Germany's Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka", Sturzkampfflugzeug, dive bomber1,2
Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber:
United States Army in World War II, Pictorial Record, The War Against Germany and Italy: Mediterranean and Adjacent Areas, 1951, pg 42
Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber, Italian plane captured by British:
United States Army in World War II, Pictorial Record, The War Against Germany and Italy: Mediterranean and Adjacent Areas, 1951, pg 42
Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber, cabin:
Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber:
Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber:
Design
Dive control
A device allowed the Ju 87 to pull out of a dive even when a pilot blacked out.1
Undercarriage
During the winters on the eastern front some had skis installed.1
Fuselage
To aid in mass production the fuselage was made in two halves and joined at the centerline by a metal frame.1
Wing
To allow for a short undercarriage and allow for a large bomb, the wings were of a cranked wing design.1
Prototype
The Ju 87 prototype had a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine (640 HP) and first flew in the spring of 1935.1,2
Early prototypes had twin fins but this was replaced by a single fin.1
Production
Over 5,700 were produced until September 1944.1
Starting in 1939 all production of the Ju 87 Stuka was at Weser at Tempelhof.1
- Total: 5,7092
Variants
- Ju 87??: Produced for the Kriegsmarine to be used on the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin.1
- Ju 87A-1: Flew in Spain.2
- Ju 87B-1: Flew in Spain.2
- Ju 87D: Had a Jumo 211 engine.2 Entered service at the end of 1941 during the invasion of the Soviet Union.2
- Ju 87G: Antitank version.2 Had two 37 mm guns under the wing.2
- Ju 87R: Had additional under wing fuel tanks for used in the Norwegian campaign.2
Usage
The Ju 87 was used by Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, and Slovakia.1
The Ju 87 Stuka was used on all fronts during the war.1
Typically a pilot would start their dive at 6,000' / 2,000 m and go down to 900' / 300 m before releasing their bombs.1 The dive angle was between 60° and 90°.1
Hans-Ulrich Rudel
Flying a Ju 87G, Hans-Ulrich Rudel destroyed over 500 / 5192 Soviet tanks.1 He also sunk a battleship, a cruiser, and a destroyer with his Stuka.2
Blitzkrieg in Poland
There were five Stukageschwader equipped with Ju 87s that were used in the invasion of Poland in 1939.2
| Junkers Ju 87D-1 Stuka1 | Junkers Ju 87D-7 Stuka2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dive Bomber1 | Dive bomber2 |
| Crew | 21 Pilot, rear gunner1 |
22 |
| Engine (Type) | Junkers Jumo 211J-1 piston1 | Junkers Jumo 211P pison2 |
| Cylinders | Inverted V-121 | Inline2 |
| Cooling | ||
| HP | 1,4101 | 1,5002 |
| Propeller blades | 31 | 32 |
| Fuel capacity | ||
| Dimensions | ||
| Span | 45'1 13.8 m1 |
49' 2.5"2 15 m2 |
| Length | 38'1 11.5 m1 |
37' 8.75"2 11.5 m2 |
| Height | 13'1 3.9 m1 |
12' 9.5"2 3.9 m2 |
| Wing area | 343 ft2 1 31.9 m2 1 |
362.7 ft2 2 33.6 m2 2 |
| Weight | ||
| Empty | 8,580 lb1 3,900 kg1 |
8,686 lb2 3,940 kg2 |
| Loaded | 14,520 lb1 6,600 kg1 |
14,550 lb2 6,600 kg2 |
| Performance | ||
| Speed @ 12,600' / 3,840 m |
254 mph1 410 kph1 |
|
| Speed @ 15,750' / 4,800 m |
248 mph2 400 kph2 |
|
| Climb | ||
| Service ceiling | 23,910'1 7,290 m1 |
27,885'2 8,500 m2 |
| Range | 950 miles1 1,535 km1 |
410 miles2 660 km2 |
| Armament | ||
| Wings | 2: 7.92 mm MG 171 | |
| Forward firing | 2: 20 mm MG 151/202 | |
| Rear cockpit | 2: 7.92 mm MG 81Z1 | 2: 7.92 mm MG 812 |
| Bombs | 3,960 lb1 1,800 kg1 |
|
| Bomb under fuselage | 1: 3,958 lb2 1: 1,800 kg2 |
|
| Bomb under wings | 2: 1,102 lb2 2: 500 kg2 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
