FHCAM JU-87R-4 Stuka revealed

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Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 911

All past and present restoration projects make me happy, but for me, this is project of the decade. Never thought I would see a Ju-87 in the air. Exciting times! Is there a Bf-110 in the pipeline?

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 7,025

^^^^^^^^^^ That would be something i would love to see and hear.

Member for

5 years 4 months

Posts: 7

With regard running the ME410, FW190 etc at St Athan during the late 80s and early 90s, the Stuka had long gone to Hendon by then. I remember seeing it on a low loader travelling out of Wales on the Severn Bridge in 1977? I read somewhere that it was run at St Athan in the late 60s for consideration for the BofB film, the quote was that the engine was "weak". Should be some photographs out there?

Member for

9 years 2 months

Posts: 5

My dad was stationed at St Athan in the early 70s and was friendly with Ken Hurst who curated the amazing storage facility, so many a Sunday morning was spent sat in the cockpit of the Ju87 and all the rest. Great memories

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 18,353

This is gonna be so awesome when finished.

Member for

19 years 11 months

Posts: 1,988

Wonder if they are going to reproduce one of the two Snake Stukas.......cue debate about the colours of the snake if that’s the case and whether it was painted on both sides of the airframe:D

Member for

20 years 3 months

Posts: 2,764

The Hendon Ssuka was nearly used in the BoB film. Viv Bellamy started it and it started on the third pull. That was in 1967-ish, perhaps twenty years before the engines were run at St Athan. A different era.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,435

This Stuka was originally factory painted in a desert finish, then repainted for the Soviet Front. What I think we see here is FHCAMs meticulous attention to detail in reproducing all layers of paint, as originally applied. The Jericho Trumpet will not be fitted as it was not for the Soviet Front. Source: FHCAM via FB.

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Member for

15 years 9 months

Posts: 1,306

I had heard the overpainted idea, that's great. The lack of siren, less so. It makes sense from an accuracy standpoint but is deeply disappointing to learn.

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 9,821

They probably don't want noise complaints... :)

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 2,605

Of course, it wasn´t a fighter. So Steve Hinton will be a little bit bored when he will fly the JU 87 for the first time within the next three years.

Unless you get it in a tail chase with 16 Spitfires :)

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 9,821

I wonder if there is anyone still alive with Stuka time?

Member for

11 years 11 months

Posts: 149

Yes, there are some. My former math teacher, who is still alive, shared some of his memories many years ago. But anyway, this will not help anybody. If you ask a guy in his 90´s about his experiences with a special aircraft, you will be surprised, what he is talking about. In case of the Stuka, I think there will be no bad surprises. If you read the report of Mr. Brown, it will be a very stable and easy to fly aircraft. As long there is nobody behind you, who wants to kill you, it will be a pleasure to fly her. The biggest question will be the reliability of the Jumo.

Member for

5 years 7 months

Posts: 55

The Jumo 211 should not be a reliability issue. It was a workhorse engine for the Luftwaffe and versions powered the Ju87, Ju88, and most He111 throughout the war. However, it does have some different detail engineering to most other V12's. Even compared to the DB601/605, I would say the Jumo is a more complicated engine. Even the fully automatic oil operated (motor) propeller pitch system is virtually extinct today. I am not aware of any 211 that is run? I guess that whoever is doing this motor / propeller is pretty sharp. I wish them the best with this. :)

V

Member for

8 years 7 months

Posts: 427

I believe that the engine is/was done at Vintage V12s in California

Member for

13 years 10 months

Posts: 409

With the Stuka, He-111 and Ju-88 projects owned by the FHCAM all needing operational Jumo 211's, it explains why Mike Nixon's shop has a stockpile of them (Jumo 211 work at that shop has been underway for at least a few years now). Furthermore, I've never heard of Mike Nixon's shop doing engines only for display use.

Member for

11 years 11 months

Posts: 149

There is no question that Vintage V12 is one of the best, if not the best address if a rare engine has to be restored. There is also no question, that if a Merlin is leaving their workshop in our days, this engine is much more reliable than a new original engine from RR or Packard 75 years ago. The problem will be, that noboby has any experience with the Jumo engines. I am not shure, but the last time a Jumo did his job must be more than 70 years ago. So if you are restoring an old German engine, you are not able to order a new piston, a crankshaft or a complete heads and banks set from a company, which is producing these parts as certified spare parts again. If you see the trouble with the Mercedes 601 and 605 in the last years, even if they have been overhauled by Vintage V12, we can only hope, that these engines will reach a fraction of the reliability of the Merlin engines in some years. Not even speaking about the new engines of the 262. I hope nobody will missunderstand this post. Here in Germany, every friend of the historic aviation, is looking forward to see, what is happening in Seattle within the next years! Sadly, but for obvious reasons, in our country there are not too many people and companys who are willing to keep our, of course not very glorious, history alive.