One of the most overlooked planes of WW2 was the incredible Bv-222 Wiking (Viking) which at one time was the largest aircraft of WW2 until the bigger Bv-238 came along. Originally designed for Lufthansa as an airline seaplane able to fly both the N and S Atlantic routes, the Luftwaffe quickly converted further prototypes and production machines over to transport duty as it was capable of carrrying 22 tons from Norway to N Africa. Some were lightly armed and others more heavily. But few realize that the Bv-222 also served two other purposes. Early in the war, it was one of three potential candidates as Amerika Bomber as it had a range of 3800 miles and 28 hr endurance and could be re-fueled from the sea using a U-boat or air-to-air with another Bv-222 with added fuel tanks (it took diesel). That role was handed over to the Me-264 which was constantly delayed and then the machines were destroyed in a bombing raid. But the Bv-222 was also the last of the Fuhrerflugzeugen (Fuhrer transports) held in reserve in case Adolf Hitler wanted to escape from the bunker and be taken to Norway where he would board a Type XXI U-boat and head for S America.

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