Junkers Ju 87

The Junkers Ju 87 two-seat dive bomber gained a fearsome reputation during the early years of the Second World War. Its innovative design included louvered dive brakes to ensure automatic recovery from its steep – and highly accurate – dive bombing attacks.

The Ju 87 was also known as the Stuka (a shortened form of the German term for dive bomber, Sturzkampfflugzeug). It was fitted with sirens which gave a distinctive and terrifying scream when it dived. During the Battle of Britain, Ju 87s attacked British airfields and radar stations but proved highly vulnerable, suffering heavy losses. This aircraft, Ju 87G-2, is one of only two intact original examples of the Stuka to survive.