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Description
Junkers Ju87 "Stuka"

By the time the Stuka (Sturzkampfflugzeug "dive-bomber") entered WWII it was in many ways already an obsolescent design, that became dangerously vunerable whenever the enemy could secure air superiority.

The first prototype Ju87V1 used Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines, as the Junkers Jumo was still under development. Incidentally another famous German fighter plane was also developed using Rolls Royce Kestrels - the Messerschmitt Bf109!!

The first Stuka flew in the spring of 1935, and was used to great affect during the "Blitzkreig" offensives early in WWII, however as Germany lost air superiority so the effectiveness of the Stuka diminished and its vulnerability became exposed.

The only successful land-based dive-bomber to see service, and the only dive-bomber to achieve a truly vertical dive, it's pilots were classed as the bravest of all the air crew during WWII by other, mainly fighter, pilots.

A ship-borne version, the Ju87C was also developed.

The pilots would be subjected to nearly 8.5g (8.5 times the force of gravity) for approximately 3 seconds during a dive, screaming towards the very place where there bomb would hit, never sure whether they would black out, or even if they didn't, never sure if they would be able to pull up out of the dive in time. No wonder they were considered the bravest of the brave.

Designed by Hermann Pohlmann to be 'simple and robust', the Stuka did not boast luxuries like retractable undercarriage, instead the Stuka wore "pants" over their rigid undercarriage, each leg of the "pants" sporting a wind-powered "screamer" that let out a high pitched whistle that announced to the ground forces that their time was up.

Despite its obvious short comings, slow speed and its propensity to stick in a dive, and despite the fact that it was never really the invincible cutting edge that Nazi and Luftwaffe propaganda portrayed it as, the Stuka won many admirers amongst its crew, the most famous of whom was the "Eagle of the Eastern Front" Hans-Ulrich Rudel, whose name is almost inseparable from the word "Stuka".

Ernst Udet was also an admirer and indeed, when in 1936 German officials ordered cessation of production in favour of the Heinkel He118, Ernst Udet reversed the order the very next day and the Stuka was saved "to fight another day".

Stuka production was discontinued in 1944, when the Stuka had long been past it's best.

The Stuka in the drawings is of a Ju87 of the Immelmann wing that terrorised raw French troops during the Battle of France and eventually helped to secure its fall.

Description
Junkers Ju87 "Stuka"

By the time the Stuka (Sturzkampfflugzeug "dive-bomber") entered WWII it was in many ways already an obsolescent design, that became dangerously vunerable whenever the enemy could secure air superiority.

The first prototype Ju87V1 used Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines, as the Junkers Jumo was still under development. Incidentally another famous German fighter plane was also developed using Rolls Royce Kestrels - the Messerschmitt Bf109!!

The first Stuka flew in the spring of 1935, and was used to great affect during the "Blitzkreig" offensives early in WWII, however as Germany lost air superiority so the effectiveness of the Stuka diminished and its vulnerability became exposed.

The only successful land-based dive-bomber to see service, and the only dive-bomber to achieve a truly vertical dive, it's pilots were classed as the bravest of all the air crew during WWII by other, mainly fighter, pilots.

A ship-borne version, the Ju87C was also developed.

The pilots would be subjected to nearly 8.5g (8.5 times the force of gravity) for approximately 3 seconds during a dive, screaming towards the very place where there bomb would hit, never sure whether they would black out, or even if they didn't, never sure if they would be able to pull up out of the dive in time. No wonder they were considered the bravest of the brave.

Designed by Hermann Pohlmann to be 'simple and robust', the Stuka did not boast luxuries like retractable undercarriage, instead the Stuka wore "pants" over their rigid undercarriage, each leg of the "pants" sporting a wind-powered "screamer" that let out a high pitched whistle that announced to the ground forces that their time was up.

Despite its obvious short comings, slow speed and its propensity to stick in a dive, and despite the fact that it was never really the invincible cutting edge that Nazi and Luftwaffe propaganda portrayed it as, the Stuka won many admirers amongst its crew, the most famous of whom was the "Eagle of the Eastern Front" Hans-Ulrich Rudel, whose name is almost inseparable from the word "Stuka".

Ernst Udet was also an admirer and indeed, when in 1936 German officials ordered cessation of production in favour of the Heinkel He118, Ernst Udet reversed the order the very next day and the Stuka was saved "to fight another day".

Stuka production was discontinued in 1944, when the Stuka had long been past it's best.

The Stuka in the drawings is of a Ju87 of the Immelmann wing that terrorised raw French troops during the Battle of France and eventually helped to secure its fall.