Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

A Junkers Ju 87B of the I. Gruppe, Stukageschwader 1 during the French campaign in 1940.

• Role: Two-seat dive bomber.
• Conception: Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke AG
• Production: 5,700 planes built from 1935 to September, 1944.
• First flight of prototype: September 17th, 1935

The Ju 87 held a major role in the Blitzkrieg that swept across Poland, northern Europe and France. However, during the battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe realized how vulnerable the Stuka was when air superiority had not yet been achieved; for a Hurricane or Spitfire pilot, the Stukas were nothing but slow and easy targets, and the Ju 87s had to be withdrawn from operation over British ground because of heavy losses.

However, on the Russian front, the Ju 87 had a successful second life, especially as an anti-tank weapon.

Development

• The Ju 87V1 prototype, just like the first Bf 109, was powered by the British Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine.
• The first production type was the Ju 87A. Powered by a 640 hp Jumo Ju 210, it entered service in 1937, but was not used in combat, except for a few planes sent to Spain during the Civil War. Armed by two wing-mounted and one defensive 7.9 mm gun, it could carry a 250 kg bomb on a swing-down rack.
  262 were built until the end of 1938.
• The Ju 87B was considerably modified: it had the much more powerful Ju 211 engine, and its cowling, radiator, cockpit and landing gear were redesigned. The new landing gear allowed the plane to use rough airfields, and contained a siren that would scream during dives, to frighten the enemy...
  On September 1st, 1939, the Ju 87B flew the first bombing mission of World War 2, striking Poland.
  

• The Ju 87C, derived from the Ju 87B, was meant to fly from the Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier; it therefore had folding wings, a jettisonable landing gear in case of emergency, and could carry external fuel tanks. But the Graf Zeppelin was never completed, and the Ju 87C was used from land bases.
• The Ju 87K code designated Ju 87As and Ju 87Bs exported to Japan and Hungary.
• The Ju 87R ("R" for Reichweite, meaning "range") was a long-range version of the Ju 87B, with new wing fuel tanks and the ability to carry external tanks.
• Production of the Ju 87D started in Spring of 1941. It was a major evolution: the cowling, around an improved version of the Ju 211, the canopy, and the radiator had much better aerodynamic qualities. Armor and bomb load were also improved.
  From the Ju 87D-4, the 7.9 mm wing guns were replaced by MG 151/20 20 mm cannons.
  The Ju 87D-5 had longer pointed wing tips. The Ju 87D-7 had night flight equipment and radar.

	Junkers Ju 87D
	Engine	Junkers Jumo 211J, liquid-cooled inverted V12	1,300 hp
	Weight	empty: 2,760 kg (6,085 lb) - with full load: 5,720 kg (12,610 lb)
	Armament	Two wing-mounted 7.92 mm guns, plus two for the rear gunner
	Ordnance	One bomb up to 1000 kg (2,200 lb), or three 250 kg (550 lb) bombs
	Performance	Max speed: 402 km/h (250 mph)	Ceiling: 7,320 m (24,015 ft)

• The Ju 87E would have been a navalised version of the Ju 87D, but was cancelled.
• Derived from the Ju-87D, the Ju 87G was a specialized anti-tank assault plane. Armed with a pair of 37 mm wing-mounted anti-tank cannons with armour-piercing ammunition, it had no dive brakes.
  The Ju 87G-2 had the pointed wings of the Ju 87D-5. The operational career of the Ju 87G started in March 1943.
  
• The Ju 87H, based on the Ju 87D, was an unarmed trainer.