Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the most famous Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) on World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull-wings and fixed undercarriage.

The Stuka's design included some innovative features, including an automatic pull-up system to ensure that the plane recovered from its attack dive even if the pilot blacked out from the high acceleration, and wind-powered sirens on the wheel covers that wailed during dives to scare its victims. (A similar technique is shown in the movie Apocalypse Now.)

The Stuka was sturdy, accurate, and very effective, but also slow, unmaneuverable, underarmed, and vulnerable to enemy fighters. The Germans learned in the Battle of Britain that air superiority must be obtained before ground attack aircraft could be effectively used. After the Battle of Britain, the Stuka was little used in western Europe, but it remained effective further south where Allied fighters were in short supply (notably in the attacks on Crete and Malta, and was used in vast numbers on the Eastern Front, although the steady rise in Soviet airpower as the war progressed meant that Stuka squadrons suffered very heavy losses.

Over 5700 Stukas were built.

General Characteristics

(Models not listed include the Ju.87C, intended for use on the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, the Ju.87R long-range version of the Ju.87B, the Ju.87C naval derivative of the Ju.87B, the Ju.87H disarmed versions of the equivalent D-models for use as trainers, and the Ju.87K export models.)

Type:	Ju.87A-1	Ju.87B-1	Ju.87D-1	Ju.87G-1
Purpose:	prototype	ground attack	improved ground attack	anti-tank
Engine:	640hp Junkers Jumo 210D	1200hp Junkers Jumo 211A	1300hp Junkers Jumo 211J	1300hp Junkers Jumo 211J
Wing Span:	13.0m	13.2m	13.8m	13.8m
Length:	10.8m	11.0m	11.0m	11.0m
Height:	3.90m	3.77m	3.77m	3.77m
Wing Area:	30.00m²	31.90m²	31.90m²	31.90m²
Empty Weight:	2273kg	2760kg	2810kg	3600kg
Maximum weight:	3324kg	4400kg	5720kg	5100kg
Maximum Speed:	320km/h	350km/h	354km/h	344km/h
Dive Speed:	550km/h	600km/h	600km/h
Ceiling:	9430m	8100m	9000m	7500m
Climb:		3000m in 8.8min	3000m in 14min	3000m in 13.6min
Range:	995km	800km	1165km	1000km
Forward Armament:	1×7.9mm MG17	2×7.9mm MG17	2×7.9mm MG17	2×37mm BK3,7
Rear Armament:	1×7.9mm MG15	1×7.9mm MG15	2×7.9mm MG81Z	2×7.9mm MG81Z
Bomb Load:	500kg	1000kg	1600kg	none