Junkers Ju 290A-7 - From Luxury Airliner to Superbomber

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Junkers Ju 290A-7


Ju 290A-7 “Alles Kaputt” (All is Lost), known famously for setting the world record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean in July of 1945 with an American crew.

History and Background
The story of the Junker Ju 290 begins before the outbreak of World War II, all the way back in 1935. In the summer of said year, the companies Junkers and Dornier were given orders by the early Head of the Luftwaffe, Walter Wefer, to design a potential heavy bomber, which specifically was required to be capable of long-range missions, with the specifications stating that the aircraft needed to reach “from Scotland to the Russian Urals”. With the Junkers company’s previous work on the Ju 86, they knew exactly how to handle these demands. Soon after, Junkers would propose their brand new Ju 89 bomber to the Luftwaffe, which would make its maiden flight in December of 1936. However, with the sudden death of Walter Wefer in June of 1936, the project would be terminated soon after the construction of the first few prototypes, as the concept of the long-range bomber would fall out of Luftwaffe favor.

After the failure of the Ju 89, the German airliner company Lufthansa began to show interest in the project. Lufthansa requested a modified version of one of the original Ju 89 prototypes, with the specific requirements that one was to be converted to airliners capable of carrying at least 40 passengers plus additional luggage. The airliner also needed to be able to handle traveling a total of 2,000 kilometers to any needed destination. After eventually receiving these upgrades, the aircraft was re-designated to the Junkers Ju 90, which made its maiden flight in August of 1937. The Ju 90 was a luxury airliner, which some passengers would comment “had the amenities of a railway car”. Some of these luxuries would include full bathrooms and even a cloakroom. The Ju 90 also saw minor usage with the Luftwaffe as cargo aircraft, and were usually kept to back-line service.

The Ju 90 had one persistent issue however: the engines. The engines, being of the BMW 132H-1 model, were quite reliable, but severely lacked overall power. Time after time and year after year, the Ju 90’s engines were continually upgraded, until finally in 1942, the engines were replaced with BMW 801A engines, which had been previous regulated to specifically military aircraft. This modification was one fully designed under the military, which at last, granted the aircraft a new designation: the Junkers Ju 290. However, this post is not about the earlier versions of the Ju 290, and discussion shall go right into the topic, the A-7 variant.

The A-7 variant, first produced in spring of 1944, would be the most well-rounded modification of the aircraft, sporting higher firepower and a frontally-mounted defensive turret. This modification was designed as a maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and was to have four BMW 801D engines, providing a satisfactory speed for a heavy bomber. The A-7 variant allowed for the use of guided bombs, such as the Fritz X, which was not implemented onto any other version of the Ju 290. Originally, 20 of these aircraft were ordered, but only 13 were ever delivered to the Luftwaffe. According to one source, three examples of the Ju 290A-7 were fitted with with specialized bomb-bays designed to carry large-sized nuclear bombs, and were intended to be delivered to Japan to assist with their ongoing nuclear program. These aircraft never arrived in Japan however, and were captured by the Red Army in Bulgaria. This information could open up the possibility of the Ju 290A-7 being a sturdy nuclear aircraft for mid-tier Axis countries, providing an alternative to the current B-29 that every nation is given.

When the war ended in May of 1945, a large number of Ju 290 aircraft were captured by the allies. One of these aircraft, eventually nicknamed the “Alles Kaputt”, would become famous in July of 1945. Only two days after the surrender of Germany, a Ju 290A-7 would land at the American-occupied Munich-Riem airport, being piloted by a German pilot who was eager to surrender. The aircraft, after being surrendered, would fall into the hands of Colonel Harold E. Watson. After Watson had been taught the aircraft over the span of a few months, he decided to take his treasure back to the United States.

On July 28th, 1945, “Alles Kaputt” would depart from Paris, France, on a one-way journey to Wright Field, Ohio. Piloted by a fully-American crew of nine. After days of flight, the aircraft would finally reach the United States. “Alles Kaputt” became locally famous for being showcased at many different open-houses and airshows, but however, no museum ever showed interest in the aircraft, and by December of 1946, “Alles Kaputt” was scrapped. The unique aircraft and story would allow for a fabulous in-game camouflage.

Specifications

Spoiler

Crew: 9
Length: 29.15 m | 95.6 ft
Wingspan: 42.0 m | 137.8
Wing surface area: 203.6 m² | 2191.5 ft²
Height: 6.83 m | 22.4 ft
Empty weight: 33,005 kg | 72,764 lbs
Maximum weight: 45,400 kg | 101,413 lbs
Engine: x4 1,700 hp BMW 801D 14-Cylinder Radial
Top speed: 439 kph | 273 mph
Cruising Speed: 350 kph | 218 mph
Rate of Climb: 3 m/s | 591 ft/min

Armament

Spoiler

x1 forward-facing 20mm MG 151 cannon in rotating cabin
x1 forward-facing 20mm MG 151 cannon underneath cabin
x1 rearward-facing 13mm MG 131 machine gun underneath cabin
x1 roof-mounted frontal 20mm MG 151 cannon in rotating cabin
x1 roof-mounted rear 20mm MG 151 cannon in rotating cabin
x1 rearward-facing 20mm MG 151 cannon
x1 left-facing 20mm MG 151 cannon pointed outwards
x1 right-facing 20mm MG 151 cannon pointed outwards
Overall x7 20mm MG 151 cannons, and x1 MG 131 machine gun

Maximum bomb capacity of 3000 kg, or 3 Fritz X guides missiles.

Pictures and Drawings

Spoiler










Here also are some videos of the “Alles Kaputt” being showcased
Captured German and Japanese aircraft exposition in 1945
German Junkers JU-29 and US P-80 shown on Air Force Day at Wright Field in 1945

Sources

Spoiler

Luftwaffe Research Centre - Ju 290
Junkers Ju 290 and Ju 390 - Technical pages
Aviation of World War II - Ju 290
Aviastar - Ju 290
The Junkers 290 I: Actual Facts
The ups and downs of fate “Uralbomber” Junkers
jmodels.net - Junkers Ju 290
AviaDejaVu - Junkers Ju.290 Seeadler

Physical Sources:
Gunston, Bill. The Illustrated Directory of Fighting Aircraft of World War II. Salamander Books, 2002.
Pages 410-411

Regarding “Alles Kaputt” specifically:
Alles kaputt! A Junkers Ju 290A-7 crosses the Atlantic.
How the ‘celebrated’ Junkers Ju 290 “Alles Kaputt” went to America
German Ju 290 Was an Unusual Sight at U.S. Air Shows

8 Likes

That’s a lot of 20mm guns o_O

+1 would love to see this in game. Alles Kaputt decal too maybe lol

Good job in defeating gaijin by getting this Ju 290 A-7 suggestion approved since I have also been trying to do the same with my slightly superior suggestion since September 2023 with no results. Anyway, two questions:

1.) Do you mind if I add all my stuff to your topic? Done
2.) Will you also suggest the related Junkers Ju 290 A-8 as well?:

5 Likes

The Junkers Ju 290 A-7 was one of the final bomber models of the Ju 290 series. Equipped with the powerful BMW 801 engine, it was a development of the previous Junkers Ju 90 transport, which itself stemmed from the Junkers Ju 89 bomber. The decision to adapt the Ju 290 for maritime patrol had resulted from a demand from the Fliegerführer Atlantik for an aircraft with adequate endurance to reconnoiter far out over the Atlantic to accurately plot enemy convoys and assemble and marshal U-boat packs for favorable interception. The Focke Wulf Fw 200 was becoming increasingly vulnerable in this role with the steady improvement in the defensive capabilities of enemy convoys. The Ju 290 differed from its predecessors primarily in its engines, larger, more simplified wings, longer fuselage, new horizontal/vertical stabilizers, & greatly increased endurance. The Ju 290 featured a reinforced airframe, guided munitions, heavy firepower, radar, & a maximum speed of nearly 450 km/h. Armed with an MG 151 in the A, B, C1, F, & H-Stands (nose, dorsal, fwd gondola, side, & tail) and an MG 131 in the C2-Stand (rear gondola), its bomb load, carried externally on three ETC 2000 bomb racks, comprised of the following loads:

3 x 1,000 kg
2 x PC 1400X
3 x Hs 293
1 x Hs 294
2 x Hs 293

In War Thunder, the Ju 290 A-7 would be a 1944-1945 late war aircraft as the game’s only German maritime patrol bomber, the Fw 200 C-1, is completely out of place for late war maps or events/scenarios & completely inappropriate for this game. In fact, the Fw 200 C-1 should be removed & replaced by a proper Ju 290 A-7 & Fw 200 C-4, as the C-1 was nothing more than an unsuitable, rare, interim development or stopgap model which has absolutely no business being in this game. About 13 Ju 290 A-7 were produced throughout 1944 with an unknown number of components & mock-ups in various states of construction before the program was terminated. This suggestion is specifically for the Junkers Ju 290 A-7 bomber. Main features of the Ju 290 A-7 would be:

~450 km/h maximum speed
Powerful BMW 801
Trapoklappe
Reinforced airframe
Kehlkansel nose equipped with Kehl-Straßburg
Predominantly cannon armament
Improved armor protection
Ability to carry the Hs 293, Hs 294, & PC 1400X
Maximum bomb load of 3,000 kg

Some more information:

Sources/Manuals:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1853103640
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0883656663
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WAOUBI
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760722838
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1854094092
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764302973
https://www.amazon.fr/dp/3790904503
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1857800923

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0914144030
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1902109155
https://www.amazon.com/dp/3763760334
https://www.amazon.com/dp/3925505253
https://www.amazon.com/dp/3613012243
https://www.amazon.com/dp/3763754679
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1472831799
https://www.amazon.com/dp/147283982X
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1475140827

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1291292691
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KP17KPC
https://www.scribd.com/document/192777875/Flugzeug-Classic-Special-4
https://www.amazon.com/dp/3860708678
http://www.indianamilitary.org/FreemanAAF/Aircraft%20-%20German/FE%203400-Ju290A4/3400.htm
http://www.vrtulnik.cz/ww2/ju_290.htm

7 Likes

My guy, half the challenge of making a suggestion is finding the information, the other half is presenting it in a readable and digestible manner.

Infodumping 80+ pages of specs, diagrams and pictures in 3 different languages is not the way to go about it, and it definitely doesn’t make your suggestion superior to the original.

A very good suggestion can be written on one good primary or two good secondary sources.

13 Likes

Please for the love of god use spoilers

#this: [details=“Spoiler”]
This text will be hidden
[/details]

4 Likes

If you have trouble understanding all that information, then that is a problem on your end. I have always done my suggestions in this fashion which you can clearly see in my other topics:
Links:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

If you do not like this layout, then avert your eyes. These 80+ pages of specs, diagrams and pictures are intended for gaijin, not you. Gaijin has a deliberate and nasty tendency to omit ordnance, wing/external racks, & weapons, most especially on German bombers. No one wants gaijin’s incorrect interpretation (most recent offender: Zerstörer 45) of a “Junkers Ju 290 A-7” without its wing racks, armed only with a single SC 250 under the fuselage, equipped with incorrect or missing armament such as machine guns instead of MG 151/20 cannon & missing F-Stand weapons, or modeled with incorrect engines, weight, & performance. We already have garbage like that in the form of incorrect crap such as the Ju 87 D-3/5, Ju 88 A-4, He 111 H-6, He 111 H-16, He 115 C-1, Hs 129 B-2, Ho 229 V3, BV 238 V4, Me 264 V3, Ju 288 ‘C’, Me 410 A/B, Sd. Kfz. 251/10 and so on…

3 Likes

If you have trouble understanding all that information, then that might be a problem on your end. I have always done my suggestions using this layout which you can clearly see in my other topics:

Good job defeating gaijin by getting this suggestion for the Junkers Ju 290 A-7 approved since I have also been trying to do the same with my slightly superior suggestion since September 2023 with no results

Maybe if you tried a less infodumping approach you could get the suggestion passed without struggling for an entire year? Once you get the hang of the formatting that the mods want to see you can get suggestions approved first time no problem at all.

These 80+ pages of specs, diagrams and pictures are intended for gaijin, not you.

So tuck them away in a nicely foldered (hidden with spoilers tag) ‘sources’ section, so anybody who wants to peek at the technical details can, and those who aren’t as interested don’t have to scroll past 80 pages to get to the comments.

Or ignore this advice and continue not being able to get a simple suggestion passed for an entire year, it’s up to you to be honest, I don’t mind.

5 Likes

A +1 from me, would be neat to see. From what I recall this particular aircraft was once slated to be preserved by the nascent National Air Museum, however, it later ended up scrapped like a lot of other stuff much to the annoyance of Paul Garber.

I was considering making a suggestion for the A-8 variant, but I was hesitant, as not nearly as many were produced as the A-7 variant. I’ll consider making a separate suggestion, but I have other plans at the moment.

Also, wonderful research!

1 Like

That’s the main reason I was so interested in it! The amount of guns is stunning, making it a dangerous opponent for enemy fighters if piloted by someone who knows how to aim the turrets.

The ETC 2000 bomb rack could be equipped with an adapter for 4 x 50 kg bombs each so 12 x 50 kg should be a possible payload for the 290:

1 Like

I want

would this be able to carry the larger bombs germany made?

Respectfully,
maybe it is time to change how you do it?

1 Like

Well, obviously, since the ETC 2000 rack can carry 1 x Hs 294 which has the weight of about 2,176 kg as well as instances on other aircraft such as the Heinkel He 111 H-6, which could carry up to a 2,500 kg bomb using the same ETC 2000 rack. In addition, SC 250 & SC 500 bombs could also be carried by the ETC 2000 rack:

Declined. Gaijin had no problems approving my other topics, which are pretty much identical to this one. I think that the only “problem” that they had was with this sentence:

ahh that’s good to see that it could carry the 2500kg bomb then

Theoretically yes. The point was that the bombrack itself is most definitely capable of carrying the SC 2500, but what about the actual aircraft itself? Is there enough ground clearance for a 1 x 2,500 kg bomb under the fuselage? Would RATO be required? Would flying over the ocean for many hours just to drop a single SC 2500 (overkill) on a royal rust bucket be worth it when you can use smaller bombs to potentially destroy 3x more vessels?