AirDOC (Aircraft Documents)

Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" Teil 2 book

Product # ADC 009  ISBN 978-3-935687-48-5

Product Article by Steve Bamford on Oct 31 2011

 

This new book from AirDOC covers one of the most terrifying Luftwaffe bombers to ever take to the air during WW2.  The Ju 87 Stuka with it's wind powered siren that had no purpose except to terrify people on the ground during it's dive bombing missions.  In the hands of a skilled crew, this was a very accurate dive bomber and anti-tank weapon, but in a sky full of enemy fighters, the Ju 87 was ill prepared to survive.  It wasn't the prettiest aircraft, but it was purpose built and filled it's role in WW2 very well...at least in the early years of the war. 

This 65 page soft cover book is part 2 in the series on the Ju 87 and explores the Ju 87 in pictures from the D-1 to the D-8.  Text is in English and German and I must say the English text is flawlessly translated.

This book contains: 

  • 129 black and white photos from WW2 operations

  • 5 colour profiles

  • 1/72 line drawings for

    • Ju 87D-1 (1 side profile line drawings)

    • Ju 87D-3 "Late" (4 view line drawings)

    • Ju 87D-5 (4 view line drawings)

    • Ju 87D-5 "Winter" (1 side profile line drawings)

    • Ju 87D-7 (1 side profile line drawings)

    • Ju 87D-8 (1 side profile line drawings)

Click on images below to see larger images

There is 14 pages of text as an introduction at the beginning of this book and these topics in the introduction include:

  • Further development of the Ju 87 B and R 

  • Start of operation Evaluation

  • The Versions of the Ju 987 "Dora

    • Ju 87D-1

    • Ju 87D-2

    • Ju 87D-3

    • Ju 87D-4

    • Ju 87D-5

    • Ju 87D-7

    • Ju 87D-8

  •  Flame-Dampening Systems- Fla-V Antage

  • Improvement of the droppable Ordinance

  • Bomb-Sight

  • Reinforcement of the Armament

  • Wheels and Skis

  • Production of the Ju 87D

  • Final Operations

  • Fuselage tactical codes (these are the letters on the rear fuselage and which Unit they belong to)

  • Performance figures for the various Ju-87 Doras

I was impressed by the detail this book goes into about the development and evolution of the Ju 87 through the various prototypes and set backs during this prototype process.  For instance I didn't know but at one time there was a push to fit the Ju 87 with the Daimler-Benz DB 603 engine but after prototypes were tested the idea was dropped.  This book explains all this and much more in an easy to follow and very detailed and well laid out fashion.

This book has a fantastic selection of photos from WW2 starting with the photos in the image above of the production lines for the Ju 87 and photo of operations during WW2.  For a scale modeller these photos are an intellectual gold mine of info and ideas for scale modeling....especially for diorama ideas and inspiration.  Each photo also contains well researched text that examines and explains each photo in great detail.

I was pleased to see plenty of photos covering the Eastern Front during winter operations with the white wash camo.  There are also a selection of B&W detail photos (cockpit etc) as well as photos of various crashed and damaged aircraft.

If you're a fan of WW2 Luftwaffe history and aircraft or a fan of the Ju 87, then this book is well worth picking up as it is a fantastic collection of photos and information covering this Ju 87 D variants.  I am quite impressed with this book and all the information it contains.

I would like to thank AirDOC for providing me with this review sample.

AirDOC also has a large selection of aircraft reference books covering modern and vintage aircraft as well as decals covering vintage and modern aircraft.

Steve Bamford

      

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford