[edNorth]

Hi Graham

Well. Yes you may have a point there. I´m perhaps not the best person to explain this in detail. An qualified engineer likely could do better. But if you extend the wing you get higher ´aspect ratio´ - then ´smaller in velocity wingtip wortices´ and hence less drag flying at an high angle of attack, such as flying near Vmc just after take off - or thus flying at lesser angle of attack creates the same amount of lift - Then yes losing power on the ´critcal engine´ <the left engine> flying at below Vmc will lead to disaster - but solution to that is reducing the power on the good engine, pushing the stick forward to pick up speed and control is <hopefully> regained (but with small or large sink-rate). If too low altitude an controlled crash may result!

The quotation on lower Vmc I saw somewhere but may be confusion to lowering the wingloading and or lowering the stall speed. Anyway I would have extended the original Ju 88 A-1 wings on account of ´lesser drag/greater range/more payload and likely better manoverability with more effective inset-ailerons.

Having surveyed Ju 88 losses it indeed comes to light ´very high rate of belly-landings due to engine failures´. So If you had lost the critical engine a Ju 88 you might have been trained to land wheels up, rather than to lower the wheels and thus creating greater drag and stalling on final approach.

Anyway I have never flown an Ju 88 but I have limited twin-flying experience on light-twins; once actually landing with an ´dead´ engine...

... and yes the fin and rudder was indeed enlarged on the Ju 188 E & Ju 88 G.

cheers
edNorth