The Me 323 Gigant ('Giant') was the powered version of the massive Me 321 transport glider and the largest transport aircraft of World War II. Capable of carrying up to 130 troops or 10-12 tons of cargo including armored vehicles and artillery. Production deliveries of the type began in August 1942 and by November of that year, two groups were operating Me 323s in support of Axis forces in North Africa where initially they flew in groups of up to 100 transports (together with Ju 52s) with heavy fighter escort. At first, they enjoyed immunity from attack but gradually, as Allied air strength increased, their slow speed and inability of to maneuver made them easy targets for both patrolling enemy fighter (and bomber!) aircraft. In mid-April 1943, a formation of 16 Me 323s was attacked by RAF fighters, losing 14 of its number. The 323 was soon withdrawn from service in the Mediterranean but served extensively on the Eastern Front through 1944 where it incurred progressively heavier losses as the war situation deteriorated for Germany. 198 Me 323s were produced.

While several models of the Me 323 have been previously produced in 1/700 scale, notably in resin by WEM and white metal by Pit-Road, neither captured this giant in the open-cargo door loading/unloading mode as the all-new 3D printed model offered here does. We think that the detail of this model exceeds the very fine Pit-Road and WEM efforts by a good margin but we've posted high resolution photos so you can judge for yourself. The Me 323 was HUGE and the size of the model is impressive even in 1/700 scale (almost 3 inches!). Note that the vehicles in some of the photos are shown for scale reference and historical context only and are not part of this auction. Check out the well proportioned model including the cavernous fuselage with canopy, windows, undercarriage and those huge open cargo doors complete with the internal ribbing detail; the massive wings with six engine nacelles, the low-drag EDL 151 turrets and even delicate support braces under the main wings and above and below the elevators.

Although the surfaces are not perfectly smooth (3D printing is done in layers), the plastic used can be sanded and painted much the same way you would handle resin or styrene.

NOTE: While we currently maintain limited inventories of most items, some items may be "printed on demand", which usually requires 10-15 business days from order to shipment.