Junkers Ju 290

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

The Junkers Ju 290 was a 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, and 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.

The development programme resulted in the Ju 290 V1 prototype BD+TX, which first
flew on 16 July 1942. It featured a lengthened fuselage, more powerful engines,
and a Trapoklappe hydraulic rear loading ramp. Both the V1 and the first eight
A-1 production aircraft were unarmed transports. The need for heavy transports
saw the A-1s pressed into service as soon as they were completed. Several were
lost in early 1943, including one taking part in the Stalingrad Airlift, and two
flying supplies to German forces in Tunisia, and arming them became a priority.

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.


Role
Maritime patrol, Transport

Manufacturer
Junkers

Designer
Konrad Eicholtz.

First flight
16 July 1942 (Ju 290 V1)

Introduction
August 1942

Status
retired

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.

Five Ju 290 A-3 aircraft with more powerful BMW 801D engines in unitized mounts
followed, as did five Ju 290 A-4 aircraft with improved dorsal turrets mounting
20 mm MG 151/20s. The Ju 290s were well suited to their patrol role and began
replacing the Fw 200 Condors. An A-4, Works no. 0165, was experimentally
equipped with attachments for FX 1400 PGM, and either the Henschel Hs 293 or Hs
294 anti-ship missiles, and fitted with the FuG 203e Kehl MCLOS radio control
transmitter system for controlling any of them after release; it was surrendered
to the US after the war and flown across the Atlantic to the USA.

In November 1943, a second Staffel was activated and, with a range of over 6,100
km (3,790 mi) the Ju 290s ranged far out over the Atlantic, relaying sightings
of Allied convoys to U-boats. 11 Ju 290 A-5s with increased armour, 20 mm MG
151/20 cannons in place of the earlier waist-mounted machine guns, and
self-sealing fuel tanks were delivered to FAGr 5 early in 1944, as were around
12 of the Ju 290 A-7 version; the A-7 could carry three Hs 293 glide bombs or
Fritz X armoured, anti-warship precision-guided munitions when fitted with the
FuG 203 Kehl radio guidance system for them, and featured a redesigned nose
section which combined a 20 mm cannon installation with the FuG 200 radar aerial
array.

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 (93 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 42.00 m (137 ft 9 in)
Height: 6.83 m (22 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 203 m² (2,191 ft²)
Empty weight: 33,005 kg (72,611 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 44,970 kg (99,141 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × BMW 801G/H 14-cylinder radial engines, 1,268 kW (1,700 hp) each

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

Armament

Guns: 2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons in dorsal turrets
1 × 20 mm MG 151/20 in tail
2 × MG 151/20s at waist
1 × MG 151/20 in gondola
2 × 13 mm (.51 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





*