Me323 found at the coast of Sardinia.

[Karnak]

I'll go with GScholz on this one.  It was a remarkable aircraft.

[Grendel]

A friend of mine, mr. Erkki Pakarinen, who these days flyes in the heavenly squadron, described his encounter with Me 323. He was ferrying Me 109 fighters from Germany to Finland and made a refuelling stop in some airfield in Germany. He told how he was wondering "what the hell is that thing in the field" when he was doing approach, as he could see the huge thing from very long distance.
After landing he rolled under the wing of this huge 6 engine monster and was admiring its size and awesome outlooks.

It truly made an impression as he described the event in great detail 60 years later, still with his eyes shining from excitement.

G

[Angus]

Don't want to make too little of the "Giant", just pointing out that it was no remarkable feat in the terms of engineering. The engines were put on for it was too heavy for hauling easily, and even with the six of them, it was still a slow hauler.
It cannot be taken from it however, that the U/C was excellent, and the nose-unloading extremely cool.
(I used to work for Cargolux, loading and unloading 747's that had an opening nose and the side as well!!!, - but that was in the 1990's and they carried 100 tonnes)
So, I cross my fingers in hope that one of those could be rebuilt and put on display. The one on the seabed might be a good candidate

[Denniss]

They could have used higher-powered german engines (maybe just 4 of them) but opted for the non-strategic french engines.

[Angus]

The engines used delivered some 1.180 hp each, which is not so bad. 7.000 hp. Clapped on to a glider.
Cruising speed at some 130-140 mph, as well as top speed of less than 180 gives no stellar performance though, even with the remarkable load. What sticks out is the nose and the U/C. A rough terrain utility plane. But I'd not have wanted to have been piloting one of these in the German routing of N-Africa.

[Denniss]

1180 PS max short term power for the Gnome-Rhone 14N 48/49 engines, only available if a variable pitch prop was installed (D-1, D-6, D-2 had fixed-pitch props).
The Me 323E is often claimed to have 14R engines with 1180PS take-off power but a development doc for the 323G stated the 14 R 4/5 have 1600PS for take-off.

[danny76]

Certainly not just the WW2 pieces that have been scrapped. After the Napoleonic Wars, 90% of the Heavy Cavalry swords where scrapped or cut down to make pokers! Such weapons that saw the fields of Salamanca, Talavera, Waterloo, cut down for scrap 

I sweep chimneys in my civvy job. Cannot tell you the number of these I have come across by peoples hearths. It is such a shame. Some are beautiful

[RicOShay]

  Me thinks the machine guns on this turkey were strickly for keeping up moral.  
  Of all the planes used in WWII this would be the one I wouldn't be caught dead in.

[GScholz]

I wouldn't want to be caught in any transport plane during wartime. If you think you'd have more of a chance of survival against fighters in a Goon or Tante Ju, you're mistaken.

[GScholz]

I wouldn't want to be caught in any transport plane during wartime. If you think you'd have more of a chance of survival against fighters in a Goon or Tante Ju, you're mistaken.

[GScholz]

I wouldn't want to be caught in any transport plane during wartime. If you think you'd have more of a chance of survival against fighters in a Goon or Tante Ju, you're mistaken.

[GScholz]

amazinhunk internet!

[RicOShay]

   I have seen a very brief gun camera sequence of one these planes being shot down. The plane is going straight down in a spin with flames coming off one of the wings and impacts into a clearing near a forest and explodes.
   Very dramatic, but the film sequecne is probably less than 6 seconds.