Junkers Ju 88

Junkers Ju 88

Description
Role Dive-bomber
Crew
First Flight December 21, 1936
Entered Service September, 1939
Manufacturer Junkers
Dimensions
Length 14.2 m 46ft 6in
Wingspan 18 m 59ft 0in
Height 4.7 m 15ft 5in
Wing Area 47.8 m² 515 ft²
Weights
Empty 3,900 kg 8,600 lbs
Loaded 7,700 kg 16,980 lbs
Maximum takeoff kg lbs
Powerplant
Engine 2 × Junkers Jumo 211A
Power (each) 900 kW 1,200 hp
Performance
Maximum speed 510km/h @ 4,750m 317mph @ 15,600ft
Combat range 2,108 km 1,310 miles
Ferry range km miles
Service ceiling 9,080 m 29,800 ft
Rate of climb m/min ft/min
Wing loading 161.1 kg/m² 33 lb/ft²
Power/Mass 0.234 kW/kg 0.141 hp/lb
Armament
Guns 6 machine guns
Bombs 1,200 kg (2,500 lbs)

The Junkers Ju 88 was a WW2 Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. Among the most versatile planes of the war, it was used as a bomber, close-support aircraft, nightfighter, torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.

A solid aircraft with great performance, it went on to be the Luftwaffe's most important aircraft. It carried out almost every kind of mission ever imagined, even a giant flying bomb, in every theater, with many nations, including allied nations against Germany.

First flight: Prototype Ju 88V1, December 21 1936 When it first flew, it managed about 360mph and Hermann Göring was ecstatic. Finally it was something that could positively fulfill the promise of the Schnellbomber, a bomber so fast fighters could not catch it.

Unfortunately, by the time everyone had their wish list added (including dive bombing), the speed dropped to around 280mph. The draggy fuselage was modeled after its predecessor, the Dornier Do 17 but with fewer defensive guns because the belief still held it could run away from fighters. It was also very, very late. Planned for 1938, it finally entered service the day the Germans invaded Poland, and then only 12 of them. Production was painfully slow, and problems with such an advanced machine kept cropping up. The Ju-88C series of heavy fighter was also created very early in 1940, but kept secret from Goering because he only wanted bombers.

The Ju-88A-1 series was first used in anti-shipping action close to Norway. All combat ready 88's (some 133) were pressed into the Blitzkrieg, but very high combat losses and accidents forced a quick withdrawal from combat to train crews to fly this very high performance beast. By this time it was seen that the A-1 had major performance issues, and all effort was put on a major rework. The outcome was a longer wingspan that was deemed needed for all A-1's, thus the A-5 was born. Surviving A-1's were rewinged to A-5 as quickly as possible.

The Battle of Britain proved very costly. Its faster speed did not prevent Ju-88 losses greater then its Dornier Do 17 and Heinkel He 111 stable mates, despite being in smaller numbers than either. A blizzard of field kits were made that changed the single rear gun to two side-by-side guns, and armor added to the cockpit, and other improvements that made it less vulnerable.

It was during the closing days of the Battle of Britain that the flagship Ju88A-4 went into service. Although slower yet than the A-1, nearly all of the troubles of the A-1 were gone, and finally the 88 matured into the superb warplane it was hoped to be. The A-4 actually saw more improvements including more powerful engines but did not see a model code change, unlike other aircraft in the Luftwaffe. The 88C series also benefited from the A-4 changes, and when the Luftwaffe finally did decide on a new heavy fighter, the 88C was a powerful finished product.

There is no question the 88 (and upgraded 188) was one of the most versatile aircraft designs (out of necessity?) and excellent all around performer, but its combat record was mixed. It never quite achieved the same notoriety as the Ju-87, B-25, or other contemporary bombers.

Various models of the JU 88 were used in the day fighter, night fighter, tank destroyer, and photo reconnaissance roles. Despite the protracted development process, the aircraft became one of the Luftwaffe's most crucial assets.

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