Junkers Ju 160

{{Infobox aircraft begin

|name = Ju 160

|image = Junkers Ju 160.jpg

|caption =

}}{{Infobox aircraft type

|type = Small fast passenger transport

|manufacturer = Junkers

|designer =

|first flight = 30 January 1934

|introduced = 1935

|retired =

|primary user = Deutsche Lufthansa

|more users = Luftwaffe
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

|number built = 47

|unit cost =

|variants with their own articles =

}}

The Junkers Ju 160 was a single-engine low-wing passenger transport aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers

Derived from the Ju 60, the Ju 160 was targeted at the same fast airliner market as the Heinkel He 70 Blitz and the Lockheed Model 9 Orion. The German flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa has commissioned the unsuccessful Ju 60; Junkers decided to design an improved derivative in 1934. Capable of seating up to six passengers and operated by a crew of two, the Ju 160 benefitted from the adoption of a new wing, a more powerful engine, and an aerodynamically cleaner exterior (which included an inwards-retracting undercarriage). The first prototype was taken from the Ju 60's assembly line.

The German flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa operated a fleet of at least 20 aircraft, which it used largely on internal routes. Several other airlines also procured the Ju 160, including Weser Flugbau and at least one Manchurian operator. The type commenced civil operations in 1935 and was operating some of Deutsche Lufthansa's routes as late as 1941. Following the start of the Second World War, the Luftwaffe opted to impress the majority of civil Ju 160s in Germany; in a military capacity, the aircraft was largely used for communication and training purposes.

Design and development

The origins of the Ju 160 are directly tied to that of the preceding Junkers Ju 60 of the early 1930s.Smith and Kay 1972, p. 422. The development of this aircraft had been commissioned by the German flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa in response to the arrival of the American Lockheed Model 9 Orion at rival airline Swissair. The Ju 60 made it into flight and was formally evaluated by the airline, but it quickly became clear that the Ju 60 was unable to match the top speeds of rival aircraft, such as the Heinkel He 70 Blitz. Having proven to be uncompetitive, only two Ju 60s were ever completed. Nevertheless, during 1934, design work commenced on an improved variant of the Ju 60, which received the designation Ju 160.Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 422-423.

Akin to the Ju 60 and Junkers' established design convention, the Ju 160 was a low-wing cantilever aircraft. While the Ju 160 shared the same general configuration and many similarities with the preceding Ju 60, it featured numerous changes aimed at bolstering its performance. The Ju 160 was cleaned up aerodynamically,Turner and Nowarra 1971, {{page needed|date=September 2024}}. and was outfitted with a more powerful BMW 132A radial engine (capable of producing up to 490 kW (660 hp); this combination was able to make the aircraft roughly 72 km/h (45 mph) faster that its predecessor.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

One of the more noticeable changes was the adoption of a new wing, which possessed a swept leading edge and a straight trailing edge. A Junkers-style double-wing formed both the ailerons and flaps. The wing planform was also revised to have taper only on the leading edge. These wings were built around a twin spars and were covered in sheet duralumin.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} Smooth metal sheeting was used across the entirety of the exterior of the Ju 160 while the Ju 60 had used Junkers' traditional corrugated skin across the wings and some areas around the tail. A further visual difference between the two aircraft was that the Ju 60 had four cabin windows on either side of the fuselage while the Ju 160 had only three on either side. The Ju 160 featured an inwards-retracting main undercarriage.

Other aerodynamic improvements of the Ju 160 included the cockpit enclosure being better faired into the fuselage. Seating was for six passengers in two forward-facing and one rear-facing pairs. The crew, comprising a pilot and radio operator, sat in tandem within an enclosed cockpit. While designed to be typically flown by a single pilot, a folding control column and other flight controls was provisioned for a second pilot to be seated starboard of the pilot.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

The first prototype Ju 160 V1, D-UNOR, was taken from the Ju 60 assembly line.{{cite web |url=http://www.goldenyears.ukf.net/ |title=Golden Years of Aviation - Main |website = goldenyears.ukf.net |access-date=30 May 2012 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219070818/http://www.goldenyears.ukf.net/ |archive-date=19 February 2012 }} Deutsch Lufthansa formally evaluated this aircraft; following trials, a number of changes were made to the final prototype (V3), which included a wider chord, a reduced depth rudder, a faired tailwheel, and minor modifications to the exterior door. The second prototype (V2) was for a military version.

The first civil production series were designated Ju 160A-0.

Operational history

Including prototypes, 47 Ju 160s were produced. Deutsch Lufthansa were the primarily commercial operator of the type, receiving at least 20 production standard aircraft. During 1935 alone, the airline's fleet was being flown on 13 separate domestic routes. Furthermore, Deutsch Lufthansa Ju 160 was also used on some international routes, such as between Breslau and Prague.

The Ju 160 stayed in service on Deutsch Lufthansa's fast route between Berlin and Vienna until 1941. One of the Ju 160s was initially operated by the Lufthansa subsidiary Eurasia; this aircraft, however, crashed in Shanghai and was taken back to Germany for repairs and was later flown by to Deutsch Lufthansa. The first 11 Lufthansa aircraft were Ju 160 A-0s registered in 1935, followed by 10 D-0s in 1936; the latter version featured enlarged cockpit windows and other crew comfort enhancements. Weser Flugbau operated an ex-Lufthansa aircraft. Two aircraft also appeared on the Manchurian civil register, one of then having earlier been registered in Germany, the other sold directly. The Manchurian aircraft appear to have ended up in Japan.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

The German Research Institute for Aviation (Deutsche Versuchsanstalt fur Luftfahrt e.V ) operated four Ju 160s. Five others operated at the Flight Research Centre (E-Stelle) at Travemünde. The remaining aircraft were mostly military versions. The majority of the surviving civilian Ju 160s in Germany were eventually impressed in Luftwaffe service shortly following the outbreak of the Second World War. They were used to conduct training and communications missions.

Operators

;{{flag|Germany|Nazi}}

;{{JPN}}

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service as the "LXJ"

Specifications (Ju 160)

{{Aircraft specs

|ref= German Aircraft of the Second World WarSmith and Kay 1972, p. 423.

|prime units?= met

|crew= two

|capacity= six passengers

|length m= 12

|length note=

|span m= 14.32

|span note=

|height m= 4

|height note=

|wing area sqm= 34.8

|wing area note=

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg= 2,320

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|more general=

|eng1 number= 1

|eng1 name= BMW 132A

|eng1 type= nine-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine

|eng1 kw= 490

|eng1 note=

|prop blade number= 2

|prop name= variable-pitch propeller

|prop dia m=

|prop dia note=

|max speed kmh= 340

|max speed note=

|cruise speed kmh= 315

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed note=

|range km= 1,200

|range note=at {{cvt|1900|m}}Grey, C. & Bridgman, L. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938 (1972). Newton Abbot: David & Charles (Publishers) Ltd. {{ISBN|0-7153-5734-4}}

|ferry range km=

|ferry range note=

|endurance= three hours and 12 minutes

|ceiling m= 5,200

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|wing loading kg/m2= 66.7

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|power/mass={{cvt|0.14|kW/kg}}

|more performance=

}}

References

=Citations=

=Bibliography=

Turner, P. StJ. & Nowarra, N. Junkers: an aircraft album (1971). New York: Arco Publishing Co, Inc. {{ISBN|0-668-02506-9}}
{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=John Richard |last2=Kay |first2=Anthony L. |title=German aircraft of the Second World War |date=1990 |publisher=Putnam and Company Ltd. |location=London, UK |language=en |isbn=0851778364 |edition=7th impression}}