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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
