Ju 288E (C)

Ghostmaxi · April 21, 2025, 2:43pm

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I would like to suggest the Ju 288E based on modified Ju 288 C (which is already in game, from the perspectife of similar flight performance). The name is semi historic, they are known under it, however the modified Ju 288 B and C didnt go under a another official designation for their modification.
I suggest it based on Ju 288 C, while also 5 on the B existed, the C which is also in game is simply better.

Overall it is a modification for nightfighting and ground attack, exchanging the bombs and most defensive armarment for 1x autoloaded 5 cm Bk 5 (22 rounds) and 2x 3 cm Mk 103 and only the Mg 131Z in the top turret (or at least thats the aparently only defensive armarment seen on the picture).

History: With the ever more threatening russian tank army moving against the german attacks the call for more CAS was needed. While beeing more cost effective and having more potential per flight than bombs, cannons on planes are not easy to implement (big ones) so strong carrier planes were equiped with cannons from 37mm to 88mm of the types Ju 87, 88, Me 410, and Hs 129.

The Ju 88 P series was more or less effective, planned to fight tanks and Bombers, the results werent that good, because the guns with the gun gondolas made them slow and a nice target for enemy fighters and ground units.
Never the less the P series was used as Ground striker with overall good effect.
Other aircraft also as night fighters, but the Ju 88 was seen as too slow, as such after the termination of the test programm, a bunch of the build Ju 288 B and C, 5 B and more C were modified with Ju 88 P-4 gunpods, as well as a new cockpit with eclosed front and armor with 2x Mk 103 cannons. The crew was reduced to 2. The pilot and the top back gunner with the MG 131Z.

Overall the results are pretty much unknown, however cince the base variant is faster and more powerfull, its safe to assume, that it would have worked much better in both ground and air roles, especially with the increased offensive armarment.

Overall the cockpit will be similary armored to the Ju 88 P-4 (or in game C-6, tho its also still missing a front plate) and an autoloaded Bk 5 with 22 rounds.

Generally it looks like that they took the Ju 88 P armored cockpit and a down sized gondola and mounted them on the Ju 288 basically.

In game it would offer a good ground strike plane with great firepower in the Mid BR range, that combines armor, fire power and unlike my other similar suggestions also speed. The main firepower against tanks medium to heavy will be the BK 5 which is a relatively rare aircraft gun, only found in game on the Me 410 /U4 series and some other planes not yet in game, overall while more similar to the Ju 88 P-4, it will play similar (but stronger) to the Me 410 B-2/U4, with more armor, more firepower (exchanging the 2x Mg 151/20 for MK 103) and simiar defensive armarment of 2x Mg 131 / Mg 131Z.

Pictures: (Click to show)

Cince i only know of 1 photo, i add the Ju 88 P-4 too, which better shows the almost identical gun pod, which on the Ju 288E appears to be downsized.

The weight is unknown, i write the standart Ju 288 C stats, as overall they are similar, while it has less defensive armarment, it has more armor and the forward armarment.

Flight performance:

Max speed at 6,000 m 630 km/h
Rate of Climb 11.4 m/s
Turn time 30.7 s
Max altitude 11,000 m
Takeoff Run 1,500 m

General characteristics:

Crew 2 persons
Gross weight18.6 t
Engine2 x Daimler-Benz DB-610
Length 18.1 m
Wingspan 23 m

Limits:

Max Speed Limit (IAS) 675 km/h
Mach Number Limit 0.8 M
Flat Speed Limit (IAS) 280 km/h
Gear Speed Limit (IAS) 310 km/h

Armarment:

1x 5 cm Bk 5 (22 rounds, autoloaded.)

50mm Bk 5 (More info and ammo)

Pictures:(Click to show)

Bk-5

The Bk 5 is a modified KwK 39 L/60, as far as i can tell, Bk 5 not just refers to the autolader and gun, but the gun alone as well, as they were used without loader on the ground as well as in 1 Ju 88 P-4.
It is also the basis for the Mk 214A.

Caliber: 50mm

Ammo: 50x420mm

Fire Rate: 50 rpm

Muzzle velocity: 835-920 m/s

Weight: 504kg

Ammo Types: Apc, Apcr, HeI, HeI (m) and HeI-T (m) (Sd.)

Ap:

Pzgr.39 (APC) 2,06 kg 835m/s 17g Np.10 106mm/10m

Pzgr.40 (Apcr) 0,925 kg 21x75mm 335g core 1180-1200m/s 139-142mm/10m

(Yes the drawing sayes 0,9kg, however pretty much all captured stock and other german sources say 0,925kg with 1180m/s. And British, USA and Russian Source shows 1200m/s, German velocitys are for mid life barrles.)

He:

Sprgr.38 (HEI) 1,82-1,86 kg 250g HTA & 12g Pent 870m/s (May be different from ground version)

Minengeschoss:

M-Gesch. L'Spur m.Zerl. (HeI-T (m) Sd.) 1,52 kg 335-337g HTA & 12-15g Pent (420g TnTa) 920m/s

M-Gesch. o'Spur m/o.Zerl (HeI (m) With and without Sd.) 1,56 kg 350g HTA (420g TnTa) 920m/s

2x 3 cm Mk 103 (200 rounds.)

30mm Mk 103 (More info and ammo)

Pictures:(Click to show)

Caliber: 30mm

Ammo: 30x184mmB Rheinmetall (Electrically fired)

Fire Rate: 450 rpm (Syncronized)

Beltfed depending on mounting 75-120 rpg

Muzzle velocity: (700) 800-960 m/s

Weight: 105kg

Ammo Types: Ap-I, Aphe-T, Apihecbc-T, HVAP-T, He-T, He

Similar principal to the Mg 151/20

Ammo Types: Ap-I, Aphe-T, Apihecbc-T, HVAP-T, He-T, He

Similar principal to the Mg 151/20

AP:

Pzbrgr. (E.) o.Zerl. (Ap-I) 0,5kg 725m/s 50mm/10m

Note: Used against Trading ships and other light War Vehicles/Vessels. Contains a 9g Thermite filling.
After penetrating 6mm of Ship construction steel, over a path of 2m it ejects the Thermite (Elektron) filling, multiple penetrations create a permament fire source.

Pzsprgr. L`Spur. o.Zerl. (Aphe-T) 0,5kg 725m/s 14g Pent (23,8g) 50mm/10m

43mm/10m, by calculator with filler, however is the same shell as the AP-I with same penetration.
Note: Primary against Iron/Steel protected or armored Ground targets.
5mm Fuze Sensitivity and 0,75m (+/-0,25m) Fuze Delay.
2 Versions existed with different Bottum Fuzes (BdZ. 1583 and BdZ. 1584) with 500g or 530g weight (resulting also in a 25m/s velocity difference)
Was later replaced by the Pzbrsprgr. L’Spur as it was ligher (reducing wear), offered increased penetration and double effect of HE and Incendary instead of only He.)
(Like the ammo of the Mg 151/20 this is build like the Pzbrgr but with Pent filling and a Bottomfuze instead of Thermite filling.)

Pzbrsprgr. L`Spur. o.Zerl. (ApI-T / ApheIcbc-T) 0,455kg 800m/s 5,2g Pent (8,84g) 58mm/10m

Note: Against Iron/Steel protected and Armored ground targets. Against Locomotives and heavily armored Planes. Was to replace the Pzsprgr. L’Spur.
Apcbc round. 5mm Fuze sensitivity and 0,75m +/- 0,25m Fuze Delay.

H-Pzgr. L`Spur. o.Zerl. (HVAP-T) 0,356kg 960m/s 16mm 231g core 81mm/10m

Note: Only against Heavily armored Tanks. The Al-Mg-Cu Alloy Carrier has an incendary effect upon melting on impact.

Fig347_12
Fig347_11

He:

Sprgr. L`Spur. o.Zerl. (He-T) 0,44kg 800m/s 27g Pent (45,9g)

Note: Against Air and Ground Targets. Fully replaced by the M-Geschoss L’Spur o.Zerl.
(Later also with reduced charge of 750m/s to increase gun life.)

Minengeschoss:

M-Gesch. Ausf.C L`Spur. o.Zerl. (Hei-T (m)) 0,33kg 900m/s 70g HTA 5g Pent (92,5g)

Note: Against Air and Ground Targets. Fully replaced the Sprgr. L’Spur.
(Also with reduced wear charge of 860m/s.)
(I couldnt find the normal one, so instead the Üb. versions, along with the full drawing.)
Screenshot 2024-04-25 180000