Before the power of the German Luftwaffe was unleashed upon the world in World War 2 (1939-1945) it undertook various secret programs to modernize and strengthen its inventory in the pre-war years. These projects often times took the form of a civilian-minded products though the military intent was buried in the requirements. This proved the case with the Junkers Ju 86, a twin-engined medium-class aircraft that was developed under the guise of a 10-passenger civilian airliner while also evolved along the lines of a medium bomber type.
Work began in 1934 with the civilian model intended to fulfill a requirement for carrier Deutsche Luft Hansa (1926-1945). The military model was to be fulfilled by way of competition between rivals Junkers and Heinkel - the former producing their lesser-known Ju 86 while delivered its classic He 111 series (detailed elsewhere on this site). While both were adopted for military service, the He 111 went on to have a fuller wartime career with the Luftwaffe (and others). The companies were contracted to produce five total prototypes apiece.
Junkers engineers adopted a smooth, all-metal skinned design with low-set monoplane wings. The wing were moved ahead of midships with the flight deck set in a stepped arrangement behind and above a heavily glazed nose section. The fuselage became a long, tapered body housing the various systems required - including the bomb bay which held its war load vertically. The tail unit consisted of a split vertical fin arrangement common to many large aircraft of the period. A "tail-dragger", all-wheeled undercarriage was used with only the main legs being made retractable. The engines were held in nacelles mounted along the wing leading edges. Power was to come from a pair of Junkers Jumo 204 series diesel-fueled engines - the diesel approach intended to provide the aircraft with good fuel efficiency.
Standardized armament for military forms would be 3 x 7.92mm MG15 machine guns - one fitted to the nose, the other in a dorsal mounting and the last in a ventral gondola position. The bomb load would total 2,200 lb of internally-held stores.
The diesel engines were not ready in time for the first military-minded form (Ju 86 ab1) so it was outfitted with Siemens radial engines and this product marked a first flight on November 4th, 1934. Then followed another military prototype (Ju 86 cb) in January and it was in April that the initial civilian-minded prototype (Ju 86 V4) arrived - the bomb bay replaced by a passenger cabin. Ju 86 Ba1 was a military transport prototype and Ju 86 V5 became another prototype form - this serving as the basis for the Ju 86A production models.
By this time serial manufacture was underway and led by the Ju 86A-0 which numbered thirteen pre-series aircraft. Ju 86A-1 was the initial bomber in service and Ju 86B-0 marked seven pre-series aircraft for the transport role and these became the Ju 86C-1 in service for Luft Hansa, carrying Junkers Jumo 205C diesel engines. Ju 86D-1 was the bomber variant and introduced a revised tail cone for improved stability. The Ju 86E-1, another bomber product, was outfitted with a pair of BMW 132F radial engines. Ju 86E-2 followed with 2 x BMW 132N radials.
Ju 86P-1 was made into a high-altitude bomber and given Junkers Jumo 207 turbocharged diesel engines for the role. Ju 86P-2 became a dedicated photographic reconnaissance platform retaining its bomber capability and powered by the same Jumo 207 diesels. Ju 86R-1 was a reconnaissance platform with Jumo 207 engines as well and R-2 was evolved into a bomber form. Ju 86R-3 was given Jumkers Jumo 208 series engines. Ju 86Z served as a civilian export model.
The Ju 86R, with its Jumo 207B-3/V diesel engines of 1,000 horsepower each, featured a standard crew of two and a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) nearing 25,500 pounds. Maximum speed was 260 miles per hour with a range out to 980 miles and a service ceiling up to 42,650 feet. Rate-of-climb became 900 feet-per-minute. Weapons included three defensive-minded MG15 machine guns and a bomb load up to 2,200 pounds.
At least three Ju 86 variants were proposed but fell to naught - this included the Ju 186, Ju 286 and the K85. The Ju 186 was to become a four-engined product to serve in the high-altitude bomber role. Ju 286 was similar in role but was to carry six total engines. K85 was a Swedish Air Force model to be used as a torpedo bomber.
Like other German military products appearing prior to World War 2, the Ju 86 was delivered for practical wartime service in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The war was between the fascist Nationalists primarily backed by the Germans and Italians and the government-led Republicans backed primarily by the Soviet Union. This battleground allowed the Luftwaffe a test arena of sorts and both aircraft and tanks were trialled in due time (as was doctrine like the "blitzkrieg"). First use was of Ju 86 aircraft came after February of 1937 and at least two were lost in service with the Germans, the remaining stock of three aircraft eventually handed over to the Nationalist forces. The war ended as a decisive Nationalist victory after two-plus years of bloody fighting.
Despite its growing obsolescence, the Ju 86 line soldiered on and was on hand for the German invasion of neighboring Poland for the September 1939 campaign. They lasted only a few months more as frontline contributors, given up for good at the beginning of 1940. Modified, higher flying forms (the P-1 and P-2) were introduced after this and managed a serviceable wartime career into mid-1942. However by this time their capabilities were fully realized and there was little hope in continuing the line beyond 1943.
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Specifications
Junkers - Germany Manufacturer(s)
Austria; Australia; Bolivia; Chile; Nazi Germany; Hungary; Imperial Japan; Manchukuo; Portugal; Romania; South Africa; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland Operators
OPTIONAL:
1 x MG 15 machine gun in nose
1 x MG 15 machine gun in rear-facing dorsal position.
1 x MG 15 machine gun in rear-facing ventral gondola position.
OPTIONAL:
Up to 2,200 lb of bombs held internally.
0 Hardpoints
Ju 86 - Base Series Designation
Ju 86abl - Initial Bomber Prototype
Ju 86bal - Initial Transport Prototype
Ju 86cb - Second Bomber Prototype
Ju 86 V4 - Commercial Transport Prototype; to become the Ju 86B production model.
Ju 86 V5 - Bomber Prototype; to become the Ju 86A production model.
Ju 86A-0 - Pre-Production Bomber Models; 13 examples delivered.
Ju 86A-1 - Initial Production Bomber Variant
Ju 86B-0 - Pre-Production Transport Models; 7 examples delivered.
Ju 86C-1 - Lufthansa Transport Models; fitted with 2 x Junkers Jumo 205C series diesel engines.
Ju 86D-1 - Bomber Variant
Ju 86E-1 - Luftwaffe Bomber Variant; fitted with 2 x BMW 132F series radial piston engines.
Ju 86E-2 - Fitted with 2 x BMW 132N series uprated radial piston engines.
Ju 86G-1 - Rounded Glass Nose
Ju 86K-1 - South African and Sweden Export Model
Ju 86K-2 - Hungarian Export Model
Ju 86K-4 - Sweden Export Model; fitted with 2 x Bristol Pegasus III series radial piston engines; based on Ju 86K-1 production model.
Ju 86K-5 - Swedish license-production model; fitted with 2 x license-produced Bristol Pegasus XII radial piston engines.
Ju 86K-6 - Chilean and Portuguese Export Model
Ju 86K-7 - Austrian Export Model; fitted with 2 x BMW 132 series radial piston engines.
Ju 86K-13 - Swedish license-production model; fitted with license-produced Swedish or Polish powerplants.
Ju 86P-1 - High-Altitude Bomber Variant; fitted with 2 x Junkers Jumo 207 series diesel engines and turbochargers.
Ju 86P-2 - Photo-Reconnaissance Platform retaining bomber provisioningl fitted with 2 x Junkers Jumo 207 series diesel engines with turbochargers.
Ju 86R-1 - Reconnaissance Model; fitted with 2 x Junkers Jumo 207 series diesel engines.
Ju 86R-2 - Dedicated Bomber Variant
Ju 86R-3 - Fitted with 2 x Junkers Jumo 208 series engines.
Ju 186 - Proposed four-engine, high-altitude bomber model; never produced.
Ju 286 - Proposed six-engine, high-altitude bomber model; never produced.
K85 - Proposed Swedish torpedo bomber.
General Assessment
Firepower
Performance
Survivability
Versatility
Impact
Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.
Overall Rating
The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry.
32
Rating is out of a possible 100 points.
Relative Maximum Speed
Hi: 300mph
Lo: 150mph
This entry's maximum listed speed (261mph).
Graph average of 225 miles-per-hour.
City-to-City Ranges
NYC
LON
LON
PAR
PAR
BER
BER
MOS
MOS
TOK
TOK
SYD
SYD
LAX
LAX
NYC
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).
Max Altitude Visualization
Design Balance
The three qualities reflected above are altitude, speed, and range.
Aviation Era Span
Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.
Unit Production (150)
150
36183
44000
Compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian).
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Images
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A pair of Junkers Ju 86 aircraft in flight.
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A Junkers Ju 86 at rest; note glazed nose assembly.
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A pair of Junkers Ju 86 in flight.
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A pair of German Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 86 aircraft in flight.
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