Quote:
Originally Posted by Braspeerd
Hey all,
Just 'discovered' this forum on the net. Am looking for more info on the Ju 290 A 1-5 (?), as a transport plane,that is. Information i seek is: appearanceof the plane, camo scheme, kampfgruppe and identification codes.Hope one ofyoucan helpme out.
Grtz,
Braspeerd
|
The Ju 290 began with the Ju90 based upon the Urals bomber.
At prototype V5 the wing changed it's shape.
At v7 the Ju-90 got wider span wings and the Tappoklappe tail ramp. The V7 had eliptical tail fins. All prototype or early production Ju-90 can be differentiated from Ju-290 by their round fuselage portholes. Ju-290 had rectangular windows.
A series of Ju-90 prototypes were cancelled and used for conversion to Ju-390. When Ju-390 production ceased on 3 July 1944 for the Emergency Fighter Program, Junkers was paid compensation for seven Ju-390 airframes.
There was in addition a run of production Ju-90 Z2 for Deutsch Luft Hansa and Ju-90 Z3 for South African Airways (J900002 & J900004).
Ju-90 V11 (J900011) became Ju-290 V1 and Ju-90 V12 became Ju-290 V2 (werke nmr J2900001 & J900151 respectively). These were the first Ju-290 A1 up to J900156.
Ju-290 A2 ran from J900157 to J900159.
Ju-290 A3 ran from J900160 to J900164.
Ju-290 A4 ran from J900165 to J900169.
Ju-290 A5 ran from J900170 to J900180.
Hitler's aircraft was the A6 which is reported to have escaped to spain at war's end flying from Finsterwalde.
Ju-290 A7 ran from J900181 to J900196, however two J900182 and J900183 were stripped of gun turrets, given extra fuel tanks and re-engined with BMW 801E engines for clandestine flights deep inside the soviet union and perhaps also to Manchuria. These two were redesignated as Ju-290 A9.
The A8 were J900212 and J900213. the latter was flown as the Letov L.290 Oriel after the war.