NOTE:
RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE
PAGE.
The Junkers Ju-87 Stuka is one of the best known and most easily recognized German World
War II war birds. It was an effective precision dive bomber that was successfully used
to support rapidly advancing columns of German tanks in their Blitzkreig tasks.
The
origins of the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka date back to the late 1920's. That is when the
first dedicated dive bomber was developed by Junkers. It was
done is secrecy due to the restrictions placed on the production of
weapons by Germany as a condition of their surrender in World War I.
However,
realizing the value of a tactical support dive bomber, Germany went
ahead with full development program in the early 1930's.
Interestingly,
the first Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, a prototype that first flew on May 15, 1935,
was powered by a Rolls Royce Kestrel engine. It was an
instant success.
Production
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka aircraft differed from the prototypes in that they were
equipped with dive brakes. A more powerful Junkers Jumo replaced the
Rolls Royce engine. These aircraft saw action starting in 1937 over
Spain during the Spanish Civil War.
As
a result of combat experience, the Ju 87 Stuka was further modified with an
automatic dive control system, enabling the pilot to predetermine the
pull out altitude of a dive. More powerful engines and additional
armor for crew protection were also added to the aircraft.
The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka pictured above was introduced in early 1942. It was equipped with two 37 mm
cannons for use against tanks, primarily on the Eastern Front.
Other Ju 87 Stukas were used against ground forces in night
operations.
Although
a successful dive bomber, the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka was an easy, slow target for
modern fighter aircraft. They had large losses in their attacks
against England. It was far more successful when the Luftwaffe
initially had air superiority in places like North Africa and the
Eastern Front.
A total of about 5,700 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka aircraft of all types were produced.