Junkers Ju188

[Lusche]

In the sense of a true dive bomber neither was a true dive bomber like the SBD or the Stuka

No quite.
The Ju 88 was indeed designed as a true dive bomber, including dive automatic, dive flaps and so on.
The Ju 188 was not.

Part of a Ju-88 manual describing the divebombing routine:

[Wmaker]

The Ju 188 was no dive bomber.

The dive brake equipped versions were capable divebombers. Probably the use as such was very limited but they certainly were capable of doing it.


http://www.cockpitinstrumente.de/archiv/Bilder/Flugzeuge/ABC/j/Ju%20188/LichtbildreiheJunkers%20Ju%20188.htm

Btw Lusche, could you translate Bahnneigungsbomber for me?

[Lusche]

Btw Lusche, could you translate Bahnneigungsbomber for me?

Best translation would probably shallow-dive bomber

A "Bahnneigungsflug"  is a "dive" with less than -15° diving angle.

[Wmaker]

Best translation would probably shallow-dive bomber

A "Bahnneigungsflug"  is a "dive" with less than -15° diving angle.

Thank you for the translation! That's what some of the Ju188 variants are referred in one german publication...

However, as can be seen from this table from the Ju188E-1 manual, Ju188E-1 and E-2 are referred here as Sturzkampfflugzeug...ie. a "true" divebomber.



Ju188 was essentially continued Ju88 development. Therefore it retained a lot of the same cababilities that the Ju88 had.

[Lusche]

Thank you for the translation! That's what some of the Ju188 variants are referred in one german publication...

However, as can be seen from this table from the Ju188E-1 manual, Ju188E-1 and E-2 are referred here as Sturzkampfflugzeug...ie. a "true" divebomber.

HA! I only knew about Bahnneigungsflug.
That means I was wrong... I know have to kill you and everyone else who read about my mistake... 

[Wmaker]

HA! I only knew about Bahnneigungsflug.

 

That means I was wrong... I know have to kill you and everyone else who read about my mistake... 

  


 

It's an interesting aircraft for sure, wish it's implemented someday...

[stealth]

Anybody know what kinda bomb load it has. What mission would this Ju-188 have anyway. Why bring a plane that will rarely be used.

[Krusty]

It has better performance and noticably heavier firepower to defend itself. However, the bomb loads were comparable. They started showing up in mixed Ju88/Ju188 units as early as 1943. They became (essentially) the more modern front line bomber for the luftwaffe. Ju88s still served alongside it, simply because of sheer numbers and slow production, but it wasn't scarce at all.

[Karnak]

Anybody know what kinda bomb load it has. What mission would this Ju-188 have anyway. Why bring a plane that will rarely be used.

Why would it be rarely used?  It carries 6,600lbs of bombs at ~335mph, has a MG151/20 20mm cannon in the top turret (full 360 degree coverage, unlike the Ki-67) as well as other defensive guns and would be fairly durable like the Ju88.

[BigKev03]

Anybody know what kinda bomb load it has. What mission would this Ju-188 have anyway. Why bring a plane that will rarely be used.

Like Karnak stated the bomb load is equivalent to the B17 we have.  Plus it can level bomb, dive bomb, torpedo run, and with the 20mm you can strafe.  It is a very useful aircraft.  Plus I just like flying the thing to get a break from the B24 or Lanc. 

BigKev

[stealth]

Why would it be rarely used?  It carries 6,600lbs of bombs at ~335mph, has a MG151/20 20mm cannon in the top turret (full 360 degree coverage, unlike the Ki-67) as well as other defensive guns and would be fairly durable like the Ju88.

I just don't want it to end up like the Ju-88 did rarely flown.

[Krusty]

I just don't want it to end up like the Ju-88 did rarely flown.

Last month alone Ju88s in LW arenas had 600 kills and 4400 deaths.

Yeah, 4400 of them were shot down. I'd call that "rare"..... That's more than both P39s and both P40s all combined. In deaths it's right around the P-47M, Ki-84, 109G14 and P-38J. Naturally it's not going to have as many kills, what with single 7mm forward guns, but deaths does indicate some of its use.

What we already have sees significantly more use than the B-25Cs, Ki67s, BostonIIIs, and Ar234s. Outside of the 4-engine bombers it's the most used twin-engine formation bomber*. The Ju188 would only take over that role. Hardly any risk of a hangar queen there.


*=Actually, the B-26 is used noticably more, but that's probably because it has as many guns as a B17/B24 and 4 fixed forward 50cal nose guns to boot. Really more of a 4-engine that's missing 2 outboard engines! lol