Ju 88P-5 What If GB Build on MMM

[tc2324]

Been away for a while committing the cardinal what if sin of building real world aircraft, but luckily the meds have now run out so I`m back with a whif created for the World War Two 1944-1954 what if GB over on MMM.


Ju 88P-5

Developed from the Ju 85, a twin-engined bomber aircraft prototype in 1935, the Ju 88 entered service with the Luftwaffe in late 1939. With the invasion of Poland stalled for the foreseeable future, Luftwaffe bomber units trained with the type in preparation for the upcoming conflict. This also gave the Junkers design team time to refine the design and upgrade many systems.
One offshoot from this period was the idea of creating a tank destroyer to counter the build up of heavy tanks produced by the Soviet Union.

By 1943 three prototypes using increasing higher larger caliber weapons had been developed and test flown. This culminated in the P-5 variant which used the powerful 88mm weapon, had a two man crew, (pilot and weapons loader), and redesigned cockpit and canopy for better visability. The 88mm could also depress by 30 degrees so that it could be fired in straight and level flight without the need for a head on attack.

In late 1943 tests were conducted on the viability of using this design in the field and while the weapon functioned perfectly, the accuracy of hitting a small moving target proved troublesome.

By now however jet aircraft had started to enter service and replace older propeller driven types. All Ju 88 types were now relegated to second line training units, sold to `friendly` nations or in the case of the older airframes, scrapped and smelted down. Having put time and money into the `tankbuster` design, yet knowing that newer aircraft types and German armor were better suited to the task of containing the Soviet forces, the Junkers team marketed the new aircraft for the anti shipping role. This proved to be a very clever move as the Luftwaffe had not fully appreciated the role of maritime operations, concentrating more on the land battles due to start. It was suggested that high explosive shells could be used on merchant vessels with little or no armor protection although the provision to use anti armor shells was kept. Also the Ju 88 had a better range and could loiter in a combat area far out to sea than any of the new jet types.
The Luftwaffe high command accepted that this was an area that they had not envisioned in their plans but were happy to order the production of 96 aircraft equipping eight squadrons to fill in this much needed gap.

Come March 1st 1944 and the commencement of `Case White` and the invasion of Poland, P-5`s were used in anger for the first time and with great success against allied shipping. By January 1945 however the U-Boats of the German Navy were starting to make a huge impact on the Atlantic convoys and the P-5, which was also suffering from losses from convoy escort fighters was retired from service by March of that year.  While the types operational service had been short, the impact on allied shipping in the first six months of the war had been devastating and had caused real concern among the Allied navies.   

[eatthis]

ah the anti everything plane 

[sturmvogel]

For some reason, the Ju88 looks so perfect with the bubble canopy. That 8.8cm looks to be the L/56, if I'm not mistaken.

[The Wooksta!]

The 88 did fly with an underslung 88mm and it was MASSIVE, dwarving the fairing for the PaK 75 carried by the late Hs 129s.

[dumaniac]

nice build - great concept - i guess they planned not to encounter fighters as there seems to be no anti aircraft guns

still looks super

[Dizzyfugu]

Yup. With that heavy and draggy gun installation this one better not encountered enemy fighters, could be a quick end...

Anyway, the Ju 88 single-seater has ist charm - a friend of mine did a conversion as a pure fighter with the canopy from a Fw 190. The model was based on a whiffy profile, and AFAIK this conversion has also been done before.


1:72 Junkers Ju 88 single-seat fighter (whif/kit conversion) +++ GUEST WORK +++ by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[The Wooksta!]

I prefer that one of the two, although a two seater with an offset canopy (the navigator/radio operator buried in the cockpit Sea Vixen style) based on a G-1 airframe would look better.

[Dizzyfugu]

That's another interesting option - maybe for a pressurized, high altitude version, something like the Westland Welkin? A topic for PR_19_kit, maybe... 

[PR19_Kit]

That's another interesting option - maybe for a pressurized, high altitude version, something like the Westland Welkin? A topic for PR_19_kit, maybe... 

Hehehe, you never know! 

Been ages since I built a Luftwaffe aircraft, the last was my Fw 190 floatplane a couple of years ago.

[The Wooksta!]

Start with a Ju 188 airframe, upon which the Ju 388 was based.  Leave out the problematic remote tail turret, pair of Jumo 222 E/F and away you go.  Should be able to get high enough to take on B-29s and with a decent punch to take them down. 

At least until the RAF counters with Welkins.



Luftwaffe?  Pah!  Captured markings displayed at Farnborough!

[dumaniac]

yeah - i like the single seat fighter - very clean - can't see the guns from this view - maybe rockets underwing - but very nice indeed

[Dizzyfugu]

I checked my friend's FlickR presence, and he has more pics of that single-seater conversion online. I won't post them here, not to bloat and hijack this thread, but you might take a look at them here (incl. WiP):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72918618@N04/sets/72157632317837547/

The aircraft has the nose and armament of the C-6 night fighter, with 3 machine guns and a single 20mm cannon in the right side of the nose - in the picture above these cannot be seen from the model's left side. The pics in the FlickR album offer different angles and close-ups.

[tc2324]

Thanks for all the comments chaps. 

An `off the cuff` whif from me on this one and no doubt has left more questions than answers... 

Have to say Dizzy that your friends effort is very nice.  Love the way he has molded that canopy in. 

[Dizzyfugu]

AFAIK, this has been a tedious task - but the kit once was a C-6 night fighter before it saw its new life as a true fighter. Looks odd, but great, and the Ju 88 is slender enough to represent a single-seater.

[tc2324]

Out of curiosity, do you know why he left the swazi off the tail?