Junkers Ju 90

Junkers · German Reich · first flew 1937 · airliner

The Junkers Ju 90 was a large German four-engine airliner of the late 1930s, developed partly from the Ju 89 strategic bomber design. It was intended to be Deutsche Lufthansa's flagship long-haul transport.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Deep slab-sided fuselage seating up to 40 passengers
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Four-engine low-wing airliner with corrugated Junkers skin
Deep slab-sided fuselage seating up to 40 passengers
Distinctive step in fuselage underside ahead of tail

The corrugated Junkers skin, four radial engines in well-faired nacelles, and a notably deep, slab-sided fuselage set it apart from contemporary airliners such as the Douglas DC-4.

Specifications

The Junkers Ju 90 has a length of 26.3 m (86 ft).
It has a wingspan of 35.02 m (115 ft).
Its maximum speed is 385 km/h (239 mph).
Typical crew: 4.

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

History

The Ju 90 first flew in August 1937 and entered Lufthansa service in 1938 on European and South Atlantic routes. Only 18 were built before the outbreak of World War II redirected production priorities. Several were impressed into Luftwaffe transport service, seeing action on the Eastern Front.

Variants

The Ju 90 B was the main production airliner; the Ju 290 was a substantially enlarged and redesigned derivative used by the Luftwaffe as a long-range maritime patrol and transport aircraft.

Where you'll see it

Operated briefly by Deutsche Lufthansa before the war; wartime examples served as Luftwaffe transports; not exported.

Related aircraft

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