JWM Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 (edited) Hi, I finished my second Gigant - yes! This time motorised version, Me 323 D1. I have to confess, that initially I was thinking on huge conversion to E-1 (additional blisters with MG and two turrets on wings, changies in cowlings and in nose), then I reduced my plans only to conversion to D-2 variant (two blades wooden propellers and other shape cowlings) or perhaps D-6 (just additional position for gunners in cockpit) but i quit.... The size oversized me in some way, I am sorry to say... I only added landing lamps in wings and some surface structure on the bottom of fuselage as well as I made model in not-from-the-box painting scheme of DT+IT, known from colour photos taken during some repair on a field workshop on Eastern front (one of such photo is here: http://www.luftarchiv.de/index.htm?/flugzeuge/messerschmitt/me323.htm or here: http://www.loutan.net/olivier/archives/2006/07/23/messerschmitt-me-323-d1-gigant/ ) The machine was likely used in both African and Eastern fronts. She has individual name "Himmelshaus" witten on one side of a front gate. Here two sisters on a shelf: And the Messerschmitt family from my collection (M 35B is standing on SCW shelf, so here is missing) Best regards, comments welcome as always Jerzy-Wojtek Edited August 14, 2017 by JWM Switch to Flickr 32 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winenut Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 It is crazy how big that bird is! Nice version ...looks right at home with the other builds in the cabinet Top stuff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 That is awesome & for once, I feel I can use that much overused word in its true sense, awsome in size & awesome in finish too. I really do like this. Regardless of the politics of their crews, the guys that flew these huge lumbering vulnerable aircraft had guts ++++. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Superb work J-W, I can't imagine that many people have built both the 321 and the 323 Cheers, Stew 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polo1112 Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 A very ugly aircraft but a wonderful job !!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Many thanks! Steve - I think that not only crew have to have balls - but the transported soldiers were also in terrible position. I've read somewhere that in one Gigant during evacuation from Africa the record was 350 soldier in one plane which (lucky for them) arrived to Sicily... They were crowding even inside the wings! Many of Gigants were shot down with thousands of soldiers on board lost... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 That's massive! Great finish and subject. Would love to have the space for that! Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 You don't quite realise how big it was until you see it in hand, and then nestled in between fighters. Imagine how big my planned dio with a He.111Z towing one of these will be if I ever get around to it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 What a beast! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Thanks! Would love to have the space for that! I made by myself a special cabinet for large models - it is 102 cm wide and 55 deep....And I negociated with my wife one room for my hobby Cheers J-W 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildeSau75 Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 great job on this Giant - it has its name rightly. nice Messerschmitt collection - like it! Cheers, Michael 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Thanks for comment - I noticed very fast of course wrong spelling of "Gigan" in topic but I do not know how to correct it.... Is it possible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuizCarlos Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Great job on this monster!...fantastic Me collection! Luiz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Hi, Jerzy-Wojtek Good grief, your second one already? Congratulations, both Me 321 and 323 look great! Just like Mike, I would also like to build He 111 Z towing Me 321 one day. I have serious doubts if I will muster enough willpower to start, though. Cheers Jure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 (edited) Many thanks for comments, Gents. Appreciated. Jura - actually, about a couple of weeks ago a He-111 Z from Hasegawa somehow got into my stash.... At present the kit of variant Z1, which was used in sets with Me 321 is not available, so I bought kit of Z2 variant. It is a very basic conversion to do it in configuration of Z1. I would like to do this as a pair te Me 321 - also in a winter camo. I have found in Net a photo of both Me 321 and He 111 together, and magnification of Heinkel from this shot reveals some details of painting scheme: I am not ready yet to do it immediately - but I hope - I will be soon Cheers Jerzy-Wojtek Edited August 21, 2016 by JWM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Hi, Jerzy-Wojtek Very useful photo, but what is a Kennzeichen of a Me 321 in a tow? I have an old Italeri He 111 Z in my stash, which is an average kit at best. Still, it would be well worth extra effort for a proper diorama with Me 321. Of course, in my case there would be also a minor issue of finding room to display something like that ... Cheers Jure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted August 22, 2016 Author Share Posted August 22, 2016 Jure, the same photo, from which I magnificated fragment with Zwilling (but I did it from a better quality take) is the fifth from top on this web page: http://www.luftarchiv.de/index.htm?/flugzeuge/messerschmitt/me323.htm So the Gigant glider is "mine" 321 (W6+SW). Cheers J-W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Gigant indeed! Lovely stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Got it, thanks Jerzy-Wojtek. Cheers Jure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 When I was a kid I always fancied doing this Italeri classic, really nice to see such a superbly put together and finished one here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRK4m Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Frankly speaking even the B-29 looks dwarfed by these two monsters. You're a lucky man to have so tolerant wife Cheers Michael 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glatisant Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Magnificent. A superb model of a mighty aircraft. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luis Alfonso Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 HI Jerzy!!!! I was watching your magnificent work and think that you are not only a person, friend and modeler with great dexterity and also a very lucky one, as have not knew about anyone I know who has been working and ended this very big girl TWICE!!! Its so nice to share with us those magnificent builds of the Gigant...its a really big beast and twice, you have a nice effort invested on them!!!! I remember when I was working in a hobby shop in 1981, here arived the Testors/Italeri boxings and this one was a very difficult kit to sell and I bought one, and when I got rid of some models, as many people here wanted a great proportion of my Luftwaffe collection I decided to sell all or nothing...and it was a very difficult kit to sell again in 1985...but really looking at Jerzy's works, really would love to have once again at least one in my stash...and also the Gotha, the Zwilling....well, maybe once more again one day... ALSO My Friend, Cheers to your wife!!! Michael have said what I wanted to say so, I agree with him!!! I wish I have a wife so wonderful as yours... Thank you very much for sharing, Cheers from Guatemala, Luis Alfonso 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 Thank you Gentelmen for comments. Indded - the size of this model is a problem not only in keeping it but also during work on this. Simply the handling is not easy. They waited some years in stash - much longer (about 20 years) in case of Me 323, the glider version only about 3 years, After finishing those two huge models perhaps it is a good time to finish my B29, which I started during Christmas 2014 and not finished it yet... Cheers Jerzy-Wojtek 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Just caught up with this one Jerzy, looks the business, plus I have some serious display cabinet envy ! Cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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