Junkers Ju 290

Junkers Ju 290
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Type	Maritime Patrol
Manufacturer	Junkers
Maiden flight	July 16 1942 (Ju 290 V1)
Introduced	August 1942
Status	retired
Primary users	Luftwaffe Spain (Post war).

The Junkers Ju 290 was a long-range transport, maritime patrol aircraft and bomber used by the Luftwaffe late in World War II. The Ju-290 was the forerunner of the subsequent transatlantic civil aircraft.

Design and development

The Junkers 290 was a direct development of the Junkers Ju 90 airliner, versions of which had been evaluated for military purposes. By 1941, two further prototype militarised Ju 90s were deemed to be different enough from their predecessors to warrant a new designation. These flew in mid 1942 and were quickly accepted into service and the type ordered into production. Two Ju 290 A-0 pre-production aircraft, plus five Ju 290 A-1 production aircraft, were completed as heavy transports, equipped with loading ramps in their tails and defensive gun turrets. Some of these aircraft participated in the Stalingrad Airlift in December 1942.

Production lines were set up at the Letov factory in Prague for the combat versions of the aircraft, commencing with the Ju 290 A-2, which carried a search radar for its patrol role. Minor changes in armament distinguished the A-3 and A-4, leading to the definitive A-5 variant. The A-6 was a 50-passenger transport aircraft.

Operational history

File:Ju290.jpg

Junkers Ju 290

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A Junkers Ju 290 in U.S. markings after the war

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Rear view with extended ramp

The German army encountered the problem of maintaining supplies in sufficient quantities to the combat units in Russia during the winter of 1941. The only immediate solution was the development of available 4-engined Junkers Ju 90 civilian airliners into a larger and more up-to-date military transport under the designation Ju 290 A. Equipped with loading ramps in their tails and defensive gun turrets, the first five production aircraft as well as two prototype aircraft participated in the Stalingrad Airlift.

Meanwhile, the necessity of a long-range maritime reconnaissance airplane of long reach became indispensable to maintain adequate surveillance of the allied convoys. The Ju 290 A-2 carried search radar; the 200 FuG Hohentwiel, had a range of over 3,000 km and could remain airborne for over 20 hours. For its patrol role it was well-equipped and was soon replacing Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors. Minor changes in armament distinguished the A-3 and A-4, leading to the definitive A-5 variant that introduced a system of self sealing fuel tanks and better shielding for the crew cabin. Only 65 were built, as bombers, long-range reconnaissance aircraft, and transports but there were never more than 20 in service at any given time. The first series of aircraft were painted RLM 65/70/71 and any aircraft used in Naval recon were painted in RLM 65/72/73.

The later versions of the aircraft had exhibited very promising characteristics though, with ever-increasing range and heavier armament, including the capability to carry the various guided anti-shipping missiles under development. Three Ju 290s, carrying extra fuel tanks, made a non-stop flight to Manchuria to exchange technical data with the Japanese. They returned with rare metals needed by Germany for special alloys. According to historian Horst Zöller, a postwar German newspaper article in the 1950s reported that three Ju 290 aircraft were converted to civilian airframes with extra fuel capacity and these were transferred to Deutsche Lufthansa (DLH) during the war. These aircraft flew from Bulgaria to Yin-ch'uan also known as Ninghsia, which is 540nm west of Beijing. (Remark by Horst Zoeller: These Flights were planned and were even under work, but they were not performed until the end of WWII).

A Ju 290 A-9, number 0185, unit was prepared as a personal transport for Adolf Hitler. It had a pressurized cabin and was designed to seat 50. This aircraft flew with the I/KG200 from Finsterwalde and made one flight to Barcelona (Spain) 23 April, 1945 under the command of the Captain Braun, first commander of LTS 290.

The "long legs" of the Ju 290 made it an excellent candidate for the Amerika Bomber project, and prototypes of an even longer-range version were ordered as the Junkers Ju 390. As Germany lost access to the ocean, their role soon evaporated. By October 1944 all production was stopped.

A number of Ju 290s survived the war. The Allies evaluated at least three. The US received an A-4, Wk. Nr. 0165, with a bulbous nose from Letov/Prague and the FuG 203 from Dornier and had been used on night operations. This airframe had its lower surfaces painted black. The British also received two for evaluation. An A-5, number 0178, was acquired by the Spanish and used as a government transport of personnel for the Superior School of Flight in Salamanca. It was retired from service due to an accident in the mid 1950’s.

One final Ju 290 was built by Letov after the war, utilising parts intended for the Ju 290 B-1 high-altitude prototype. It was completed as an airliner, designated Letov L.290 Orel.

Operators

Template:CZS

• České aerolinie operated one aircraft postwar as Letov L.290 Orel.

Template:Country data Nazi Germany

• Luftwaffe
• Deutsche Lufthansa

Template:Country data Spain Spanish State

• Spanish Air Force operated 1 ex-Luftwaffe aircraft postwar.