Luft Hansa contracted for a fleet of eight Ju 90 A-1 airframes though only seven of the lot were eventually delivered as the Luftwaffe claimed one of the litter (they later went on to claim six more of the aircraft and used some of this fleet in their invasion of Norway). South African Airways was to become another civilian operator of the series as it contracted for two aircraft, these differing in their switch to American Pratt & Whitney "Twin Wasp" radial engines of 900 horsepower. However, neither airframe was actually delivered to the company due to the outbreak of war - the pair, instead, given over to the Luftwaffe for the mounting war effort.
The Ju 90A-1 featured an operating crew of four can could carry forty passengers in relative comfort. Length reached 86.2 feet with a wingspan of 114.10 feet and a height of 24.6 feet. Empty weight was 42,385lb against an MTOW of 74,255lb. Power was served from 4 x BMW 132 H-1 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines developing 820 horsepower apiece, these driving three-bladed, constant-speed propeller units.
Performance-wise, the A-1 could reach speeds of 220 miles-per-hour but was generally restricted to cruising at near-200mph speeds. Range (ferry) was an impressive 1,300 miles and its service ceiling peaked at 18,860 feet.
The follow-up Ju 90B had the vertical tailplanes and passenger cabin windows rounded off for a more streamlined, modern appearance. This mark was proven through a series of prototypes from V5 to V10.
Prototype V11 served as the framework for the Ju 290 transport / bomber and were joined by V7 and V8 while prototype V9 became the basis for the Ju 390 "Amerika Bomber" initiative. V4 served the Luftwaffe during the war years and was notable for its switch to Jumo 211F/L engines of 1,320 horsepower. V5 and V6 were used as prototypes to prove a military transport model for the Luftwaffe sound during 1939.
The Ju 90's footprint in the war years was relatively modest but the design did go on to influence the two aforementioned, higher-profile, heavy bombers eventually undertaken by the Luftwaffe - making it a critical addition of the Interwar period to a rebuilding German war machine.
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