Ju-87B in Chicago

[RCS]

I saw this photo on my computer and had to take a picture. This Ju-87B is located in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry, hanging from the ceiling. I have seen this aircraft many times, years ago. They said it was shot down by a Spitfire in North Africa in 1941 and landed. There are still bullet holes in the engine area. This Ju-87B was
sent to the USA and found a home in Chicago. I believe there are only two or three examples left.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

I believe there are only two or three examples left.

As in that many Stuka or that model? I went to school with a kid who's dad was a mechanic on these during the war.

[RCS]

Jim,

I found this same photo in a book that stated this Ju-87B was from Stukageschwader 1 which had been sent to North Africa in Feb 1941.

I believe there are only two Ju-87 Stukas left over from WW2 that are complete

[browningautorifle]

Typical, that's not much. I suppose there must be a few hanger queens lying in museums though.

[mrclark303]

I suppose after the war people didn't want the reminder and were happy to see the back of such things. In fact, a good deal of the surviving WW2 German aircraft about today are rebuilt wrecks that came out of the former Soviet Union in the 1990's.

Luckily, that new found capitalism coupled with state of the art engineering has allowed a few gaps in collections to be filled.

[Flying10uk]

There is another complete JU87 here in the U.K. and if memory serves me correctly it's at the RAF Museum, London. The problem for the Luftwaffe was that the Stuka was very venerable to attack from modern single engine monoplane fighters like the Hurricane and Spitfire. This was due to it's relative slow speed, lack of manoeuvrability and poor armament. I don't believe that the Luftwaffe realised that they had a problem with the Stuka design until the Battle of Britain.

[Tom in N.J.]

Here is a photo from the Chicago Musuem of Industry's web site of the Spitfire hanging next to the JU 87 Stuka. can anyone read the serial number?

Attachment 75723

[Flying10uk]

No sorry can't read the number but I'd say the Spitfire is a fairly early example because of the 3 bladed propeller and it's an 8 gun Spitfire. That means it's armed with 8 .303 calibre Browning machine guns which are all wing mounted. Later variants had a choice/mixture of also being armed with Browning 50 cal machines and 20mm cannon and sometimes in combination with .303 machine guns.

[Vincent]

I don't believe that the Luftwaffe realised that they had a problem with the Stuka design until the Battle of Britain.

There was nothing wrong with the design. The problem was they lost air supremacy. When that happened all their aircraft became vulnerable.

The Stuka was a great tank buster. If they had maintained air supremacy, it could have continued in service for a long time.

Our old Hogs (A-10’s) are only able to operate because we control the sky over the battle fields. They would be easy pickings for modern fighters.


Junkers Ju-87R-2




The U-505 is a fantastic exhibit.

[Flying10uk]

Do you know how the museum came by the U boat, vincent? There was an example captured complete and intact which was put on public display in the U.K. during the war and which my father went to look at as a child. I wondered if it was the same one?