Junkers Ju 87 Stuka
 Ju 87Ds in October 1943. Photo: PK-Kriegsberichter Karnerth, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
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| Make | Junkers |
|---|---|
| Model | Junkers Ju 87 Stuka |
| Type | Dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft |
| Country |  Nazi Germany
|
| First flight | 17 September 1935
|
| Number built | about 6,000 |
| Seats | 2 |
| Engine | Junkers Jumo 211J, 1400 hp |
| Cruise speed | 198 mph (Ju 87D-1) |
| Range | 954 mi (Ju 87D-1) |
| Service ceiling | 24,000 ft (Ju 87D-1) |
| Max weight | 14,550 lb (Ju 87D-1)
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| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Junkers Ju 87, better known as the Stuka, is a German dive bomber and ground-attack airplane designed by Hermann Pohlmann. It first flew in 1935 and served throughout World War II.[1] It is easy to recognize by its bent "inverted gull" wings and fixed landing gear in streamlined covers. About 6,000 were built.[1] None are on the U.S. civil register.[2]
History
Pohlmann believed a dive bomber should be simple and tough, so he dropped retractable landing gear in favor of the Stuka's fixed, covered wheels.[1] Automatic dive brakes under the wings pulled the airplane out of its dive even if the pilot blacked out from the g-forces.[1] Sirens on the landing gear legs, officially a "noise device", also told the pilot his speed.[1]
The Stuka first saw combat with the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War in 1937.[1] It was accurate and effective against ground targets early in World War II, but like other dive bombers of the time it was easy prey for fighters. In the Battle of Britain it needed a heavy fighter escort.[1]
Specifications (Ju 87D-1)
| Item | Ju 87D-1 |
|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
| Length | 37 ft 8.75 in |
| Wingspan | 45 ft 3.5 in |
| Height | 12 ft 9.25 in |
| Wing area | 343.37 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 8,598 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 14,550 lb |
| Engine | Junkers Jumo 211J, 1400 hp (V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine) |
| Propeller | Junkers constant-speed propeller |
| Maximum speed | 255 mph |
| Cruise speed | 198 mph |
| Range | 954 mi |
| Service ceiling | 24,000 ft |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Three German Junkers Ju 87A dive bombers. Photo: Luftwaffe, Public domain -
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. Photo: Stocker, Dr., CC BY-SA 3.0 de -
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. Photo: Seuffert, CC BY-SA 3.0 de -
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. Photo: Seuffert, CC BY-SA 3.0 de -
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. Photo: Hoffmann, Heinrich, CC BY-SA 3.0 de -
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. Photo: Richard Opitz, CC BY-SA 3.0 de -
w:Junkers Ju 87 with its inverted gull wings. Photo: Dapi89 (talk), Public domain -
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. Photo: see the file page on Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Wikipedia, "Junkers Ju 87", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.