Junkers Ju 87 “STUKA” 3365 withcivilregistra He 50A,thefirst purpose- shown ispowered bya Siemens Sh20engine. Side view ofK48,W.Nr. built Germandive bomber. tion D-2012.Theexample via R. Michulec. via R. Michulec. - design andmanufacture. to freedom greater enabled undoubtedly manufacturers German for orders agreement were finalised in 1930, and the following year the prototype Heinkel this as ordersuch an was aviation,it military advanceand technologyof the amount about producing a successful dive bomber. During this period, a gradual another 12, ordered by China, later retained by the the by retained later China, by ordered 12, another F8C ‘Helldiver’. Heinkel designed a two-seat biplane of mixed wood and steel equipped ten units and was the basis of basis the was and units ten equipped powers to German rearmament in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Overseas 1930s. early and 1920s late the in rearmament German to powers He 50 flew. The IJN secured the rights to build the aircraft as the Aichi D1A. A second prototype was exhibited for the German armed services in 1932, and 1932, in services armed German the forexhibited prototypewas second sioned Heinkel to develop such an aircraft to rival US designs such as the Curtiss internationalthe in situationshift political gave manufacturersGerman more freedom to develop military aircraft. The calculated erosion of Versailles Treaty this type impressed the German government enough to order 60 in 1933 split the of terms The Jupiterradial. licence-built a by poweredconstruction tube that led to the Heinkel He 50, regarded as the first true dive bomber of German terms by Germany accompanied a more acquiescent attitude among European become impressed with the possibilities offered by dive bombing, and commis between Heinkel and Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (later Messerschmitt) with with Messerschmitt) (later Flugzeugwerke Bayerische and Heinkel between The Imperial Japanese Navy had, like many armed forces around the world, Junkerstaught undoubtedlyvast and a 1933 until Testslasted A48 the of Luftwaffe dive bombing. It was later was divebombing.It Luftwaffe . This aircraft aircraft This . - 38 Junkers Ju 87 “STUKA” Africa. Notethetropical Ju 87 filter. R-2 trop of4./St.G2, Stratus coll.  These began to be deliveredbeganbe These to the to 60 hours intropical versions. of sand and dust, the Jumo 211D’s period for routine inspection was halved to with the modifications to protect the aircraft’s vital systems from the ravagesfromthe systems aircraft’s protectvital the modificationsto the with produced were tropical versions of the definitive R-4 long range Ju 87. Even 87. Jurange long R-4 definitive the of versions tropical wereproduced special letteron17December940toremind that “tp”was thecorrect abbreviation. RLMofficials, irritated bythecommonapplication ofthe“trop” designator, issueda used. Nobody seemedtobother, though,andthe“trop” suffixcontinuedtobecommonly Tropical versions African and Mediterranean theatres. Examples of of Examples theatres. Mediterranean and African Testing Command). This aircraft was designated designated was aircraft This Command). Testing commonly distinguished by the suffix ‘trop’ a dedicated Ju 87 and was possiblywas and attemptan produceto dedicateda angular carburettor intake. and guns. Externally these aircraft only differed from R-5, probably a Ju 87 Juprobably a R-5, sand affecting the radiator,affectingthe sand carburettor, racksbomb standardrangelong and JuNorth the forin 87s use initially created by converting existing types at the the at types existing converting by created initially in April April in Stuttgart-Sud plants (an operation that took 2-3 days), modified for hot climates were carried out at Rechlin climates hot for modified werevariants 87 Ju most tropical Stuka. While 240 tropical versions were were versions tropical 240 While Stuka. tropical were machines these and careers, their throughout their non-tropical equivalents in the larger and more preventto filters chieflyof dustand consisted tions by the Tropen Erprobungs Kommando (Tropics (Tropics Kommando Erprobungs Tropen the by A number of Stuka variants were developed from In early 1 Luftwaffe 94 194 tests with Junkers Ju 87 W.Nr. 5786 1 at Paderborn and Mönchengladbach. and Paderbornat

R trop was later put into production in May,26 in the of six but all and R-2 or R-4 suitably converted,suitably R-4 or R-2  . Altera - 58 Junkers Ju 87 “STUKA” 1/72 scale. These appear to be earlier model Ju 87 Ju 87 were set up as earlyas MarchwereJuup as some set and 87 1942 D-3/N andD-5/N(Nfor Nacht). retrofittedmodificationsbeen night as werewhichhad the known D-5s with fitted. However, the modification programme was a rolling one with developfitted.with However,one rolling modificationa programmethe was more accurate assessment offor heightaltimeter radio at 101 FuG night. the Later with fitted D-5/Nwere aircraft Stukassome removed and were apparently ments added to aircraft in service as they became available. Air brakes were often units to replace the obsolete biplanes they had previously been equipped with. In fact, special night squadrons known as Nachtschlachtgruppen (NSGrn) D-7. Ds with wing MG 17 machine guns still Ds wereDs delivered these to 1/72 scale. Ju 87 D-8. - 78 Junkers Ju 87 “STUKA” W.Nr. 429of3./St.G2, on theway back from a Right: ApairofJu87 Rear view oftheJu87 Below: Ju87 spring 1940. St.G 51,inflight.Aircraft in wintercamouflage. mission. via R. Michulec. via R. Michulec. B-1 (early) B of B-1, cowling. Detailsofthe exhaust are visible. Port sideoftheengine exhaust aswas usedon Details oftheengine engine cowling, Ju87 supercharger airintake with tropical filter. Note alsodetailsofthe Starboard sideofthe late D-3andD-5. All photosStratus coll. D/G. 111 Junkers Ju 87 “STUKA” Ju 87B-1, of 2./St.G 1, France, summer 1940. Personal aircraft of Staffelkapitän Hptm. Peter Gassmann. Aircraft in standard Ju 87B camouflage.

Ju 87B-1, of 4./St.G 2. Aircraft in standard JuB 87camouflage. 127 Junkers Ju 87 “STUKA”