Junkers J 21
Junkers · Germany · first flew 1923 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Junkers J 21, sold as the T 21 and H 21, was a reconnaissance aircraft designed in Germany in the early 1920s. It was produced in the Soviet Union at the Junkers plant at Fili for the Soviet Air Force.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.9 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- All-metal parasol-wing monoplane
- Pilot and observer in tandem open cockpits
- Fixed tailskid undercarriage
Look for a metal parasol-wing two-seater with a tailskid and open tandem cockpits.
Specifications
- The Junkers J 21 has a length of 7.9 m (26 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.7 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 217 km/h (135 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Two prototypes were built at Dessau, the first flying on 12 June 1923, and series production began at Fili in August 1923. The prototypes were powered by a BMW IIIa and failed to reach the specified performance.
Variants
The production version had a BMW IV engine and gun armament for pilot and observer. The J 22 was a single-seat fighter version, and the J 28 was a two-seat fighter version with a 400 hp BMW VI; neither was produced.
Where you'll see it
Performance was only marginally better than the de Havilland DH-9A it replaced, and the J 21 was itself soon replaced by licence-built DH-9As as the Polikarpov R-1. One was received by Iran in July 1924, and the type was rejected at the Lipetsk school.
Related aircraft
- Junkers A 20
- Junkers T 23
- Junkers G 24
- Junkers T 19
- Aero A.26
- Armstrong Whitworth Wolf
- Astra-Șeșefschi
- Blériot-SPAD S.36
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