WW2 Aircraft

Junkers Ju 188 — WW2 German Bomber

Engine, Dimensions, Weights, Performance, Armament, Payload

Overview

Junkers Ju 188 was a German high-performance bomber built during World War 2, the planned follow-on to the famed Ju 88 with better performance and payload. It was produced only in limited numbers, due both to the presence of improved versions of the Ju 88, as well as the deteriorating war condition and the resulting focus on fighter production.

Specifications

General Data

OriginJunkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke AG
ModelsJu 188A, D, E
CrewFive
Number Produced1,130

Engines

  • Ju 188A & D: Junkers Jumo 213A, 12-cylinder inverted liquid-cooled vee, 1,776 hp (two)
  • Ju 188E: BMW 801G-2, 18-cylinder two-row radials, 1,700 hp (two)

Dimensions & Weights

  • Wing span: 72 ft 2 in (22 m)
  • Length: 49 ft 1 in (14.96 m)
  • Height: 14 ft 7 in (4.44 m)
  • Empty (Ju 188E-1): 21,825 lb (9,900 kg)
  • Loaded (Ju 188A & D): 33,730 lb (15,300 kg)

Performance

  • Ju 188A: 325 mph at 20,500 ft; ceiling 33,000 ft
  • Ju 188D: 350 mph at 27,000 ft; ceiling 36,090 ft
  • Ju 188E: 310 mph at 19,685 ft; ceiling 31,170 ft
  • Range (3,300 lb bomb load): 1,360 miles (2,160 km)

Armament & Payload

  • 1 × 20mm MG 151/20 cannon in nose
  • 1 × 13mm MG 131 in dorsal turret
  • 1 × 13mm MG 131 rear dorsal
  • 1 × 13mm MG 131 or twin 7.92mm MG 81 rear ventral
  • Payload: 6,614 lb (3,000 kg) bombs internally or two 2,200 lb torpedoes

Development

The prototype Ju 88-B V1 flew for the first time with 801A/B engines in early 1940. The fuselage was identical to the Ju 88 A-1. With the extra power of 1,560 PS, the design could carry considerably more load than the small bomb bay could fit.

During the summer, a pre-production run of 10 Ju 88 B-0 based on pre-production Ju 88 A-4 airframes were delivered. The A-4 used a longer wing for better altitude performance. Service tests were all successful, and the pilots generally lauded the new cockpit design.

Ju 188 Production

By 1942, it was becoming clear that the Ju 288 was not going to be ready any time soon, and the Ju 88s were increasingly at the mercy of a rapidly-improving RAF and Soviet VVS. The RLM finally decided that even the small gains in performance were worth considering, and asked Junkers for a series of upgrades as the Ju 188.

Several airframes were modified with additional guns and tested for various configurations. Two airframes had their engines and outer wings removed to act as testbeds for water ditching.