About This Content
The Junker Ju87 ‘Stuka’ is a remarkable aircraft. The aircraft first took to the air in 1935 after being conceived as a two-seater dive bomber. Operated by a pilot and tail gunner, the aircraft quickly gained a fearsome reputation, making its combat debut in the Spanish Civil war of 1936 as part of the Luftwaffe ‘Condor Legion’.
The aircraft is easily recognisable, with its unique wing shape and splayed undercarriage. Yet the aircraft is probably more recognisable for its ‘wailing banshee’ siren as the aircraft dives into an attack. Referred to as the Horn of Jericho, this sound has become synonymous with the Stuka.
Another notable feature of the aircraft are the dive brakes –a unique under-wing braking system which slowed the aircraft in a dive. That being said, the aircraft would still accelerate from its cruise speed of 240mph to 400mph in the dive, pushing the limits of the aircraft design, with the pilot descending at near vertical 80 to 90 degree pitch angle!
Features
- Authentic dive siren
- Cockpit floor window for diving and aiming
- Five paint schemes including desert and winter schemes
