Junkers J.I

Two-hundred twenty-seven Junkers J.I ground-attack aeroplanes were completed in 1917-1918. The armored "bathtub" protecting the crew, engine, and fuel, the duralumin skin, and the internal wing bracing made it a superbly robust low-level aircraft. Only the engine bearers were made of wood (in order to reduce vibration). Though experiments were made with downward-firing fixed guns and cannons, the plane was already enough for a 200hp engine to push around and the single Parabellum plus grenades remained standard.

Once the plane reached the front, it was known to come back with dozens of holes through the wings, tail, and rear fuselage that the aircraft easily ignored. On some missions the J.I was accompanied by higher-flying CL-Class planes for protection, but for basic ground contact and enemy identification it frequently flew alone or with another J.I.

The flight controls were all enclosed in the fuselage and consisted of cranks and push rods rather than the conventional cables, adding to the J.I's resistance to small-arms fire.

Since the design was so unusual and the Junkers factory was fairly inexperienced, production levels were never as high as hoped.

Card Links

 * German

1:144 Scale

 * Shapeways: Decapod, Reduced Aircraft Factory
 * Metal kit:

1:200 Scale

 * Shapeways: Reduced Aircraft Factory

1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale

 * Shapeways: Reduced Aircraft Factory
 * Metal Cast:

1:350 Scale

 * Shapeways: Reduced Aircraft Factory