|
|
The Ju 88R was an improved fighter version of the Ju 88, based around the use of 1,700hp BMW 801A radial engines. These had been reserved for use in the Fw 190, but by the end of 1942 the increased pace of British bombing made the night fighters more important.
R-1
The R-1 was an improved version of the C-6. It carried the same guns as the C-6, but was powered by the BMW raidla engines. A single rear firing MG 81K or MG 131 was also provided. The majority of these aircraft used the early FuG 202 or FuG 212 radar sets. The R-1 entered service in early 1943, at a time where the German night fighters were inflicting heavy casualties on Bomber Command.
On 9 May 1943 a fully equipped Ju 88R-1 was stolen from a German airfield and flown to Scotland. This gave the RAF a chance to examine the German radar equipment, and modify tactics accordingly.
R-2
The R-2 used more powerful 1,700hp BMW 801D radial engines. It was equipped with FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 radar, which at the time ignored Allied jamming. The R-2 was the first version of the Ju 88 fighter to always feature an armoured windscreen. It could reach a top speed of 359.6mph with its normal combat load. The Ju 88R-2 remained in production until early 1944.
Aircraft of the Luftwaffe 1935-1945, Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage.
Combines a good background history of the Luftwaffe with a comprehensive examination of its aircraft, from the biplanes of the mid 1930s to the main wartime aircraft and on to the seemingly unending range of experimental designs that wasted so much effort towards the end of the war. A useful general guide that provides an impressively wide range of information on almost every element of the Luftwaffe
(Read Full Review)
Introduction - Bomber - Fighter - Ju 88A - Ju 88B - Ju 88C - Ju 88D - Ju 88G - Ju 88H - Ju 88P - Ju 88R - Ju 88S - Ju 88T