Junkers Ju 88

Fighter/Bomber(testbed)

Ju 88 fitted with the Junkers Jumo 004 in 1943

(Image from Bert Hartmann)

Test Engines:

BMW 003 / Junkers Jumo 004 /

Jumo 226 pulsejet

Other Tests: Junkers EF 128 / Ruhrstah/Kramar X4 AA.

Specifications for Ju 88 A-4

Engine: 2x Junkers Jumo 211 piston engines

Wing Span: 20 m

Length: 14.40 m

Height: 4.85 m

Weight: Empty 9,860 kg / Loaded 14,000 kg

Maximum Speed: 470 km/h

Ceiling: 8,200 m

Range: 2,730 km

Crew: 4

History:

The versatile Junkers Ju 88 was used in many rolls by the Germans. A number of them were located at the Lufthansa facilities at Satan for use by engine manufacturers to evaluate there prototype engines.

The aircraft at the top of the page and to the right is a Junkers Ju 88 A4, the aircraft is fitted with a Junkers Jumo 004, it's interesting to see that the engine is not fitted with a cover.

In the beginning of 1945 a fuselage of the Ef 128 complete with a Heinkel He S 011 engine was fitted piggyback to a Junkers Ju 88G Mistel fashion for testing of the air intake design.

On the 31/12/1946 a Junkers Ju 88G took to the air at Ramenskoje in the USSR to flight test the Jumo 226 pulse jet engine, which Junkers had been developing since 1945. The engine was mounted on the port side, just behind the wings, with a fuel pump driven by a small propeller on the nose. As with all pulse jet engines excessive vibration was a major problem, however in May 1947 the engine was passed for use by the Soviet administration

The Ju 88 was also used to successfully test fire the Ruhrstah/Kramer X4 Air to Air guided missile in late 1944.

The X4 fitted to the underside of the Ju 88 before testing

(Images from Dan Jonson)