted with three engines and designated the Ju-52/3m. Performance improved tremendously and production of the new model began. Development by the Luftwaffe as a medium bomber and military transport saw the introduction of the Junkers Ju52/3mge in 1936. The Ju-52 was built of a corrugated metal skin and paid little attention to beauty, features of a typical Junkers design. The airframe was poorly streamlined and the corrugated skin, though much stronger than fabric and metal tubes, created stronger air resistance. On the right side of the fuselage, there was a cargo door that opened horizontally. The constructed aircraft had good flight characteristics and could be used by underqualified pilots. Its low landing speed meant it could use small airdromes. The well-thought-out fuselage construction made it possible to use the aircraft for cargo operations with maximum effectiveness. The aircraft saw service during the Spanish civil war, initially as a medium bomber and then solely as a transport aircraft.
During the early stages of WWII the aircraft saw extensive use during the airborne invasions of Norway, Denmark, Holland and Crete and during the campaign in Russia, the aircraft was heavily involved in the airlifts to support the Demjansk, Korsun and Stalingrad pockets.
This highly versatile aircraft type served in many different roles in addition to its intended air transport duties. Different variants saw service as a training aircraft, parachute transporter, minesweeper and air ambulance. Various improvements were made throughout the aircrafts service life including the addition of more comprehensive radio equipment, a de-icing system that utilised the exhaust, provision for interchangeable wheel, ski or float landing gear, provision for 2 × 7.92mm lateral-firing guns in the beam positions, armour protection for the pilot, a larger starboard-side loading hatch and a variety of improved power plants.

Me321 Glider

Weight: 39,500kg (86,900lb).

Max tow speed: 225kmh (140mph).

Gliding speed: 140kmh (88mph).

Service ceiling: 4500m (15750ft).

Range: 400km (250 miles).

Crew: 6, 2 pilots, radio operator, load specialist and 2 gunners.

Armament: 4 x 7.92mm Mg15's.

The huge Messerschmitt Me-321 "Gigant" transport glider was introduced in February 1941. The aircraft incorporated a welded construction with a fabric skinning on top of a wooden framework. The glider's carrying capacity was a maximum of 20 tons or 200 fully equipped troops. The cargo section was accessed from the front of the fuselage through two large two-way doors and the cockpit was situated in the upper part of the fuselage. The glider's armament consisted of four, 7.92mm MG 15's, two of which were placed in mountings on the upper part of the front hatch folds, the other two being installed in side windows in the rear of the fuselage. Initially three Bf-110C planes were used to tow the aircraft into the air, but in 1942 the tow was replaced by a super-powered Heinkel He-111Z aircraft. To make glider take-off easier, up to 4 RATO (Rocket-Assisted Take-Off) devices were used. They were placed under the glider wing, had 750kg of thrust and worked for 30 seconds. For quick braking when landing, a parachute placed in the tail section of the fuselage was used. However the aircraft's large carrying capacity made it difficult to tow and awkward to control. Its large size and poor flight performance made it vulnerable in flight despite its ability to absorb considerable damage.
Developed initially for landing and transport operations in the Mediterranean theatre, the Me-321 aircraft was used for the most part on the Eastern front. Me-321 gliders were used for supplying the Kuban and Stalingrad pockets and took part in the landing on the Moondzun Islands.

Weight: 45,000kg (99,000lb).

Speed: 195kmh (121mph).

Service ceiling: 3000m (10,500ft).

Range: 1000km (625 miles).

Crew: 8, 2 pilots, radio operator, load specialist, 2 flight engineers and 2 gunners.

Armament: 2 x 20mm Mg151/20's and 5 x 13mm Mg131's.

The disadvantages related to the complicated towing system for the Me-321 glider spurred the idea of creating an Me-321 with engines that could support the glider after take-off on the tow or, if possible, assist independent take-off of the glider at full load. The possibility of mounting a combination of four or six aviation engines on the plane was considered. A French Gnome Rhone GR 14N 48 engine, produced under German license, was chosen.
The Me-323 entered production in the summer of 1942. It was equipped with 6 engines and was able to take off independently at full load. The Me-323 differed slightly from the basic Me-321 glider. The original glider construction was retained but the aircraft received a new set of landing gear consisting of 10 small wheels. The aircraft could carry 120 fully equipped troops, 60 wounded together with attending doctors or a payload of 12 tons. The limited number of Me 323's in service were an invaluable asset to the Luftwaffe and saw intensive use. Again the aircraft's large size and poor flight performance made it vulnerable in flight despite its ability to absorb considerable damage.