In the mid-1930s, contracts were placed with Dornier and Junkers for prototype four-engined strategic bombers. The Junkers aircraft, the Ju 89, was by far the better of the two. However, the program was abandoned in 1937 and Junkers used parts designed for the Ju 89 to construct a new civilian type for Lufthansa. The wings, tail and engines of the Ju 89 were added to a new fuselage to create the Ju 90. The 40-passenger aircraft flew for the first time in August 1937 and entered Lufthansa service in 1938. A production batch of 10 aircraft were ordered. Two Ju 90s were also ordered by South African Airways but were never delivered because of the war. The Ju 90 was pressed into military service with the Luftwaffe, first as a transport during the Norwegian campaign and later flying supply missions to the beleaguered German forces at Stalingrad. The more widely used Ju 290 was developed as a result of the rebuilding of early Ju 90s. This book covers the antecedents of the Ju 90 as well as providing a comprehensive account of its design and construction. Its operational history, both military and civilian, is discussed. The book contains many detailed photographs of the aircraft and the various types of engine used.

The iconic and legendary Junkers Ju 52 first flew in 1930. Designed and built by the Junkers Aircraft Company of Dessau, Germany, the Ju 52 was originally intended as a single-engine cargo aircraft. An upgraded model, the Ju 52/3m, was powered by three engines and excelled as an eighteen-seat airliner. By the late 1930s, hundreds of the safe, reliable and much loved Ju 52/3ms were serving with airlines in more than twenty countries, including the pre-war British Airways. Also, it was used as a bomber by the Luftwaffe, particularly in the Spanish Civil War. During the Second World War, the Ju 52/3m was the mainstay of Luftwaffe transport squadrons. Affectionately known as 'Faithful Old Annie' and 'ron Annie', the Ju 52/3m was used during the invasions of Norway, the Low Countries, Crete and the resupply of Stalingrad and Rommels Africa Korps. In all, around 5,000 were built and after the war, production continued in France and Spain. Amazingly, captured Ju 52/3ms were rebuilt post-war and briefly operated as airliners on domestic routes in Great Britain.

Junkers Military Aircraft of World War Two

Examining in detail the output of one of Germany's most famous aircraft manufacturers, Junkers. With 3-view drawings, cut-aways, fine photographs and unsurpassed in-depth treatment of the design history of Junkers aircraft, this volume is the definitive history of a German engineering legend. Hugo Junkers was a leading pioneer of aviation, especially all-metal aircraft construction, and his name is associated with great aerodynamic and structural advances in engineering. His design and manufacturing bureau was responsible for some of the most distinctive and famous aircraft of the 20th century, including the terrifying Ju87 Stuka divebomber and the Ju88 bomber which battered London in the Blitz, but successful airliners and transports were also part of the Junkers roster over the course of its 30-year history.

A detailed history of the Luftwaffe's best twin-engined bomber of World War 2 in North Africa and the Mediterranean. This volume follows the Luftwaffe's 'Wunderbomber' southwards to describe its deployment in North Africa and the Mediterranean theatre of war. Early 1941 saw the first sporadic air raids on Malta, followed by the campaign in the Balkans which resulted in the conquests of Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete. After supporting land operations in North Africa during the latter half of 1941, the Ju 88s resumed their assault on Malta. Bringing the story to life are personal accounts of the more famous actions – the bombing of shipping off the coast of Greece and the sinking of three Royal Navy destroyers south of Crete, all illustrated with rare photographs and full-colour profiles.

Designed as a fast bomber that could outrun the fighters of the era, the twin-engine Junkers Ju 88 became one of the most versatile aircraft of the Second World War. Such was the success of the design that its production lines operated constantly from 1936 to 1945, with more than 16,000 examples being built in dozens of variants more than any other twin-engine German aircraft of the period. From an early stage it was intended that it would be used as a conventional light bomber and as a dive-bomber. As such, it served in the invasion of Poland, the Norway campaign, the Blitzkrieg and the invasion of France and the Battle of Britain. This latest volume in Frontlines Air War Archive examines the Ju 88s use in the latter years of the Second World War. The types use as a torpedo bomber or reconnaissance aircraft, as well as its deployment in Russia, over the Bay of Biscay and in the Mediterranean theater are all explored. Even its use in the Mistel flying-bomb is covered.In this selection of unrivaled images collected over many years, the operations of this famous aircraft in its twilight years are portrayed and brought to life.

In the summer of 1944, as the Second World War drew to a close, an unusual airplane took to the skies over Leipzig-Brandis on its maiden flight. It was the prototype version of the Ju 287 V1, a four-engine jet bomber. With its forward swept wings, the design was a critical milestone in the annals of aviation technology and made the Ju 287 the first swept-wing design in the world. One of the world's most interesting airplanes is revealed through many previously unpublished reports, photographs and drawings. It is an airplane whose revolutionary design played a major role in the postwar development of jet aircraft, in both the East and the West. This book fills a gap in the material covering the first chapter of the jet era.