Ju 87 D-3 Light Bomber 50kg is a German Air unit in Steel Division II.
Background[ | ]
The Junkers Ju 87 Sturzkampfflugzeug (Stuka) was an iconic dive bomber employed by the Luftwaffe. Created by Hermann Pohlmann, the Ju 87 had a long and rough design phase, plagued by flaws and technical shortcomings ever since work started in 1933. The first plane flew in 1935, with the combat debut coming two years later, with the Condor Legion during the Civil War. The inverted gull wings and dive brakes gave it excellent air handling characteristics, allowing Stuka pilots to make vertical dives and recover from them safely thanks to automated pull-up dive brakes. It served on all fronts of the war and became a symbol of Nazi Germany's blitzkriegs, but its vulnerability to enemy fighters only increased as the war went on and eventually it had to be relegated to support roles.
The D series was introduced in 1941, as a dedicated tactical bomber. Although the Battle of Britain demonstrated Ju 87's vulnerability to enemy fighters, the Luftwaffe continued its development due to a lack of replacement aircraft. The D series featured an improved Jumo 211J power plant, nearly quadrupling its carrying ability (to 1,800 kg or 4,000 lbs). Some 3,300 Ds were produced between 1942 and 1944, when production ended. The D-3 was an improved D-1, fitted with more armor for protection and some were modified for night fighting and tropical duties.