Junkers Ju 290

Type	Maritime Patrol
Manufacturer	Junkers
Maiden flight	July 16 1942 (Ju 290 V1)
Introduced	august 1942
Status	retired
Primary users	Luftwaffe Spain (Post war).

The Junkers Ju 290 was a long-range transport, maritime patrol aircraft and bomber used by the Luftwaffe late in World War II. The Ju-290 was the only four-engined heavy-duty aircraft used by the Luftwaffe in World War II and was the forerunner of the subsequent transatlantic civil aircraft. Junkers Ju 290A-5 The copyright status of this vintage image is undetermined; it may still be copyrighted. ... An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. ... For the Prussian/German landowning classes, see junker. The name Junkers (IPA: /ˈjunkeɺs/) is well known in connection with aircraft, which were produced under this name for the Luftwaffe during World War II. In particular the Ju 87 Stuka and Ju 52 Tante Ju were common symbols of the... The Maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. ... July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1942: Events January January 30 - Canadian Pacific Air Lines formed by the acquisition and merger of Arrow Airways and Canadian Airways, along with all the various subsidiaries of the latter. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or (German: air force, literally Air Arm or Air Weapon, IPA: [luftvafə]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... For the Prussian/German landowning classes, see junker. The name Junkers (IPA: /ˈjunkeɺs/) is well known in connection with aircraft, which were produced under this name for the Luftwaffe during World War II. In particular the Ju 87 Stuka and Ju 52 Tante Ju were common symbols of the... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or (German: air force, literally Air Arm or Air Weapon, IPA: [luftvafə]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. ...

The Junkers 290 was a direct development of the Junkers Ju 90 airliner, versions of which had been evaluated for military purposes. By 1941, two further prototype militarised Ju 90s were deemed to be different enough from their predecessors to warrant a new designation. These flew in mid 1942 and were quickly accepted into service and the type ordered into production. These two (Ju 290A-0), plus the first five production aircraft (Ju 290A-1), were completed as heavy transports, equipped with loading ramps in their tails and defensive gun turrets. Some of these aircraft participated in the Stalingrad Airlift in December 1942. The Junkers Ju 90 was an airliner developed for Lufthansa shortly before World War II. It was based on the Junkers Ju 89 bomber, which did not progress beyond prototype stage. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ...

Production lines were set up at the Letov factory in Prague for the combat versions of the aircraft, commencing with the Ju 290A-2, which carried a search radar for its patrol role. Minor changes in armament distinguished the A-3 and A-4, leading to the definitive A-5 variant. Letov Kbely (Kbely is a location) is a Czech (and Czechoslovak) aircraft company. ... Prague (Czech: Praha (IPA: ), see also other names) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. ...

The German army encountered the problem of maintaining supplies in sufficient quantities to the combat units in Russia during the winter of 1941. The only immediate solution was the development of available 4-engined Junkers Ju-90 civilian airliners into a larger and more up-to-date military transport under the designation Ju-290A. Equipped with loading ramps in their tails and defensive gun turrets, the first five production aircraft as well as two prototype aircraft participated in the Stalingrad Airlift.

Meanwhile, the necessity of a long-range maritime reconnaissance airplane of long reach became indispensable to maintain adequate surveillance of the allied convoys. The Ju-290A-2 carried search radar; the 200 FuG Hohentwiel, had a range of over 3,000 km and could remain airborne for over 20 hours. For its patrol role it was well-equipped and was soon replacing Folke Wulf 200 Condors. Minor changes in armament distinguished the A-3 and A-4, leading to the definitive A-5 variant that introduced a system of self sealing fuel tanks and better shielding for the crew cabin. Only 65 were built, as bombers, long-range reconnaissance aircraft, and transports but there were never more than 20 in service at any given time. The first series of aircraft were painted RLM 65/70/71 and any aircraft used in Naval recon were painted in RLM 65/72/73.

The later versions of the aircraft had exhibited very promising characteristics though, with ever-increasing range and heavier armament, including the capability to carry the various guided anti-shipping missiles under development. Three Ju 290s, carrying extra fuel tanks, made a non-stop flight to Manchuria to exchange technical data with the Japanese. They returned with rare metals needed by Germany for special alloys. According to historian Horst Zoeller, a postwar German newspaper article in the 1950s reported that three Ju 290 aircraft were converted to civilian airframes with extra fuel capacity and these were transferred to Deutsche Lufthansa (DLH) during the war. These aircraft flew from Bulgaria to Yin-ch'uan also known as Ninghsia, which is 540nm west of Beijing. (Remark by Horst Zoeller: These Flights were planned and were even under work, but they were not performed until the end of WWII). The 1950s were the decade that traditionally speaking, spanned the years 1950 through 1959. ... Yinchuan (Simplified Chinese: 银川; Traditional Chinese: 銀川; pinyin: ) is the capital of Ningxia Autonomous Region, China. ...

The "long legs" of the Ju-290 made it an excellent candidate for the Amerika Bomber project. As Germany lost access to the ocean, their role soon evaporated. By October 1944 all production was stopped.

A number of Ju-290s survived the war. The Allies evaluated at least three. The one the US got (an A-4, number 0165, with a bulbous nose from Letov/Prague and the FuG 203 from Dornier) was used on night operations so it was painted black underneath. The British also received two for evaluation. A Ju-290A-9, number 0185, unit was prepared as a personal transport for Adolph Hitler. It had a pressurized cabin and was designed to seat 50. This aircraft flew with the I/KG200 from Finsterwalde and made one flight to Barcelona (Spain) May 23, 1944 under the command of the Captain Braun, first commander of LTS 290. An A-5, number 0178, was acquired by the Spanish and used as a government transport of personnel for the Superior School of Flight in Salamanca. It was retired from service due to an accident in the mid 1950’s. One final Ju-290 was built by Letov after the war, utilizing parts intended for the Ju-290B high-altitude prototype. It was completed as an airliner, designated Letov L.290 Orel.

Junkers Ju 290

Other airframes were also civilianised during the war to fly discreet missions to Barcelona. Some of the last missions to Barcelona were at the directions of Grand Admiral Karl Donitz to evacuate records of U-boat movements into hiding before the collapse of Nazi Germany. One civilianised Ju 290 aicraft flew a number of Nazi officers from Prague to Barcelona in late April 1945. Its passengers may have included SS Lt General Hans Kammler who disappeared from Prague about the same time. Kammler was the head of the V-2 rocket project and other secret technologies. There is also a possibility that the mission was sanctioned by the OSS as a part of Operation Paperclip (to recruit Nazi scientists for USA) and Operation Sunrise (the secret surrender of Nazi Germany to US forces) Image File history File links Download high resolution version (990x572, 55 KB) Junkers Ju 290 with US Foreign Evaluation number Captured by US troops and test flown in the USA File links The following pages link to this file: Junkers Ju 290 ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (990x572, 55 KB) Junkers Ju 290 with US Foreign Evaluation number Captured by US troops and test flown in the USA File links The following pages link to this file: Junkers Ju 290 ... Operation Paperclip scientists pose together. ... Military history records no less than four events called Operation Sunrise. ...

The "long legs" of the Ju 290 made it an excellent candidate for the Amerika Bomber project, and prototypes of an even longer-range version were ordered as the Junkers Ju 390. The Amerika Bomber project was an initiative of the German Air Ministry to obtain a long-range bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe that would be capable of striking the continental United States from Germany. ... The Junkers Ju 390 was a long-range derivative of the Junkers Ju 290 and was intended to be used as a heavy transport, maritime patrol aircraft, and bomber. ...

A number of Ju 290s survived the war. At least two were evaluated by the Allies, and one or more found their way to Spain. One was operated for some years after the war by the Spanish Air Force. This one-off production example Ju 290A-6 passenger version had a pressurised cabin and had been originally built as a personal transport for Hitler. Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ...

Three Ju 290A-7 aircraft were completed with special bomb-bays in their bellies for export to Japan as "nuclear bombers." During the war Japan was developing an atomic bomb in what is now North Korea. Japan lacked long range aircraft with which to bomb the US mainland. These "A-7" aircraft were apparently never delivered to Japan owing to the loss of airfields in Bulgaria by Soviet occupation.

One final Ju 290 was built by Letov after the war, utilising parts intended for the Ju 290B high-altitude prototype. It was completed as an airliner, designated Letov L.290 Orel.

Specifications (Ju 290A-5)

General characteristics

• Crew: 9
• Length: 93 ft 11 in (28.64 m)
• Wingspan: 137 ft 9 in (42.00 m)
• Height: 22 ft 5 in (6.83 m)
• Wing area: 2,191 ft² (203m²)
• Empty weight: 72,611 lb (33,005 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 99,141 lb (44,970 kg)
• Powerplant: 4× BMW 801G/H 14-cylinder radial engines, 1700 hp () each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 273 mph (440 km/h)
• Range: 3,843 miles (6,150 km)
• Service ceiling: 19,680 ft (6,000 m)

Armament

• 2x 20 mm MG 151/20 in dorsal turrets
• 1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 in tail
• 2x MG 151/20 at waist
• 1x MG 151/20 in gondola
• 2x 13 mm MG 131 in gondola
• radar FuG 200 Hohentwiel

For an explanation of the units and abbreviations in this list, please see Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/Units key. The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... In aviation, the Maximum Take-Off Weight (or MTOW) is the maximum weight with which an aircraft can achieve flight. ... The BMW 801 was a powerful German air-cooled radial aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German military aircraft of World War II. The engine’s cylinders were in two rows of seven cylinders each, the bore and stroke were both 156 mm, giving a... VNO of an aircraft is the V speed which refers to the velocity of normal operation. ... The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing as limited by its fuel capacity. ... In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ... The MG 151 (MG 151/15) was a 15 mm cannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser starting in 1940. ... The MG 131 was a 13 mm machine gun developed in 1938 by Rheinmetall-Borsig and produced from 1940 to 1945. ... This long range radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll[1]. Radar is a system that uses radio waves to detect, determine the distance of, and map, objects such...

The Junkers Ju 89 was a heavy bomber aircraft designed for the Luftwaffe prior to World War II. Two prototypes were constructed, but the project was abandoned without the aircraft entering production. ... The Junkers Ju 90 was an airliner developed for Lufthansa shortly before World War II. It was based on the Junkers Ju 89 bomber, which did not progress beyond prototype stage. ... The Junkers Ju 390 was a long-range derivative of the Junkers Ju 290 and was intended to be used as a heavy transport, maritime patrol aircraft, and bomber. ... The Junkers Ju 287 was a flying testbed built to develop the technology required for a multi-engined jet bomber aircraft. ... The Junkers Ju 288 was a German bomber aircraft designed during World War II, but which only ever flew in prototype form. ... The Henschel Hs 293 was a German guided glide bomb used against ships during World War II. History The Hs 293 project was started in 1940, based on the Gustav Schwartz Propellerwerke glide bomb which was designed in 1939. ... This list of military aircraft of Germany includes prototype, pre-production, and operational types. ... // 1914-1918 France Breguet 14 Germany Albatros C.III Rumpler Taube Gotha G AEG G.I AEG G.II AEG G.III AEG G.IV AEG G.V AEG N.I AEG R.I Italy Caproni Ca. ...