Junkers Ju 86

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_86

The Junkers Ju 86 was a German monoplane bomber and civilian airliner designed
in the early 1930s, and employed by various air forces on both sides during
World War II. The civilian model Ju 86B could carry ten passengers. Two were
delivered to Swissair and five to Deutsche Luft Hansa. In addition a single
civilian Ju 86Z was delivered to Sweden's AB Aerotransport.

In 1934, a specification for a modern twin-engined aircraft, capable of
operating both as a high-speed airliner for the German airline Luft Hansa and as
a medium bomber for the nascent Luftwaffe, was issued to both Junkers and
Heinkel. Five prototypes were ordered from each company; the Junkers Ju 86 and
Heinkel He 111.

Junkers' design was a low-winged twin-engined monoplane, of all-metal stressed
skin construction. Unlike most of Junkers' previous designs, it discarded the
typical corrugated skinning in favour of smooth metal skinning which helped to
reduce drag. The craft was fitted with a narrow track retractable-main gear
conventional undercarriage with a fixed tailwheel, and twin fins and rudders. It
was intended to be powered by Junkers Jumo 205 diesel engines, which although
heavy, gave better fuel consumption than conventional petrol engines.

The design featured the distinctive Junkersdoppelflügel control surfaces on the
wing, similar to those on the Junkers Ju 52. These were hinged below the wing's
trailing edge, with the outboard section on each side functioning as an aileron,
and the inner section functioning as a wing flap. The bomber aircraft had a crew
of four; a pilot, navigator, radio operator/bombardier and gunner. Defensive
armament consisted of three machine guns, situated at the nose; at a dorsal
position; and within a retractable ventral position. Bombs were carried
vertically in four fuselage cells behind the cockpit. The airliner version
replaced the bomb cells with seating for ten passengers, with fuel tanks being
moved from the fuselage to the wings.

Civil variants, introduced in 1936, were designated Ju 86Z in three different
models differing in their engines. The Jumo-engined Ju 86Z-1 (corresponding to
the former B-0 or C-1) was sold to Swissair (one), Airlines of Australia (one),
and LAN-Chile (three). The BMW 132H-powered Ju 86Z-2 was sold to DLH (two) and
the para-military Manchukuo Air Transport (five or more). The Pratt & Whitney
R-1690 Hornet-engined Ju 86Z-7 was delivered to AB Aerotransport (ABA) of Sweden
(one, for use as a mail carrier), Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (three), and South
African Airways - SAA - (17). The ABA aircraft was later transferred to the
Swedish Air Force, with which it served, under the designation Tp 9, until 1958.
South African Airways' original intention was to have its Ju 86s powered by 745
hp Rolls-Royce Kestrels. Six aircraft for SAA, flown with these engines, were
refitted with Hornets before delivery, and the remainder were also
Hornet-powered.

The Ju 86K was an export model, also built under license in Sweden by Saab as
the B 3 with (905 hp) Bristol Mercury XIX radial engines. Several aircraft
remained in service with the Swedish Air Force until 1958. A few were converted
to SIGINT platforms.


Role
Bomber, airliner, reconnaissance aircraft

Manufacturer
Junkers

Designer
Ernst Zindel

First flight
1934

Introduction
1936

Status
retired

Primary user
Luftwaffe

Number built
~900

The bomber was field-tested in the Spanish Civil War, where it proved inferior
to the He 111. Four Ju 86D-1s arrived in Spain in early February 1937, but after
a few sorties one of them was shot down on 23 February by Republican fighters
with the loss of three crewmen killed and one captured. A replacement aircraft
was sent from Germany, but in the summer of 1937 another was lost in an
accident, and the three remaining aircraft were sold to the Nationalist air
forces. Ju 86s were again used in the 1939 invasion of Poland, but retired soon
after. In January 1940, the Luftwaffe tested the prototype Ju 86P with a longer
wingspan, pressurized cabin, Junkers Jumo 207A-1 turbocharged two-stroke,
opposed-piston diesel engines and a two-man crew. The Ju 86P could fly at
heights of 12,000 m (39,000 ft) and higher on occasion, where it was felt to be
safe from enemy fighters. The British Westland Welkin and Soviet Yakovlev
Yak-9PD were developed specifically to counter this threat.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, South Africa's Ju 86Zs were militarised
and armed as bombers with defensive guns and external bomb racks. These aircraft
were initially used for coastal patrols along with the sole Ju 86K-1, playing an
important role in the interception of the German blockade runner SS Watussi in
December 1939. In May 1940, they were used to re-equip No. 12 Squadron SAAF,
which was deployed in the East African Campaign from June 1940. It flew its
first bombing missions on 14 June 1940. As more modern aircraft became
available, the South African Ju 86s were passed from squadron to squadron,
seeing their last use with No. 22 Squadron SAAF, which used it along with the
Avro Anson in the coastal reconnaissance role, finally retiring its Ju 86s in
September 1942.

Satisfied with the trials of the new Ju 86P prototype, the Luftwaffe ordered
that some 40 older-model bombers be converted to Ju 86P-1 high-altitude bombers
and Ju 86P-2 photo-reconnaissance aircraft. Those operated successfully for some
years over Britain, the Soviet Union and North Africa. In August 1942, a
modified Supermarine Spitfire V shot one down over Egypt at an altitude of some
14,500 m (49,000 t); when two more were lost, Ju 86Ps were withdrawn from
service in 1943.

Specifications (Ju 86 R-1)

General characteristics
Crew: 2 (pilot and radio operator)
Length: 16.46 m (54 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 32 m (105 ft 0 in)
Height: 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 97.06 m2 (1,044.7 sq ft)
Empty weight: 6,780 kg (14,947 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 11,530 kg (25,419 lb)
Fuel capacity: 1,937 l (512 US gal; 426 imp gal)
Powerplant: 2 × Junkers Jumo 207B-3 6-cylinder liquid-cooled 2-stroke
opposed-piston diesel engines, 750 kW (1,000 hp) each for take-off
560 kW (750 hp) at 12,000 m (40,000 ft) with GM-1 Nitrous Oxide
injectionPropellers: 4-bladed constant-speed propellers

Performance
Maximum speed: 420 km/h (260 mph, 230 kn) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft)
370 km/h (230 mph; 200 kn) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft)Cruise speed: 250 km/h (160
mph, 130 kn) at 13,700 m (44,900 ft)
Range: 1,750 km (1,090 mi, 940 nmi)
Endurance: 7 hours 10 minutes
Service ceiling: 14,400 m (47,200 ft)




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