Junkers Ju 88 part 2

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Junkers Ju88 was a German twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Plane became one of the Luftwaffe’s most important aircraft and were built in dozens of variants.

Design and Structure

  • Wings: Low-wing cantilever monoplane design. The wings have a constant taper in thickness, with the inner section between the fuselage and engine nacelles having a nearly constant chord, while the outer sections feature a double taper. The structure is an all-metal two-spar construction with flush-riveted stressed-skin covering. The entire trailing edge is hinged, with outer sections serving as ailerons and inner sections as landing flaps. The aircraft is equipped with slatted diving brakes under the front spar outboard of the engine nacelles and features hot-air leading-edge de-icing.
  • Fuselage: Oval metal monocoque structure built from “Z”-section frames and top hat-section stringers, with smooth, stress-bearing skin riveted on.
  • Tail Unit: Cantilever monoplane type with all-metal framework, metal-covered fixed surfaces, and fabric-covered elevators and rudder. It also includes rubber pulsating overshoe-type de-icers on the tailplane leading edges.
  • Landing Gear: Retractable type with wheels retracting backward and rotating 90 degrees to lie flat in the engine nacelles. The aircraft has a fixed tail-wheel.

Power Plant

  • Engines: Two Junkers Jumo 211 J twelve-cylinder inverted Vee liquid-cooled engines, housed in circular nacelles with frontal radiators that incorporate both water and oil-cooling elements. The aircraft has controllable gills aft of the radiators.
  • Fuel System: The aircraft is equipped with five main fuel tanks: two 72-gallon (324 liters) tanks inboard of the engine nacelles, two 90-gallon (405 liters) tanks outboard of the nacelles, and a 250-gallon (1,125 liters) tank in the fuselage. There is provision for an additional 152-gallon (690 liters) tank in the after bomb bay. All tanks are fiber-encased in rubber and equipped with solenoid-operated air-pressure valves for jettisoning contents. The engines drive VDM or Junkers controllable-pitch, full-feathering airscrews with de-icing slinger rings.

Accommodation

  • Crew: The aircraft accommodates four crew members: the pilot, bomb-aimer, upper rear gunner, and radio operator. The crew is positioned closely together in the forward part of the fuselage. The cockpit features a fully glazed nose with optically-flat continuous transparent hooding, providing excellent visibility for the crew. All crew positions are armored.

Armament and Bomb Load

  • Guns: Armed with a 7.9 mm MG 81 operated by the pilot, one or two MG 81s in the nose, a 7.9 mm MG 81 or 13 mm MG 131 in the upper rear position, and a twin MG 81 in the lower rear position. The aircraft can carry bombs or torpedoes on external carriers under each wing and within the fuselage.
  • Bomb Load: Capable of carrying various bomb configurations, including four 250 kg bombs under the wings or one 1,000 kg bomb or torpedo under each wing root. The fuselage can carry ten 50-kg bombs or incendiary bomb containers. The maximum external bomb load is 6,600 lbs (3,000 kg).

Dimensions and Weight

  • Dimensions: Span of 65 ft. 10 in. (20 m), length of 47 ft. 1 in. (14.4 m), height of 15 ft. 11 in. (4.8 m), and wing area of 590 sq. ft. (54.5 sq. m).
  • Weights: Normal loaded weight of 26,700 lbs (12,122 kg) and a maximum take-off weight of 31,000 lbs (14,075 kg).

Performance

  • Speed: Maximum speed of 295 mph (472 km/h) at 17,500 ft (5,340 m).
  • Climb and Ceiling: Can climb to 17,500 ft (5,340 m) in 23 minutes, with a service ceiling of 27,000 ft (8,235 m).
  • Range: Maximum range of 1,900 miles (3,040 km) with full fuel, and 650 miles (1,040 km) with maximum bomb load.