Junkers Ju 290

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_290

The Junkers Ju 290 was a German large, four-engine long-range transport and
maritime patrol aircraft used by the Luftwaffe late in World War II that had
been developed from an earlier airliner.

The Junkers 290 was developed directly from the Ju 90 airliner, versions of
which had been evaluated for military purposes, and was intended to replace the
relatively slow Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor which by 1942 was proving increasingly
vulnerable when confronted by Royal Air Force aircraft; the Fw 200's airframe
lacked sufficient strength for the role in any case. The Ju 290 was also
intended to meet the need for large transport aircraft. A bomber version, the
A-8, was planned, but never built. Design was headed by Konrad Eicholtz.

The urgent need for Ju 290s in the long-range maritime reconnaissance role was
now also high priority, and resulted in the Ju 290A-2. Three A-1 aircraft were
converted to A-2 specification on the assembly line. Production was slow due to
the modifications necessary and the installation of strong defensive armament.
The A-2 was fitted with FuG 200 Hohentwiel low-UHF band search radar and a
dorsal turret fitted with a 20 mm MG 151 cannon. The Hohentwiel radar was
successfully used to locate Allied convoys at ranges of up to 80 km (50 mi) from
an altitude of 500 m (1,600 ft) or 100 km (62 mi) from an altitude of 1,000 m
(3,300 ft). It allowed convoys to be tracked while remaining out of range of
anti-aircraft fire and carrier based fighters.

The A-3 version followed shortly after with additional navigational equipment
and a heavier defensive armament. It was fitted with two hydraulically powered
HDL 151 dorsal turrets armed with 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, with a further 20 mm
MG 151/20 and a 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun fitted in a typically German
Bola gondola (a fitment for almost all German WW II bomber aircraft) directly
underneath the forward dorsal gun turret, and a 20 mm MG 151/20 fitted in the
tail operated by a gunner in a prone position. Two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131s were
also fitted in waist positions (Fensterlafetten). The A-3, along with the A-2,
also featured large fuselage auxiliary fuel tanks. Both retained the rear
loading ramp so that they could be used as transports if required.

The improved A-7 version appeared in spring 1944; 13 were completed, and 10
served with the long-range reconnaissance group, Fernaufklärungsgruppe (FAGr) 5.
Some A-7s and some A-4s were fitted with a detachable nose turret armed with a
20 mm MG 151/20 for added defense against frontal attack. No bombs were carried,
as it was intended that the A-5 and A-7 would be fitted with the FuG 203 Kehl
radio guidance system to launch MCLOS-guided Fritz X and Hs 293 anti-ship
missiles.


Role
Maritime patrol, Transport

Manufacturer
Junkers

Designer
Konrad Eicholtz.

First flight
16 July 1942 (Ju 290 V1)

Introduction
August 1942

Primary users
Luftwaffe
Spain (Post war)

Produced
1942–1946

Number built
65

Developed from
Junkers Ju 90

Variants
Junkers Ju 390

A special long-range reconnaissance group, FAGr 5 (Fernaufklärungsgruppe 5), had
been formed on 1 July 1943 and during the late summer of 1943 three of the new
Ju 290 A-2s were delivered to its 1 Staffel, which became operational at
Mont-de-Marsan near Bordeaux on 15 October of that year. They flew their first
operational missions in November 1943, shadowing Allied convoys in cooperation
with U-boats, often remaining airborne for up to 18 hours.

Towards the end of 1943, Admiral Dönitz demanded that the entire output of Ju
290s be made available for U-boat warfare. However, only 20 were assigned for
this purpose. Even though both Hitler and Dönitz demanded an increase, the
Luftwaffe General Staff declared it was unable to assign any more for naval
reconnaissance purposes. The General Staff argued that there could be no
increase in output so long as the Luftwaffe was not conceded "precedence in
overall armaments".

In the spring of 1944, after Albert Speer had taken over the direction of air
armaments, the Luftwaffe High Command boldly announced that production of the Ju
290 was to be suspended despite it being urgently needed for maritime
reconnaissance; suspending production meant that resources could instead be
diverted to building fighters. At that point in time, Speer's position was weak
and Hermann Göring was trying to find allies to help him strip Speer of his
power, and the Luftwaffe was not prepared to offer the Navy more than
"goodwill".

On 26 May 1944, shortly after daybreak, a Sea Hurricane piloted by Sub
Lieutenant Burgham from the escort carrier HMS Nairana shot down Ju 290 9V+FK of
FAGr 5 over the Bay of Biscay. The afternoon of the same day, Sub Lieutenants
Mearns and Wallis attacked two more Ju 290s. Mearns shot down 9V+GK piloted by
Kurt Nonneberg, which ditched in the sea. The other Ju 290 disappeared on fire
into cloud and was assumed to have crashed.

As the Battle of the Atlantic swung irrevocably in favour of the Allies with the
loss by the Germans of French bases in August 1944, FAGr 5 withdrew eastwards
and the remaining Ju 290s were reassigned to transport duties, including service
with KG 200, where they were used to drop agents behind enemy lines and other
special missions.

Hitler's personal transport

On 26 November 1943, Ju 290 A-5, no. 0170, along with many other new aircraft
and prototypes, was shown to Adolf Hitler at Insterburg, East Prussia. Hitler
was impressed by its potential and told Goering that he wanted a Ju 290 for his
personal use. A Ju 290 was not however assigned to the Fliegerstaffel des
Fuehrers (FdF) until late 1944, when an A-7 was supplied, works number 0192,
which had formerly been assigned to FAGr 5. Modifications were completed by
February 1945 at the FdF's base at Pocking, Bavaria, a Stammkennzeichen
alphabetic designation code of KR+LW being applied. Hitler's pilot, Hans Baur,
tested the aircraft, but Hitler never flew in it.

The aircraft was fitted with a special passenger compartment in the front of the
aircraft for Hitler, which was protected by 12 mm (.5 in) armour plate and 50 mm
(2 in) bulletproof glass. A special escape hatch was fitted in the floor and a
parachute was built into Hitler's seat; in an emergency it was intended that he
would put on the parachute, pull a lever to open the hatch, and roll out through
the opening. This arrangement was tested using life-size mannequins.

Hans Baur flew the aircraft to Munich-Riem airport on 24 March 1945, landing
just as an air-raid alert was sounded. He went home after parking it in a hangar
but on returning to the airport, he discovered that both hangar and aircraft had
been destroyed by American bombers.

Specifications (Ju 290 A-5)

General characteristics
Crew: 9
Length: 28.64 m (94 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 42 m (137 ft 10 in)
Height: 6.83 m (22 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 205.3 m2 (2,210 sq ft)
Empty weight: 24,000 kg (52,911 lb)
Gross weight: 40,970 kg (90,323 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 44,969 kg (99,140 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × BMW 801D 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 1,300 kW
(1,700 hp) each for take-off
1,080 kW (1,450 hp) at 2,000 m (6,560 ft)980 kW (1,310 hp) at 5,800 m (19,030
ft)Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers

Performance
Maximum speed: 439 km/h (273 mph; 237 kn) at 5,800 m (19,030 ft)
Cruise speed: 360.5 km/h (224 mph; 195 kn) at 5,800 m (19,030 ft)
Range: 6,148 km (3,820 mi; 3,320 nmi) with 21,003 l (5,548 US gal; 4,620 imp
gal)
Service ceiling: 6,000 m (19,685 ft)
Time to altitude: 1,860 m (6,090 ft) in 9 minutes 48 seconds at 90,323 lb
(40,970 kg)

Armament

Guns: **2 × 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 cannons in dorsal turrets 1 × 20 mm
(0.787 in) MG 151/20 in tail
2 × 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20s at waist
1 × 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 in gondola
2 × 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine guns in gondola

Bombs

Bomber versions could carry up to 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) of disposable stores or up
to three Fritz X or Henschel Hs 293 radio-guided munitions, though these were
not widely used
Avionics

FuG 200 Hohentwiel radar




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