Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: DiabloTX on April 05, 2007, 07:26:08 PM

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: DiabloTX on April 05, 2007, 07:26:08 PM

So I an sitting here at work watching a WWII documentary how on PBS, you know the one with alot of historical black and white footage.  During one of the clips there were 2 stuka's that were rolling inverted and diving into attack runs.  It seemed as if they had squared-off clipped wings.  I have never seen this model stuka, if it existed.  I thought maybe the tips were painted darker, and they may have been, but it seemed they were clearly clipped winged stuka's.  Was I seeing things?

:eek:

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: Gianlupo on April 05, 2007, 07:58:52 PM

Uhhhh... Never heard of a "clipped wing" stuka. But some variants (like the D5) had a larger wingspan than usual... maybe you saw both of them and thought the larger wingspan was the rule? :confused:

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: DiabloTX on April 05, 2007, 08:12:40 PM

Maybe so.  I have no idea what it was exactly but the wing tips definitely looked squared off and not tapered like the usual stuka wingtip.

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: DiabloTX on April 05, 2007, 09:04:02 PM

This is the typical stuka wingtip that I am used to:

(http://www.lietadla.com/lietadla/nemecke/ju-87/ju-87d5-03.jpg)

What I noticed on the video was this wingtip:

(http://www.lietadla.com/lietadla/nemecke/ju-87/ju-87a-08.jpg)

I guess I never realised that the stuka had 2 different types of wingtips during it's time.

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: DiabloTX on April 05, 2007, 09:13:55 PM

Or the radically 'clipped wing' version:

(http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Bilder/Ju87/Ju87C-2.jpg)

(http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Bilder/Ju87/Ju87C-1.jpg)

:D

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: ridley1 on April 05, 2007, 10:21:05 PM

that first 'clipped wing' stuka you show...that's condor legion markings, isn't it? so that would put it as a real early variant...the wheel spats appear to be a different shape, too.

and in the extremely clipped picture......is that an arrestor hook I see?

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: Airscrew on April 05, 2007, 10:44:15 PM

From Vital Guide, Bombers of the 20th Century, Jim Winchester

Ju-87D-5 had longer span wings with pointed tips as did the Ju-87G with two 37mm cannon

The Ju-87C was intended for aircraft carrier use and had folding wings, but the 40 built all flew from land.

The Ju87R was basically a B with improved fuel system and drop tanks.  The B was extremely effective in the Blitzkrieg attacks of 1939-40

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: DiabloTX on April 05, 2007, 10:56:59 PM

The navalized version was just a joke, I knew about that.  You can clearly see even the navalized version had the square-tips.  I just didn't realise that the stuka had squared wingtips in it's early incarnations.

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: Airscrew on April 05, 2007, 11:03:32 PM

I figured you knew Diablo, I was helping Ridley just in case. ;)

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: DiabloTX on April 05, 2007, 11:20:44 PM

Nope, never knew it.  Then again I've never been a stuka fan.

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: Gianlupo on April 06, 2007, 04:26:06 AM

Indeed, Diablo, the first picture you posted is a D5, with the longer, pointy wingtips. The second one should be a B (or maybe even an A?), and yes, it's a Spanish camo. The tipical Stuka wingtip is the "clipped" one, even AH D3 has it. :)

I never saw pictures of the navalized Ju87, thanks for posting them (lexicon der wehrmacht, very nice site, too bad it's in German only! :p)

EDIT: Yes, the "Spanish" one is an A, as ridley noted, the wheel spats are in their original shape.

Title: Clipped-wing Stuka?
Post by: ridley1 on April 06, 2007, 09:03:13 AM

I just look at the shape of the radiator cowling to distinguish between early and later models.