Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, “dive bomber”) was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War and served the Axis forces in World War II. It was armed with bombs (500 kg), two fixed machine guns 7,9 mm MG17 in the wings and a movable machine gun MG15 7.9 millimeters in the rear cabin. This one was an Italian Air Force plane which was probably shot down by cannon fire by air defense from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in April 1941. It was found south of the island of Žirje. The wreck is in good condition and the front part of the fuselage, wings and tail of the aircraft are connected and complete. The engine is about 20m from the aircraft. The value of this finding is certainly exceptional in world terms, since there were only 5709 aircraft produced at that time. There are only two of this type preserved in the world, in museum exhibitions in London and Chicago.