| Ju 390 | |
|---|---|
| Type | heavy bomber/transport |
| Manufacturer | Junkers |
| Maiden flight | October 20 1943 |
| Introduced | 1943 |
| Retired | 1945 |
| Primary user | Luftwaffe |
| Number built | 2 |
| Developed from | Junkers Ju 290 |
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. It was a design selected for the abortive Amerika Bomber project.
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Design and development
Two prototypes were created by inserting an extra pair of inner wing segments into the wings of basic Ju 290 airframes and adding new sections to "stretch" the fuselages. The resulting giant first flew on October 20 1943 and performed well, resulting in an order for 26 such aircraft, to be designated Ju 390 A-1. None of these were actually built by the time that the project was cancelled (along with Ju 290 production) in mid-1944. The maritime patrol version and bomber were to be designated Ju 390 B and Ju 390 C respectively. It was suggested that the bomber could have carried the Messerschmitt Me 328 parasite fighter for self-defence. Some test flights are believed to have been performed by Ju 390 aircraft with the anti-shipping Fritz X guided smart-bomb.
Operational history
There is some debate as to whether both of the two Ju 390 built flew. FAGr.5 unit logs show that the V1 prototype (serial marking GH+UK) was used. A Rechlin Test pilot, Oberleutnant Eisermann records in his logbook that he flew the V2 prototype (RC+DA) as late as February 1944. Photographs of two quite distinct Ju 390 aircraft in flight survive from World War II, but the airframe of prototype number 2 was never located after the war. Hitler's armaments minister Albert Speer gave testimony of a long range Ju 390 flight to Japan - in James P. O'Donnell's The Berlin Bunker that a Ju 390 aircraft flown by Junkers test pilots flew a polar route to Japan in 1944. There is a disputed claim that in January 1944, the second prototype, Ju 390 V2, made a trans-Atlantic flight from France to about 20 km (12 miles) from the coast of the United States and back. [1][2] The photograph at http://www.wing21.rtaf.mi.th/wboard/163254813181.jpg was reportedly taken at Prague in 1945.
Variants
- Ju 390 V1
- First prototype.
- Ju 390 V2
- Second prototype.
- Ju 390 A-1
- Planned heavy transport version.
- Ju 390 B
- Planned maritime patrol version.
- Ju 390 C
- Planned long range heavy bomber version.
Operators
- Luftwaffe
- Fernaufklärungsgruppe 5
Specifications (Ju 390 V1)
General characteristics
- Crew: 10
- Length: 34.20 m (112 ft 2 in)
- Wingspan: 50.30 m (165 ft 1 in)
- Height: 6.89 m (22 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 254 m² (2,730 ft²)
- Empty weight: 39,500 kg (87,100 lb)
- Loaded weight: 53,112 kg (117,092 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 75,500 kg (166,400 lb)
- Powerplant: 6× BMW 801D radial engines, 1,272 kW (1,730 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 505 km/h (314 mph)
- Range: 9,700 km (6,030 mi)
- Service ceiling 6,000 m (19,700 ft)
- Wing loading: 209 kg/m² (42.8 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 0.17 kW/kg (0.10 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns: ** 2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons in dorsal turrets
- 1 × 20 mm MG 151/20 in tail
- 2 × 13 mm MG 131 machine guns at waist
- 2 × 13 mm MG 131 in gondola
References
- ^ William Green Warplanes of the Third Reich 1970, "a point some 12 miles from the US coast, north of New York".
- ^ Smith and Kay 1972, p. 456.
- Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-356-02382-6.
- Nowarra, Heinz J. Junkers Ju 290, Ju 390 etc.. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1997. ISBN 0-7643-0297-3.
- Smith, J.R. and Kay, Anthony. German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam and Company, Ltd., 1972. ISBN 0-370-00024-2.
External links
- Das Flugzeugarchiv (German)
- WarBird Photos
Related content
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
Me 362 - Me 364 - Ju 388 - Ju 390 - Fw 391 - Ar 396 - Ta 400
Related lists
- List of military aircraft of Germany
- List of World War II military aircraft of Germany
- List of WW2 Luftwaffe aircraft prototype projects
- List of bomber aircraft
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