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Junkers J.I

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J.I
Type Observation and ground attack
Manufacturer Junkers
Designed by Otto Mader
Maiden flight early 1917
Status Retired
Primary user Luftstreitkräfte
Number built 227

The Junkers J.I (manufacturer's designation J4, not to be confused with the earlier, pioneering Junkers J 1 all-metal monoplane of 1915/16) was a German sesquiplane format warplane of World War I, developed for low-level observation and ground attack. It is especially noteworthy as being the first all-metal aircraft to enter mass production. It was a slow aircraft, but its metal construction and heavy armour, which comprised an extremely advanced, single-unit armored "bathtub" that ran from just behind the propeller, to the rear crew position, and acted both as the main fuselage structure and engine mounting setup in one unit, was an effective shield against anti-aircraft defensive fire.

Development

File:Junkers J1.JPG
The only surviving Junkers J.I

The experimental developments were interrupted by the breakout of WWI in August 1914. In May 1915 Junkers achieved a test order for the further development of his all metal aircraft by the German War Ministry, when delegates of this Ministry visited the Dessau "Jco" (Junkers Company) plants. In September 1915, the production of the Junkers J 1 pioneering all-metal monoplane prototype began at Dessau and at the beginning of December 1915 the first Junkers aircraft was finished.

The armored "bathtub" concept of the J.I, because Hugo Junkers had to move his aircraft manufacturing equipment out of Germany into the Soviet Union during the 1920s, could have been noticed by Sergei Ilyushin and remembered by him, when his design bureau worked on the similarly-equipped Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik Soviet ground attack aircraft of World War II. [citation needed]

Operational history

It was well-liked by its crews, although its ponderous performance earned it the nickname "Furniture Van". They were used on the Western Front during the Kaiserschlacht of March 1918. There were 227 J.Is manufactured during the war.

Operators

Template:Country data German Empire

Survivors

Only one aircraft survived, bearing German military serial number J.I 586/17 and preserved at the Canada Aviation Museum in Ottawa.

Specifications

Template:Aerospecs

References

  • Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 538. 
  • Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919, p. 320a-321a
  • World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, File 898 Sheet 01. 
  • Junkers J1 at the Canada Aviation Museum


See also

Comparable aircraft
AEG J.I - AEG J.II - Albatros J.I - Albatros J.II Designation sequence

See also

Template:Idflieg J-class designations

Template:Aircraft-stub

de:Junkers J 4 fr:Junkers J.I pl:Junkers J 4


This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Junkers J.I".