Black Cross Volume 2: Junkers 288/388/488
by Karl-Heinz Regnat
Category: History

8 1/2 x 11, 150 b&w photosThe second volume in Midland's new Black Cross series on German military aircraft looks at some of the fascinating but less well-known types built or proposed by the Junkers company during World War II. The JU288 was a medium bomber which first flew in June 1941. It came out of the Luftwaffe's biggest development program of the war. This was known as Bomber B and was set up to produce a new strategic bomber. Several variants of the JU288 offering different speeds, ranges and bomb loads were envisaged, but only 22 aircraft were produced. The development project that resulted in the JU388 began in September 1943. This was to be a multi-purpose type that could be used as a bomber, a night fighter or a reconnaissance aircraft. The night fighter variant had distinctive radar antennae on the nose.The final type examined in the book, the JU488, was first proposed in early 1944. This was for a four-engined heavy bomber. In order to accelerate the development program, parts from the JU88, 188 and 288 were used in its construction. Two prototypes were assembled in France but were destroyed by the French resistance before they could be shipped to Germany for evaluation leading to the abandonment of the program in November 1944.