Junkers Ju 86 | |
|---|---|
| Country | Nazi Germany |
| Role | Bomber, airliner, reconnaissance aircraft |
| First flight | 4 November 1934 |
| Built | 900 |
The Junkers Ju 86 was a German monoplane bomber and civilian airliner designed in the early 1930s, and employed by various air forces on both sides during World War II. The civilian model Ju 86B could carry ten passengers. Two were delivered to Swissair and five to Deutsche Luft Hansa. In addition a single civilian Ju 86Z was delivered to Sweden’s AB Aerotransport.
Source: Junkers Ju 86 on Wikipedia
| Junkers Ju 86 K-4 Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographer | Unknow |
| Localisation | Unknow |
| Photos | 20 |
See also:
A Tale of Two Engines
The Junkers Ju 86 K-4 represents a specific and successful export chapter of the Ju 86 family. While the standard German Luftwaffe versions were originally designed with the temperamental Jumo diesel engines, the K-4 (Export version for Sweden) utilized reliable air-cooled radial engines. Sold to Sweden and designated as the B 3, these aircraft proved significantly more dependable than their German counterparts and served as the backbone of the Swedish Air Force’s bomber fleet throughout the Second World War.
| Attribute | Standard Specification (Ju 86 K-4 / B 3) |
|---|---|
| Role | Medium Bomber / Reconnaissance |
| Crew | 4 (Pilot, Navigator/Bombardier, Radio Operator, Gunner) |
| First Flight (Series) | 1934 |
| Powerplant | 2 × Bristol Pegasus III or IX radial engines |
| Horsepower | 905 hp (675 kW) per engine |
| Maximum Speed | 350 km/h (217 mph) |
| Service Ceiling | 7,500 meters (24,600 ft) |
| Armament | 3 × 7.92 mm machine guns (Nose, Dorsal, Ventral) |
| Bomb Load | 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs) internally |
Design and Engineering: The Radial Shift
- The Move to Radials: Unlike the Ju 86A and D models used by Germany which suffered from diesel engine failures, the K-4 swapped the liquid-cooled Jumo diesels for Bristol Pegasus radials. This change required a redesign of the engine nacelles but vastly improved reliability and maintenance in cold climates.
- Dustpan Retractable Turret: The Ju 86 featured a unique ventral gunner’s station nicknamed the “dustpan.” This turret was lowered from the belly of the aircraft during combat to provide downward defense and retracted to reduce drag during cruising.
- Double-Wing (Doppelflügel): Like many Junkers designs (notably the Ju 52), the Ju 86 utilized the Junkers “double-wing” auxiliary flaps. These acted as separate control surfaces set just behind and below the trailing edge of the main wing, providing excellent low-speed lift and handling.
- All-Metal Smooth Skin: Moving away from the classic Junkers corrugated skin (seen on the Ju 52), the Ju 86 used a modern smooth duralumin stressed-skin construction to improve aerodynamics.
The Swedish Service (SAAB Era)
- License Production: Sweden was so impressed with the K-4 that the newly formed company SAAB was commissioned to build the aircraft under license. This was a foundational project for SAAB’s future as an aerospace giant.
- The “Long-Nosed” B 3C: Later Swedish versions (B 3C and B 3D) featured more powerful engines and a slightly modified airframe, remaining in service for transport and target-towing long after the war ended.
- Survivors: Because Sweden remained neutral, their Ju 86s were not destroyed in combat. The world’s only complete surviving Ju 86 is a Swedish-built K-4 (B 3C) preserved at the Swedish Air Force Museum in Linköping.
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