The Junkers Ju87 Stuka (FlightCraft) - Softcover

Derry, Martin; Robinson, Neil

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1526702622 ISBN 13: 9781526702623

Publisher: Pen and Sword Aviation, 2018

Synopsis

The Junkers Ju 87 ‘Stuka’ (a contraction of the German word Sturzkampfflugzeug, ie dive bomber) was arguably the Luftwaffe’s most recognizable airplane, with its inverted gull wings and fixed spatted undercarriage.

Designed by Hermann Pohlmann as a dedicated dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft, the prototype first flew in 1935, and made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. After several design changes in the light of operational experiences, the ‘Stuka’ went on to serve the Luftwaffe and Axis forces, from the invasion of Poland in 1939, through the Battles of France and Britain in 1940, over the North African desert and the across Mediterranean, the invasion of Russia and the subsequent bitter fighting in that vast area, and following several more design changes and upgrades, continued to serve through to the end of World War Two.

This latest addition to the growing Flight Craft range, follows the previous well established format, in that it is split in to three main sections. The first section, after offering a concise design and development history, continues with coverage of the various subtypes, from ‘Anton’ to ‘Gustav’ and their operational use from the Spanish Civil War to the end of World War Two.

This is followed by a 16-page full color illustration section featuring detailed profiles and 2-views of the color schemes and markings carried by the type in Luftwaffe and Axis service. The final section lists as many of the injection-moulded plastic model kits produced of the Junkers Ju 87 in all the major scales that the authors could find details of, including the brand new Airfix 1/72 and 1/48 scale kits which were released while this book was being written, with photos of many finished models made by some of the world’s best modelers.

As with all the other books in the Flight Craft range, whilst published primarily with the scale aircraft modeler in mind, it is hoped that those readers who might perhaps describe themselves as 'occasional' modelers, or even simply aviation enthusiasts, may also find that this colorful and informative work offers something to provoke their interests too.

About this title

About the Author:

Martin Derry has been involved in compiling, editing, assisting-in and writing about aviation-related books and publications for over 30 years and has brought a wealth of knowledge of the aircraft types and the colors that they flew in to enhance the Flight Craft series, having compiled and authored several books in the range. He has several more books under production and in preparation for future FlightCraft titles.

Neil Robinson has been involved in compiling, editing, assisting-in and writing about aviation-related books and publications for over 30 years and has brought a wealth of knowledge of the aircraft types and the colors that they flew in to enhance the Flight Craft series, having compiled and authored several books in the range. He has several more books under production and in preparation for future Flight Craft titles.

Review:

"...a tremendous source of information for those interested in better understanding one of the iconic Luftwaffe aircraft of the Second World War." (Air Power History)

“Martin Derry and Neil Robinson's tome on the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka is a welcome addition to the Stuka library at good price point. Martin and Neil provide an easy read on the Stuka's development and service history. I particularly enjoyed the section of foreign operated Stukas with details I had not seen before... Highly recommended!” (IPMS/USA)

About this edition

• Publisher: Pen and Sword Aviation
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1526702622
• ISBN 13: 9781526702623
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96