The Junkers Ju87 for senior offi cials on 15th August 1939 ...

The Junkers Ju87 Stuka The Junkers Ju87 “Stuka” is a remarkable aircraft. The aircraft fi rst took to the air in 1935 after being conceived as a two seater dive bomber. Operated by a pilot and tail gunner the aircraft quickly gained a fearsome reputation, making its combat debut in the Spanish Civil war of 1936 as part of the Luftwaffe “Condor Legion”The aircraft is easily recognisable, with its unique wing shape and splayed undercarriage. Yet, the aircraft is probably more recognisable for the “wailing banshee” siren as the aircraft dives into an attack. Referred to as the Horn of Jericho this sound has become synonymous with the Stuka. Incidentally, despite popular belief and the fi lms of Hollywood, the siren was not used in every attack. Many pilots chose to remove the siren as it added drag to the aircraft. Another notable feature of the aircraft are the dive brakes. At that time, a unique under-wing braking system which slowed the aircraft in a dive. That being said, the aircraft would still accelerate from its cruise speed of 240MPH to 400MPH in the dive, pushing the limits of the aircraft design, with the pilot descending at near vertical 80 to 90 degree pitch angle! The dive brakes would automatically retract as the bomb was released and the pilot would recover the aircraft from the dive.

However, theory and practice can be two

different things. During a demonstration for senior offi cials on 15th August 1939 at the Neuhammer training grounds, 13 of the aircraft hit the ground and were destroyed in perfect synchronisation, killing all 26 crew. It was later determined that low cloud had caused the crews to misjudge the appropriate height to pull out of the dive. Certainly, the nerve of the pilots was incredible. Admiral Cunningham commented after the attack on the HMS Illustrious during World War 2:-

“We opened up with every AA gun we had as one by on the Stukas peeled off into their dives, concentrating the whole venom of their attack upon the Illustrious. At times she became almost completely hidden in a forest of great bomb splashes. One was too interested in this new form of dive-bombing attack really to be frightened, and there was no doubt we were watching complete experts. Formed roughly in a large circle over the fl eet they peeled off one by one when reaching the attacking position. We could not but admire the skill and precision of it all. The attacks were pressed home to point-blank range, and as they pulled out of their dives some of them were seen to fl y along the fl ight-deck of the Illustrious below the level of her funnel.”

In CombatIt was the Ju87 Stuka that fired the opening salvos of World War 2, with the entire Luftwaffe fleet being pressed into the attack on Poland on the 1st September 1939. At 0426 exactly on that morning, 11 minutes before Germany officially announced hostilities, 3 Ju87 aircraft were tasked to destroy charges that the Poles had placed on the DIrschau bridge over the Vistula River. The attack actually failed, with the Poles successfully demolishing the bridge, but the Stuka had laid claim to the first bombs dropped in the war. Shortly, after the first air combat of World War 2 took place with a Stuka under the command of Rottenführer Leutnant Frank Neubert attacking and destroying a Polish P.11 fighter taking off from the Balice Airfield.The Luftwaffe also employed specialist naval attack teams that utilised the Ju87 and they too saw service on that fateful day which was to lead the world into war. The Polish destroyer ORP Wicher and the minelayer ORP Gryf were destroyed whilst still in harbour.Polish ground forces fared little better under the relentless pressure of the Stuka. In one bombardment lasting four days, six Polish divisions which were trapped by advancing German forces were forced to surrender after suffering dreadful casualties from the 50Kg fragmentation bombs dropped relentlessly by the Stuka force.Flushed with their success in Poland, the Luftwaffe diverted Stuka forces to the battle for Norway and Denmark on April 9th 1940. Faced with overwhelming odds, the Danish capitulated that very day, whilst the Norwegians struggled on with British support. The first Stuka aircraft took the air at 10.59 that day, destroying Oscarsborg Fortress. However, the main Stuka successes of the Norwegian

campaign were from the naval unit and their attacks on allied vessels. The Norwegian destroyer Æger was badly damaged by a direct hit to the engine room and was scuttled. The British vessel HMS Bittern was sunk on the 30th April followed by the French destroyer Bison and HMS Affridi on the 3rd May 1940. The Affridi, when attacked, was engaged in rescuing survivors from the Bison but fell victim to the Stuka attack force.Moving south, the Stuka was used to devasting effect in the allied retreat from Dunkirk. The Royal Navy lost 29 of its 40 destroyers and 89 merchant vessels were sunk. An allied air response against the Stuka at Dunkirk proved ineffective. That said, 120 aircraft were lost; a third of the entire Stuka force. It is believed that most of these losses can be attributed to ground fire rather than air engagement.

Battle Of BritainThe Stuka also took part in the Battle of Britain in July 1940 and was initially a potent weapon. On 4th July 1940 four freighters were sunk in the English Channel, followed by a devastating attack on Portland Harbour when 33 Stuka aircraft inflicted great damage, including sinking HMS Foylebank. A raid against the RAF station at Detling also inflicted great damage and killed the Station Commander.Yet, the Stuka was to soon lose the upper hand as the Royal Air Force had organised into a formidable defensive shield. The Stuka, which relied heavily on air superiority, lacking the manoeuvrability required for air to air combat, found itself outclassed by the Hurricanes and Spitfires of Fighter Command. As the Luftwaffe was unable to provide fighter escorts in large numbers the Stuka was withdrawn from

the Battle of Britain in August due to prohibitive losses. For the fi rst time the mythos of the invincible Stuka had been broken.

BarbarossaThe Stuka played a huge role in Operation Barbarossa, with the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. On 22nd June 1941 four Stuka battle groups were deployed to play a key role in the operation. The Ju87 infl icted massive damage on Soviet Forces and supply lines. In a single day, On the 5th of July, one group, StG 77 destroyed 18 trains and over 500 vehicles!On the 23rd September, the most decorated Stuka pilot, Hans-Ulrich

Rudel sank the Russian battleship Marat, during an air attack on Kronstadt Harbour. In the same action the battle group sank the destroyer Minsk and the destroyer Steregushchiy along with submarine M-74.

From 13th to the 22nd of December, 420 vehicles and 20 tanks were destroyed by the seemingly unstoppable StG 77 group. Although, with the onset of winter, the German troops on the ground were already on the defensive and were starting to battle their greatest enemy, the cold, which would eventually cower the German forces.

Into The DesertThe Stuka also took part in operations in North Africa and the Mediterranean. In December 1940 some 80 Stukas were dispatched to destroy allied shipping passing between Sicily and Africa. To that end, Stuka aircraft were also delivered to the Italian Airforce to assist in the Axis war effort. The Luftwaffe Stukas fought in Greece and the Battle of Crete before being diverted to the deserts of North Africa to support Rommel and his Panzer tank divisions.

However, by 1942 allied air power was turning the tide of the war and Stuka losses were heavy. The arrival of US forces into North Africa was the start of the terminal decline of the now dated Stuka. On the 15th November 1942 15 Stukas were shot down in a matter of a few minutes by US Curtis P-40 aircraft. By 1943 the allies enjoyed total air superiority in North Africa, with Stuka pilots often dropping their bombs in empty desert and running for home at the fi rst sight of allied aircraft.

Into retirementTowards the end of 1944 the Stuka was

steadily being replaced by the ground attack versions of the FW190. Yet the Stuka pilots had a fi nal fl ing on the FInnish Front during 1944 and were able to delay a major Soviet advance.By 1945 a little over 100 aircraft remained in service, operating sporadic sorties until the end of the war. However, these sorties were hampered by a severe fuel shortage that was crippling the Luftwaffe.

For 10 years the Stuka had spearheaded the ground attack role of the Luftwaffe, with skilled daring pilots recording success after success. Dive bombing a target in a vertical dive with siren wailing the Stuka has earned its place in the military aviation hall of fame.

www.fi rstclass-simulations.comStuka V.s Hurricane © 2010 First Class Simulations.

Published by First Class Simulations.PO Box 586 Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 6BY

Tel: 01869 338428 Fax: 0870 132 1026

StukaOperating in almost every campaign of World War 2, the Junkers Ju87 Stuka was the pride of the Luftwaffe. With its trademark siren - “the Horn of Jericho”, daring Stuka pilots would put their aircraft into a vertical dive as they attacked their targets!

We offer the opportunity to fly a carefully crafted Stuka within the simulator, allowing you to recreate that famous dive!

We also include a brief history of the Stuka and a tutorial for flying the Stuka, which allows you to practice that trademark dive!

Loading An AircraftEach aircraft can be loaded into a flight of your choice using the Aircraft select menu of the Simulator. In FSX, be sure to check the option to “show all variants” as this will allow each livery variant to be properly selected.

Included VariantsStuka - T6+DP, 2./StG 2, ‘SerpentStuka - T6+KL, 2./StG 2, c.1941 (Alpine Livery)Stuka - 6G+CC, StG 1, Eastern Front, c.1941Stuka - A5+BH, 3./StG 1, Libya, c.1941 (Desert camo)Stuka - T6+CK, 2./StG 2, Bulgaria, c.1941

Stuka TutorialA full tutorial for the Stuka, including a dive demonstration is available as a PDF file.

Technical Support & TroubleshootingKeep posted to www.firstclass-simulations.com for the latest info on Stuka Vs Hurricane including any updates that may be released. On www. firstclass-simulations, you can access the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) by clicking the PRODUCT SUPPORT/FAQS AND DOWNLOADS link on the left side of the main page.

If your problem has not been addressed, or if you want to send any comments on Stuka, send an e-mail to [email protected] and our support team will respond as soon as possible.

When contacting technical support, be sure to include the following information:Operating System (Window 95, 98, ME, XP, 2000, Vista, Windows 7)The exact name of the product (Stuka)Report any and all error messages reported or report the problem you are having by providing a step-by-stepIf it is a visual problem, describe the screen with as much detail as you can.

Please do not send attachments unless permission is granted ahead of time. If screen-shots are required, please keep them as small as possible (100KB or less) in JPG format.

CreditsProject management, missions and documentation: Jane-Rachel Whittaker

Aircraft models: Flight Dynamics and gauges: Sounds and QA: Install and QA: Special Thanks:

Gary Ward, Daniel DunnDavid ChesterMike HamblyRichard DonaldsonClaire Drake, Cathy Chester

Of all my accomplishments I may have achieved during the war, I am proudest of the fact that I never lost a wingman.— Colonel Erich ‘Bubi’ Hartmann, GAF

A TutorialWelcome to our tutorial for the iconic Stuka dive bomber!

This being a Stuka you can expect this tutorial to be something out of the ordinary and you would be right. During this flight you will not only master the flying characteristics of the Junkers Ju87, but you will be practising the famous screaming nose dive that has made this aircraft so famous!

Rather than attacking a target, our scenario is that of a fictional airshow at the Duxford Museum, where hopefully we can delight the crowds with piloting prowess!

The first thing you will notice is that the gauges are labelled both in metric and in German. Speeds are referenced in kilometres per hour and the altimeter also reads kilometres. To make things easier we have included a panel diagram that can be found in the start menu folder for this package. This will highlight each of the instruments for you with English annotation.

You are probably more used to working in “feet and knots” with your altitude and

Junkers Ju87

airspeed as this is now the norm in most parts of the world. So for this tutorial we can employ a little tip to help us. Simply press SHIFT-Z a couple of times to display your altitude and heading in imperial units. The keen eyed Stuka enthusiast may also have noticed some slight changes in our panel from panel configurations during wartime. Most noticeable amongst these changes is the inclusion of a radio, transponder unit and simple navigation suite. This is deliberate in that it makes the aircraft more suited to Flight Simulator and especially online flying. The preserved Stuka which we had access to during the making of this product is also equipped in this manner reflecting post-war demonstration and aviation authority requirements.Master Battery - On

Throttle - Cracked 1/4 inch (open the throttle slightly)

Fuel - ON

Magnetos - ON

The engine should be primed based on ambient temperature conditions. In colder weather it is necessary to increase the amount of priming strokes to prepare the engine for start. Please refer to the chart below. For the weather conditions of this flight only one priming stroke should be necessary.

Starter - ON

Avionics - ON

The aircraft should now burst into life as the props turn.Ensuring that the parking brake is set idle the engine for around 2 minutes to allow the aircraft oil to warm through.Whilst still in the parking area we should also confirm full and free function of the control surfaces. Deploy the flaps fully and then retract them. You may find it easier to use the F7 key to deploy the flaps and the F6 key to retract them, but that is purely personal preference. Ensure also that the ailerons and rudder are free and functioning normally.TIP: You may find spot view is useful for these control surface checks

Tail Wheel - ReleasedWe can now push back for taxi. Go ahead and use the SHIFT-P key combination for an automatic pushback. In the real world we would actually start the engine after positioning for taxi, but for the purposes of this tutorial it proves much easier to start the engine first. Once you are familiar with the aircraft feel free to start the engine on the taxiway.This aircraft is a “tail dragger” meaning that it will taxi in a nose high attitude. The official technique for taxi is to gently make S turns along the taxiway to afford a forward view. This does require some practice, but it really is a case of practice makes perfect and it soon becomes second nature. Go ahead and start to taxi towards our take-off runway, 24. Alternatively, you can raise yourself in your seat for a better forward view by using the SHIFT-ENTER key combination and the SHIFT-BACKSPACE combination to lower the seat. By far the simplest method is to “cheat” and taxi in spot view!Try and avoid taxi at speeds above 10MPH and use differential braking should you require to turn. Be very wary of applying both brakes simultaneously both in taxi (and later in landing) and only apply brakes in very short controlled bursts. A Stuka is renowned for ground-looping where before you know it the whole aircraft will tip forward. It can be rather embarrassing to find your nose stuck in the tarmac! The moral of the tale is to be very careful in using the brakes. Go ahead and line up on runway 24 when you are ready for take-off. We will be flying right hand circuits of the airfield. Now is the time for the take-off checklist.

Trim - Neutral Centred

Flaps - 1 notch

Fuel - Checked

Once on the runway, engage the tail wheel lock to keep the aircraft in a straight line.Tail wheel - locked

We can now start the take-off roll. We take-off at 85kts - 157 km/h, which will happen very quickly. This aircraft needs very little runway to get airborne! Slowly advance the power. As the aircraft starts to accelerate push gently forward on the stick to raise the tail. Beyond 80kts - 148 km/h gently pull back on the stick and the aircraft will take to the air. At around 200ft above the runway retract the flaps whilst maintaining runway heading. Place the aircraft in a continual climb at around 2000ft / 600 metres per minute. Advance to full power as you climb. We can safely hold maximum power for around 6 minutes without damaging the engine.We will fly an extended circuit so at 2 minutes after takeoff make a right turn of 90 degrees to the right. Hold this course for another minute then make another

further right turn of 90 degrees. You will now pass the airport on the right, parallel to the runway flying on a downwind heading of approximately 60 degrees. Once you pass the runway wait a further two minutes on course and make a further 90 degree turn to the right. Hold course for one minute and make another 90 degree turn to the right. This should, with some minor adjustment have you on final approach to Runway 24. However, we are not going to land yet! Continue to climb as you pass over the

runway, making a first fly-past of our imaginary crowd below.You need to continue these circuits and fly-overs of the runway until you achieve 15,000ft, in a little over 8 minutes from take-off. At above around 8000ft you will have to reduce your climb rate to maintain a strong forward speed. Level off at 15,000ft and let the aircraft accelerate to its final cruise speed. Now for the next pass we will simulate dive bombing the runway for the spectators below! Once over the runway at 15000ft apply the dive brakes using the lever or alternatively use the simulator speedbrake key which is the / key on your keyboard by default. Push the aircraft down into a hard dive of 90 degrees. Yes, this aircraft dives completely nose down, relying on the aircraft dive brakes to maintain a manageable speed! From inside the cockpit you will now hear the whine of the siren as you head for terra firma, in one of the most exciting manoeuvres ever made in a wartime aircraft!About 20 seconds after the dive is initiated it is time to pull up the aircraft at 5000ft which is our bottom of dive altitude. In real bombing runs this altitude was dependent on the requirements of the target and skill of the pilot. With skill, you can reduce this to a much lower altitude.Stow the dive brakes and pull up hard on the nose of the aircraft to return to a climb. In actual operations it was not unusual for the pilot to black out such was the g-forces involved! This is why the actual aircraft was equipped with an automated pull-up system to bring the aircraft out of the dive. This was linked to the release of the aircraft bomb, which we are unable to use in Flight Simulator, so you will have to pull up manually. Hopefully you will not black out on a desktop dive so this should not be a problem!

Depending on your skill with this procedure - and it may take some practice! your altitude will have reduced greatly. Continue on with the circuit pattern, reducing your airspeed to 120kts - 220km/h and engaging the first stage of flaps. We can now continue the pattern, but this time

make a full landing at Duxford. Reduce your altitude in the pattern to 1500ft until you make the final turn to final.Once on final apply full flaps and reduce airspeed to 80kts - 148 km/h. At this speed you can make a safe clean landing on runway 24 at Duxford. Ideally, one would make a “three point landing” In this configuration once over the

runway gently hold the aircraft just above the runway and parallel to it and reduce power to idle. The idea is for the aircraft to settle gently on all three wheels simultaneously, hence the term three point landing. This, however, will take some practice, but that practice is worthwhile and is the best technique for landing any taildragger aircraft. It is the one that will also earn you the most kudos as a pilot! Alternatively, it is easier to land on the two front wheels of the aircraft. In this case pull back gently on the stick until the rear wheel settles on the tarmac before applying the brakes. Use the brakes very carefully and with slight back pressure on the stick to avoid the Stuka tipping over! Release the tail wheel before turning off the runway.Tail wheel - unlocked

Taxi to a parking area of your choice, hopefully having satisfied your virtual audience on Display Day at Duxford! Once at the parking area switch off the engines.Power - Idle

Fuel - Off

Magnetos - Off

Avionics - Off

Battery -Off

Congratulations on making your first flight and spectacular dive in the Junkers Ju87 Stuka in front of an appreciative virtual audience!

Ju87 Stuka - TechnicalCrew: 2Length: 11.00 m (36 ft 1.07 in)Wingspan: 13.8 m (45 ft 3.30 in)Height: 4.23 m (13 ft 10.53 in)Wing area: 31.90 m² (343.37 ft²)Empty weight: 3,205 kg (7,086 lb)Loaded weight: 4,320 kg (9,524 lb)Max takeoff weight: 5,000 kg (11,023 lb)Powerplant: 1× Junkers Jumo 211D liquid-cooled inverted-vee V12 engine, 1200 PS (1184 hp, 883 kW)Propellers: Three-blade Junkers VS 5 propeller, 1 per engine Propeller diameter: 3.4 m (11 ft 1.85 in)

PerformanceNever exceed speed: 600 km/h (373 mph)Maximum speed: 390 km/h @ 4,400 m (242 mph @ 13,410 ft)Range: 500 km (311 mi) with 500 kg (1,102 lb) bomb loadService ceiling: 8,200 m (26,903 ft) with 500 kg (1,102 lb) bomb load

ArmamentGuns: 2× 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun forward, 1× 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun to rearBombs: Normal load

Jane Rachel Whittaker

www.fi rstclass-simulations.comStuka © 2010 First Class Simulations. Published by First Class Simulations.

PO Box 586 Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 6BY Tel: 01869 338428 Fax: 0870 132 1026

June 2015