Ju 290 transport

[Propellerhead]

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.