Junkers Ju 388

Junkers · Germany · first flew 1943 · bomber

The Junkers Ju 388 was a high-altitude, high-speed German multi-role aircraft developed late in World War II, intended to replace the Ju 88 in bomber, night-fighter, and reconnaissance roles while outrunning Allied interceptors at altitude. It featured a pressurised cockpit and no forward defensive armament.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	15.59 m fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Twin-engine high-altitude reconnaissance and bomber
Pressurised cockpit pod with no defensive armament forward
Twin-tail boom arrangement, DB 603 or BMW 801 engines

The Ju 388 resembles the Ju 88 family but has a more streamlined, extensively glazed pressurised nose pod, twin tail fins, and engines in large annular cowlings on a tapered mid-wing.

Specifications

The Junkers Ju 388 has a length of 15.59 m (51 ft).
It has a wingspan of 22 m (72 ft).
Its maximum speed is 750 km/h (466 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Derived from the Ju 188, the Ju 388 entered limited production in 1944 in bomber (L), night-fighter (J), and reconnaissance (K) variants. Only a few dozen were completed before war's end, and the type saw limited operational use due to production disruptions and Allied bombing of factories.

Variants

The Ju 388J was a night-fighter with Schräge Musik upward-firing cannon; the Ju 388K was the high-altitude bomber; the Ju 388L was the photo-reconnaissance variant — the most numerous.

Where you'll see it

Saw only very limited Luftwaffe service in 1944–45; reconnaissance variants flew high-altitude sorties over Allied-held territory. The war ended before full operational deployment.

Related aircraft

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