Junkers Ju 322

Junkers · Germany · first flew 1941 · glider

The Junkers Ju 322 Mammut (Mammoth) was a massive all-wood flying-wing military assault glider built for the proposed invasion of Britain (Operation Sea Lion), with a 62-metre wingspan making it one of the largest gliders ever built.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × none, embedded-mounted
F — Fuselage	30.25 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Unpowered sailplane — no engine
Massive all-wood flying-wing German heavy glider of 1941
Programme cancelled after dangerous first flight

Enormous thick-section flying wing with an almost circular planform and no discernible fuselage projection; all-wood construction would have given it a very smooth, featureless surface.

Specifications

The Junkers Ju 322 has a length of 30.25 m (99 ft).
It has a wingspan of 62 m (203 ft).
Typical crew: 2 + up to 100 troops.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Ordered in 1940 alongside the competing Messerschmitt Me 321, the Ju 322 was built almost entirely of wood due to wartime aluminium shortages. Its first flight in April 1941 nearly ended in disaster when the glider proved barely controllable. The programme was cancelled immediately and all completed airframes were broken up for firewood.

Variants

Only two prototypes were completed before cancellation; no production variants were built.

Where you'll see it

The Ju 322 never entered service; both prototypes were destroyed after the programme was cancelled following the disastrous first flight.

Related aircraft

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