Me323 in the UK?
 

Hi guys - perhaps someone knows for sure whether the mysterious appearance of a Gigant being used to ferry an Ho229 into the RAE was fact or fiction? This is an extract from an email from one of my authors who is penning a book on the Horten brothers. Any help greatly appreciated.

There's a video interview of Eric Brown who in his later years started to reveal a number of unauthorised activities not mentioned in his books, like his powered flight in an Me163. He mentions having seen the 4 engined Me323 Gigant but also came across a 6 engined Me323D . Although this wasn’t airworthy, out of interest, he taxied it !

The relevance is that conventional wisdom states no intact Me323 was captured, yet K.G.Wilkinson who wrote the RAE Horten report, was adamant that an H.IX/Ho229 was flown into the RAE in a Messerschmitt transport. A Gigant was also reported over the RAE in Aeroplane Spotter.

Re: Me323 in the UK?
 

I am a bit reluctant towards late claims by Eric Brown, and not sure if they were ever verified.
I do not recall any photo of a complete Gigant in Allied hands, not to mention a serviceable one. I suppose there is some confusion, and if I would have to guess, Horten would have rather been brought by a Ju 352. This aircraft was known to be operated by RAE.
Franek

Re: Me323 in the UK?
 

I am in the fiction camp.
I simply cannot believe that an Me323 would not have been photographed if it came to the UK - everything else was...

Re: Me323 in the UK?
 

Could it be the Ar 232 B that the RAF captured?

Re: Me323 in the UK?
 

While we're on the subject is there a photo of the Ho229 while in the U.K.?