The Ju 88G night fighter
, which is undergoing test flights, is the German Air Force’s most built and most widely used twin-engine aircraft. The Ju 88 is known as the "universal bomber" and can take on all kinds of combat except close air combat. Combat missions, whether it is horizontal bombing, dive bombing, long-range escort, reconnaissance and patrol, or night interception, glider towing, airdrop and airlift, anti-submarine and anti-ship, are almost handy. It is recognized as the most successful multi-functional air combat platform of the Luftwaffe. There are many modifications and excellent performance. Since 1941, Ju 88 replaced Do 17, He 111 as the main bomber model of the Luftwaffe until the end of the war.
The rows of Ju 88 bomber fuselages in the Junkers workshop are the largest number of German bombers, with a total output of more than 15,000!
R&D and design
In the spring of 1935, the Ministry of Aviation proposed to design a "bomber destroyer" that combines bombing, interception, and reconnaissance missions. This idea was later replaced by a "fast bomber" with a load of 800 kg and a speed exceeding 500 kilometers per hour. , But the concept of multi-purpose is inherited. Junker tried to win and did its best. In order to obtain advanced bearing skin technology, it also specially hired two American experts Ebas and Gonas to participate in the prototype design. The overall work was presided over by Ernst Zinder. Obtained the official number of Ju 88. The first prototype flew under confidentiality on December 21, 1936. After nearly two years of modification and testing, Ju 88 defeated competitors such as Bf 162 and Hs 127, and won the military in September 1938. Of large orders. Ju 88 showed excellent performance in the early stage of its design. Its No. 5 prototype set a world record of 2 tons with a load capacity of 2 tons and an average speed of 517 kilometers per hour on a 1,000-kilometer route in March 1939, which made the Luftwaffe's combat effectiveness against the Ju 88. Full of expectation, he was called the "magic bomber" before he was in service. The Ju 88A of the
KG 3-wing can be seen in the aerodynamic layout of dual-engine, single-wing and single-vertical tail. The
Ju 88 adopts the conventional double-engine single-tail cantilever and single-wing layout. The fuselage is an all-metal semi-hard shell structure. The nose cockpit is equipped with a protruding frame-type large transparent windshield, which is bright and has a wide field of vision. The nose is covered Multiple glass windshields are convenient for bombing and aiming, and some modifications also use a closed nose. There is a boat-shaped pod at the lower right of the bow to accommodate airborne equipment and self-defense weapons. The under cantilever single wing is trapezoidal, mostly straight, with a slight upward dihedral angle. The outer section of the wing is equipped with dive speed bumps, but the load on the fuselage is larger during a large-angle dive, and it is usually at a small angle below 45 degrees in wartime. Dive to attack, and remove the speed brake. The middle section of the main wing is equipped with a pair of large-diameter cylindrical engine nacelles, which were previously protruding, and their front ends were almost flush with the nose. The Ju 88's power plant is mainly Jumo211/213 series liquid-cooled engines, but BMW801 series air-cooled engines can also be installed. Multiple power options reduce Ju 88's dependence on engine supply and facilitate the maintenance of production. The main landing gear under the engine compartment is first turned 90 degrees when retracted, and then fully retracted into the landing gear compartment. There are four crew members of the basic Ju 88, including pilots, bombing sights, radio operators and mechanics. They also serve as self-defense weapon shooters. They are all located in the nose cockpit. Some modifications are equipped with a three-person crew. Protective armors are provided around the crew, mechanics and the position of the belly gun. Inside the cockpit of
Ju 88, crew members such as the pilot, radio operator and mechanic can be seen. As a tactical bomber, the Luftwaffe does not have high requirements for the Ju 88's range. The fuel tank in the wings and nacelle of the engine can carry 1677 liters of fuel. If an additional fuel tank is mounted in the bomb bay, the fuel capacity can be Increased to 3575 liters to perform remote missions. The
Ju 88 is equipped with four external hanging points on the inner section of the main wing to mount additional bombs to increase the bomb load. The Ju 88 can load up to 2400 kg of bombs. The
Ju 88 was initially relatively weak in self-defense equipment. There were 4 MG15 7 in the front and rear of the cockpit, nose and belly pod.92mm machine gun, using 75 round drums for ammunition. During the war, the Ju 88 continuously strengthened its firepower, and produced no less than 40 weapon configuration plans. The main combination of MG81Z type 7.92 mm double-barreled machine guns and MG131 type 13 mm machine guns, which were mixed with ammunition chain feeders, were 4 to 6, and some were even modified. It is equipped with large-caliber weapons of 20, 30 mm and even 75 mm. The Ju 88’s belly bomb bay can carry 1,400 kg bombs. In addition, there are four hanging points on the inner section of the wing, which can carry 4 500 kg bombs, but normally only 100 kg bombs are mounted. The amount is 1800 ~ 2400 kg. The development of the
model
Like other German main aircraft, the Ju 88 also has a dazzling list of modifications. During the war, A, B, C, D, G, H, P, R, S, T, etc. were produced. A modified version and two derived types of Ju 188 and Ju 388. The total output of Ju 88 is more than 15,000, of which 9,122 are bombing. If you add the number of Ju 188 and Ju 388, the total will reach 16,425, second only to the Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighters, and far surpass other types. Bomber.
Ju 88A is the most important production model, its output accounts for half of the total output of Ju 88, and at least 17 seed models have been produced. For the A-4 type engine, the wingspan has been increased from 18.37 meters to 20 meters to improve the handling performance. At the same time, the 1400 horsepower Jumo211J engine is replaced with a speed of up to 510 kilometers per hour. Self-defense weapons have also been enhanced. The A-6 type focuses on improving the handling stability, outstanding maneuverability, and can be maneuvered even in the process of diving and pulling up. The Ju 88A was mainly deployed as a four-seater bomber, but in addition to conventional bombers, ground attack aircraft, torpedo bombers, trainers, and tropical modifications were also developed. The
Ju 88B was replaced with a newly designed streamlined nose and BMW series air-cooled engines. Only 10 were built for use as a long-range reconnaissance aircraft, but it became the basis of the Ju 188. The Ju 88C came out in the form of three heavy day fighters and night fighters, with 7 variants. The main feature of the C-type is to replace it with a closed nose, strengthen its armaments, and add necessary airborne equipment, such as radars. Among them, the C-5 and some C-7 models are also replaced with a 1700 horsepower BMW 801D engine. The C-4 type is the first night combat type of the Ju 88 series. It is based on the A-4 type and adds two additional MG/FF 20 mm machine guns and multiple MG81 7.92 mm machine guns. The C-6 model manufactured in the later stage is also equipped with the early-produced Ju 88A. The 1200-horsepower Jumo 211B is equipped with an airborne radar and an oblique gun system.
is an improved Ju88C as a daytime heavy fighter and night fighter. It adopts a closed nose and is equipped with a 20mm cannon and 3 7.92mm machine guns on the right side of the nose. The
Ju 88D is a four-seater reconnaissance type, equipped with Jumo211 series engines, carrying aerial camera equipment, and some sub-models are also equipped with plug-in points for loading bombs or auxiliary fuel tanks. The
Ju 88G is a night combat type, developed on the basis of the C-6 type. The Ju188's tail is replaced, the vertical tail wing tip is changed from a round to a square-angled type, a BMW801G engine is installed, and four MG151 20s are installed. The millimeter cannon, SN-2 radar and other equipment were originally a three-person crew. Later, in order to reduce the work intensity of the crew, a fourth crew was added. The G-6 replaced the BMW801G engine, and also installed a radar antenna on the tail, and was also equipped with an oblique gun system. The G-6c is replaced with a 1750 horsepower Jumo213A engine, and the G-7 is replaced with a Jumo213E engine, equipped with various types of radar and electronic equipment. The final G-7c is equipped with a FuG240 with built-in antenna. The centimeter wave radar reduces the flight resistance and the speed is as high as 674 kilometers per hour. The
Ju 88H is a long-range reconnaissance type, which is assembled using a D-type fuselage and a G-type wing. The fuselage has been lengthened by 3.3 meters, to expand the fuel tank capacity, the range can reach 5000 kilometers, can carry three aerial cameras and a FuG200 radar. The H-2 is a three-seater modification, equipped with 6 front-firing MG151 20mm cannons. The H-3 is replaced with a 2240-horsepower Jumo213A-12 engine. The H-type has less output. The
Ju 88P is a modified version of a special anti-tank attack aircraft. Based on the Ju88A-4, the armor protection is strengthened. A large weapon pod is mounted under the belly of the aircraft. It is equipped with various types of airborne anti-tank guns. Anti-armor capability. The P-1 type is equipped with one PaK40 75mm anti-tank gun, which is manually loaded. The P-2 type carries two BK3.7 37mm cannons. The P-3 type adds armor to the P-2 type. The -4 type is equipped with a BK5 50mm cannon. In an emergency, the P-type can abandon the weapon pod. Although it is very powerful, the P-type's flight capability has been greatly reduced, so there is no mass production. The
Ju 88R is a night combat type. It is equipped with a 1700 horsepower BMW801M engine. The nose is equipped with 4 20mm cannons and FuG202 radar, which has excellent performance. The
Ju 88S is a three-seater high-speed bomber developed in early 1944. It is based on the Ju 88A-4. In order to increase the speed, the fuselage has been reduced in weight. The nose pod, the dive speed brake and some armor are removed, and the crew is reduced. For three people, the nose was changed to a sleek hemisphere, a BMW 801 engine and a GM-1 afterburner were installed, only one 13 mm machine gun was retained, and the later production S-3 was replaced with a 2240 horsepower Jumo213A engine. In the afterburner state, it can maintain a high speed of 610 km/h at an altitude of 8000 meters, but the bomb load has been reduced. At the end of the war, three high-speed reconnaissance Ju 88T models were also developed based on the S-type. Fuel tanks were added in the bomb bays to increase the range, and the speed could reach 660 km/h.
This article is excerpted from "Illustrated Third Reich Air Force General Affairs Book 1935-1945"
