This aircraft is the second and last G 38 built by Junkers, it made its maiden flight in 1932, the first prototype having flown in December 1929.
Junkers was a talented German engineer and aircraft designer who pioneered the design of all metal aircraft.
It all started in 1915 when he made his first all metal aircraft with a cantilever wing and practically no external bracing.
This aircraft, the Junkers J1, was exhibited at the Deutches Museum in Munich, sadly, it was destroyed during a WWII bombing raid in December 1944.
When the Nazis came into power in 1933 they requested Hugo Junkers to help the re-armament of Germany.
He refused the request, he was threatened of emprisonment under the grounds of High Treason, his factories were seized.
Junkers was set under arrest at his private home where he died in 1935.
Hugo Junkers was German but not a Nazi.
He was a great man.
The second G 38 incorporated all the modifications made to the first prototype.
An enlarged fuselage able to carry 34 passengers, more powerful engines, more generous vertical tail surfaces and this aircraft received new trailing edge flaps designed by Junkers all along the wingspan, giving the aircraft excellent take-off performances.
It even had something like an APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) located in the left wing able to provide pressure for the parking brake and energy to start up the engines.
It was a huge and innovative aircraft.
The thickness of the wing near the wing root was 2 mètres (see picture).
there was a passenger cabin in the leading edge of each wing between the inboard engines and the fuselage.
A large cargo compartment able to accommodate 3 tons of freight was in the wings and the fuselage.
The access to the engines was possible while in flight and there was a Flight Engineer station looking like an "engine room" in each wing between the two engines.
There was no less than 28 fuel tanks in the wings, enough to keep the two Flight Engineers busy ...
34 passengers could take place in this aircraft.
11 in the forward cabin, another 11 in the central cabin and 4 at the rear in the smoking section.
In addition 6 could take a seat in the leading edge and another 2 in the extreme nose ahead of the cockpit.
The flight crew comprised of 7 people : 1 Captain, 2 Pilots, 2 Flight Engineers, 1 Wireless Operator and 1 Steward.
The first prototype registered D 2000 and later D-AZUR crashed shortly after take-off during a post maintenance test flight, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
The second aircraft D 2500 and later D-APIS named "Generalfeldmarschall Von Hindenburg" was used by Lufthansa till the outbreak of WWII, flying between Germany, Rome, Stockholm and London.
It was taken over by the Lufthansa and was destroyed by an allied bombing while in Greece.
Many different engines were fitted to the aircraft, so many that it is easy to get lost .
The model ...
This time it is not a resin model but a hard die cast one that I received unfinished, in kit form.
I asked Derek Barratt a well known model maker in UK to make this model for me some five years ago.
Sadly, Derek passed away in June 2017 while visiting Normandy (France) with some of his friends and his work was unfinished.
Very kindly, Chris Sayer sent the model to me ... sadly Chris passed away three years ago.
Both are sorely missed.
All I Had to do was to finish what was started, in the spirit of Derek and with his skill which was difficult to match.
I did my best.
I know that the swastika is a sensible matter, they are on the rudders of my model because they were on the real aircraft, it cannot be taken as an expression of my sympathy for any neo-Nazi group, that's just in the interest of accuracy.
Something that could be of interest to my fellow modelers :
The large registration marks on the wings are not decals because of the devastating silvering effect which was highly likely on corrugation.
They are dry transfers or dry decals if you prefer.
I was very lucky to find a font very similar to the one I was looking for.
If this option is possible on one of your models I strongly recommend it.
I attach a few pictures, the livery of my model is representative of what you see on the first picture, the car on the second picture is a Mercedes 540 K.
I apologize for the quality of some pictures, I had to modify some of them to make the rudders more presentable.
Another unusual aircraft to my collection, in the same vein, a resin Baade 152 is waiting for me.
I let you check what it looks like on Google.
I will be back in a few weeks or months with this model, stay tuned.
Great addition to your fleet JP and beautifully finished.
I guess I never really paid attention to the fact that you also collect and build non AF aircraft. Nice to read about the history of this aircraft. The story becomes even more special to read who were involved in the original building of this model. I have never known Derek, but Chris was involved in some of my models too. I read a military version was built under license of the Japanse, the KI 20.
The aircraft appears to have been the largest aicraft of its time when it first flew, with a 24 ton weight. I could not resist adding a picture of the second aicraft (2500) during a visit to Schiphol airport.
Nice model of an iconic plane.
Personally, I would have decalled proper swastikas.
I have this on my website, in my personal collection. If anyone complains they can do one. Dad was English - Mum German and thats good enough for me.
Great addition to your fleet JP and beautifully finished.
I guess I never really paid attention to the fact that you also collect and build non AF aircraft. Nice to read about the history of this aircraft. The story becomes even more special to read who were involved in the original building of this model. I have never known Derek, but Chris was involved in some of my models too. I read a military version was built under license of the Japanse, the KI 20.
The aircraft appears to have been the largest aicraft of its time when it first flew, with a 24 ton weight. I could not resist adding a picture of the second aicraft (2500) during a visit to Schiphol airport.
Thank you Maarlandair for your kind words.
It is true that I essentially collect and make AF aircraft but I break the rules when there is something unusual or very nice.
Bristol Brabazon, Saro Princess, Languedoc with a Leduc on its back and the KLM DC 4 ...
Nice model of an iconic plane.
Personally, I would have decalled proper swastikas.
I have this on my website, in my personal collection. If anyone complains they can do one. Dad was English - Mum German and thats good enough for me.
Thank you Aviaction.
My model has true swastikas on the rudders, simply I modified the pictures to make things more presentable for the people on the forum.
Great history Jean Pierre of yet another great subject, being this Junkers G-38 and yes you did finish of the build of which both Derek Barratt and Chris Sayer would have been very proud of this completed model. Great model skills and research and I love the history presented with your model builds.
Thank you very much Jean Pierre for publishing this post.
Thank you for the honor of showing me some preview pictures in advance of this threat. So, I already spoke these words to you in private.
I do admire your fantastic Junkers. There is a historical significance of the model including the symbols from that time. It also points out that Germany was a non-hostile nation for most of the operational service of this aircarft. In the periode after the Treaty of Versaille and during the economic depression of the '30s even a damaged nation, that saw civil aviation as part of the solution to get out of the crisis. This model should be seen separated from the extremism later associated with the swastika symbol. In fact, it can teach us today that extremism never leads to solutions. And civil aviation does...
You have paid a worthy tribute to Hugo Junkers and two gentleman I did not know until today, Derek Barratt and Chris Sayer. Thats so great about sharing memories; they will continue live on.
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Junkers G 38
