The Junkers Ju 90 was a German aircraft powered by four BMW 132 H-1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines. With seating for up to 40 passengers and a range of 1,247km (775 miles), it was developed from the aborted Junkers Ju 89 bomber.
Both the first and second prototype were lost during flight testing, but that did not deter Luft Hansa from ordering eight production examples. Another order came from South African Airways for a pair of aircraft but these were never delivered.
Junkers Ju 90 Video
Following on from the last video on the French Dewoitine D.338, we stay in Europe for a look at the German Junkers Ju 90. This video is from British Pathé and runs for just 44 seconds.
It’s a well put together video, showing everything you might want to see, except the passenger cabin. One thing that struck me immediately was how it seems to lumber into the air. Sprightly it was not!
Arrangements and Interior
The first flight of the Junkers Ju 90 took place on 28 August 1937, with Luft Hansa using the prototypes for test flights. Service entry was during 1938, with the aircraft operating from Berlin to Vienna. It was also used from August 1939 on flights from Berlin to London Croydon via Amsterdam.
Overall Thoughts
The Junkers Ju 90 was in passenger service for just a short time. Any planned expansion of services was interrupted by the start of the second world war.
In the end only 18 aircraft were completed, with two surviving the war which were subsequently scrapped. You can dive on the wreck of one aircraft in the Mediterranean, which was shot down in 1943, so one still technically exists.
What did you think of the video? Is this the first you’ve ever heard of this aircraft? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image via AirHistory.net.
All other images via Aircraft Performance and Weight Investigation Info.
