Germany's Messerschmitt Me 321 transport glider

Photos

Messerschmitt Me 321 transport glider being towed by Heinkel He 111Z:	Messerschmitt Me 321A-1 transport glider:	Messerschmitt Me 321A-1 transport glider:
Messerschmitt Me 321 transport glider:	Messerschmitt Me 321 transport glider:	Messerschmitt Me 321 transport glider:

Design

The Messerschmitt Me 321 was designed to be a glider to supply troops during invasions.^1,2 It was to carry a company of troops, a gun, or a tracked vehicle.³

The Me 321 was made of welded steel tube and fabric or plywood covering.^1,3

Crew

Initially the pilot had to be very strong to control the glider as there were no assistants and no power.³ Later there was a crew of three.³

Prototype

The Me 321 prototype first flew on March 7, 1941.^1,3

Production

Production ended in April 1942.¹

• Messerschmitt Me 321: 200¹, ~200²
  • Me 321A-1: 1¹

Variants

• Messerschmitt Me 321A-1: Pilot model.¹ Had multiple wheels on each side.³
• Messerschmitt Me 321B-1: Larger cockpit for two pilots.¹ Had two wheels each side.³

Usage

The Me 321 was towed by three Messerschmitt Bf 110s or the five engine Heinkel He 111Z.¹ The Me 321 could also be towed by a Junkers Ju 290.² To assist in takeoff some Me 321s had rocket boosters (9,000 lb of thrust²) attached.^1,3

When taking off from rough terrain the Me 321 couldn't get enough lift from the tow plane(s) to get off the ground.²

Eastern Front

The Me 321 was first used on the Eastern Front in late 1941.¹ It was used in delivering supplies to the rear areas and in assaults in the Baltic area.¹

Specifications

	Messerschmitt Me 3211	Messerschmitt Me 321B1	Messerschmitt Me 321B-21
Type	Heavy transport glider1
Crew			31
Cargo			48,500 lb1 22,000 kg1
Dimensions
Span	180' 5.5"1 55 m1
Length	93' 4"1 28.45 m1
Height	31' 6"1 9.6 m1
Wing area
Weight
Empty			26,896 lb1 12,200 kg1
Loaded			74,956 lb1 34,000 kg1
Performance
Towing speed		112 mph1 180 kph1
Gliding speed		87 mph1 140 kph1
Armament