Junkers_Ju_86

Junkers Ju 86

The Junkers Ju 86 was a German monoplane bomber and civilian airliner designed in the early 1930s by Junkers. The civilian model Ju 86B could carry ten passengers; two were delivered to Swissair and five to Lufthansa. It was used by both sides in World War II. Furthermore a single civilian Ju 86Z was delivered to the Swedish AB Aerotransport.

Design and development

The Ju 86 was sold to airlines and air forces from several nations, including Bolivia, Chile, Hungary, Manchukuo, Portugal, the South African Air Force (SAAF), Spain, and Sweden. 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 engines. Several aircraft remained in service with the Swedish Air Force until 1958. A few were converted to SIGINT platforms.

Operational history

The bomber was field tested in the Spanish Civil War, where it proved inferior to the Heinkel He 111. Four Ju 86D-1 arrived in Spain in early February 1937, but after a few sorties one of them (coded 26-1) was shot down on 23 February by Republican fighters with the loss of 3 crewmen killed and 1 captured. A replacement plane was sent from Germany, but in the summer of 1937 another D-1 was lost in an accident, and the three remaining planes were sold to the Nationalist air forces. It was 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 wing span, pressurized cabin, Jumo 207A1 turbocharged 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 Allied fighters. The Westland Welkin and Yakovlev Yak-9PD were developed specifically to counter this threat.

No. 12 Squadron SAAF used Ju 86 bombers in the East African Campaign.

Satisfied with the newer version, 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a modified Spitfire V shot one down over Egypt at some 49,000 ft (14,500 m); when two more were lost, Ju 86Ps were withdrawn from service in 1943.

Junkers developed the Ju 86R for the Luftwaffe, using larger wings and new engines capable of even higher altitudes — up to 16,000 m (52,500 ft) — but production was limited to prototypes.

Survivors

Only one Junkers Ju 86 is known to exist. One of the 16 SAAB-built aircraft is on a permanent static display with the Flygvapenmuseum in Sweden today.