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Germany's Junkers Ju 86 medium bomber^1,2

Junkers Ju 86 medium bomber:

Junkers Ju 86 medium bomber:

Junkers Ju 86 medium bomber:

Junkers Ju 86 medium bomber:

Design

The RLM (German air ministry) and the Deutsche Lufthansa (national airline) worked on specifications for a medium bomber and a ten passenger transport in secret.¹

Heinkel and Junkers produced designs, the He 111 and Ju 86 respectively.¹ The He 111 was preferred as the Ju 86 had issues with performance.²

Cockpit

Visibility from the cockpit was poor and was the cause of many accidents.¹

Fuselage

On the underside of the fuselage was a gondola that was retractable.¹ It had a single machine gun that was operated by a crew member.¹ When it was lowered is reduced the Ju 86's performance.¹

Prototype

The first prototype the Ju 86(V1) took flight on November 4, 1934.^1,2 These had stability problems and was corrected with a new wing that appeared in 1936.¹

The Ju 86P prototypes first flew in February 1940.^1,2 These were converted from Ju 86Ds.²

Production

• Ju 86A: 33²
• Ju 86D: 140²
• Ju 86E: 50²
• Ju 86G: 40²
• Ju 86K: 148²
  • Saab built: 16²
• Ju 86P: 43²
• Ju 86R: Few²
• Ju 86Z: 33²
• Total: 470²

Variants

• Ju 86V1: Prototype.² Was an airliner with Siemens SAM 22 radial engines.²
• Ju 86V2: Prototype.² Bomber.²
• Ju 86A-1: First bomber version that entered service with the Luftwaffe.^1,2
• Ju 86B-0: Airliner version delivered to the Lufthansa.¹ Transport for Swissair.²
• Ju 86D-1: Had modified tail to fix control problems.¹ These were evaluated by the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War.¹ Main production bomber.²
• Ju 86E-1: Had BMW 132 radial engines installed.¹
• Ju 86K: Export model.² Had Pratt & Whitney Hornet, Bristol Pegasus, or Gnome-Rhône radial engines.²
• Ju 86P-1: Bomber.² High altitude version used again Britain.¹ Wasn't very successful except being hard for RAF fighters to shoot down at high altitude.¹ Had supercharged Jumo 207 engines and a pressurized cabin.^1,2 Had a remotely controlled 7.9 mm MG in the rear of the fuselage.²
• Ju 86P-2: Reconnaissance.² Had three cameras.² Flew at such high altitudes that most RAF fighters were unable to intercept them.²
• Ju 86R: High altitude reconnaissance.² Had wings that tapered to a point.² Converted from Ju 86Ps.² Used in a special unit in 1943 - 1944.²
• Ju 86Z: Civilian transport for export.² Had Junkers Jumo, Pratt & Whitney Hornet, or BMW 132 engines.²

Usage

Brazil, Chile, Germany, Hungary, Manchuria, Portugal, South Africa, and Sweden used the Junkers Ju 86.²

• Ju 86K
  • Hungary: 66²
  • Manchuria: 5²
  • Portugal: 10²
  • South Africa: 4²
  • Sweden: 56²
    • Saab built: 16²
• Ju 86Z
  • South Africa: 17²

Spanish Civil War

Combat experience in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War showed how vulnerable the Ju 86 was.²

Poland

The Ju 86G was used in the invasion of Poland in September 1939.²

High Altitude Work

In 1940 the Ju 86 became a high altitude reconnaissance / bomber plane.²

Were used over Britain initially, but also saw service in the Mediterranean.²

The RAF countered with specially modified Spitfire Vs.² Three Ju 86Ps were shot down over the Mediterranean by mid 1942.² One unverified kill was claimed by a pilot that said he shot down a Ju 86P at 49,500' / 15,088 m.²

The Ju 86Ps also photographed large areas of the Soviet Union before June 1941.²

Stalingrad

During the encirclement of Stalingrad Ju 86 trainers were brought to the front to fly in supplies.^1,2 Forty were lost.¹

Hungary

The Hungarian air force used Ju 86s against the Soviets until mid-1944.^1,2

South Africa

South African Airways used the Ju 86 as airliners.¹ The South African air force used them for training.¹ The Ju 86s were also used for coastal patrols and as bombers against the Italians in East Africa in 1941.²

Sweden

Saab built Ju 86 transports and were used into the 1950s.¹

	Junkers Ju 862	Junkers Ju 86D2	Junkers Ju 86D-11	Junkers Ju 86E2	Junkers Ju 86G2	Junkers Ju 86P2	Junkers Ju 86R2
Type	Bomber2	Bomber2	Medium bomber1	Bomber2	Bomber2	High altitude reconnaissance / bomber2	High altitude reconnaissance / bomber2
Crew	42		41
Engine (Type)		2: Junkers Jumo 205C diesel2	2: Jumo 205C-41	2: BMW 132F2	2: BMW 132F2	2: Junkers Jumo 207A-1 diesel2	2: Junkers Jumo 207A-1 diesel2
OR				2: BMW 132N2	2: BMW 132N2	2: Junkers Jumo 207B-3 diesel2	2: Junkers Jumo 207B-3 diesel2
Cylinders		Vertically opposed 62	61	Radial 92	Radial 92	Vertically opposed 62	Vertically opposed 62
Cooling
HP		600 each2	600 each1	F: 810 each2 N: 865 each2	F: 810 each2 N: 865 each2	1,0002	1,0002
Propeller blades		3 each2	3 each1	3 each2	3 each2	3 each2	3 each2
Fuel capacity
Dimensions
Span		73' 10"2 22.5 m2	73' 10"1 22.5 m1			84'2 26.81 m2	105'2 32 m2
Length		58' 7.5"2 17.87 m2	58' 8"1 17.87 m1			54'2 16.46 m2
Height		16' 7"2 5.05 m2	16' 7"1 5.06 m1			15' 5"2 4.7 m2
Wing area			883 ft2 1 82 m2 1
Weight
Empty		11,354 lb2 5,150 kg2	11,354 lb1 5,150 kg1				14,947 lb2 6,780 kg2
Loaded		17,770 lb2 8,060 kg2	18,078 lb1 8,200 kg1				25,420 lb2 11,530 kg2
Performance
Speed at sea level		186 mph2 300 kph2
Speed @ 9,843' / 3,000 m		202 mph2 325 kph2
Speed @ 9,850' / 3,000 m			202 mph1 325 kph1
Speed @ 29,527' / 8,000 m							262 mph2 420 kph2
Speed @ 39,000' / 11,887 m						242 mph2 389 kph2
Cruising speed		171 mph2 275 kph2
Cruising speed @ 11,485' / 3,500 m			177 mph1 285 kph1
Service ceiling		19,360'2 5,900 m2	19,360'1 5,900 m1			41,000'2 12,500 m2	45,930'2 14,000 m2
Range		932 miles2 1,500 km2	932 miles1 1,500 km1			1,087 miles2 1,750 km2	1,085 miles2 1,746 km2
Armament
Nose	1: 7.9 mm MG2		1: 7.92 mm MG1
Dorsal	1: 7.9 mm MG2		1: 7.92 mm MG1
Ventral	1: 7.9 mm MG2		1: 7.92 mm MG1
Bombs	2,205 lb2 1,000 kg2		1,764 lb1 800 kg1			2,205 lb2 1,000 kg2
Rear fuselage						1: 7.9 mm MG2

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
2. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998

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