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The Junkers Ju 290 was a long-range transport, maritime patrol aircraft and bomber used by the Luftwaffe late in World War II. It was developed from earlier Junkers designs dating from before the war. The Junkers 290 was a direct development of the Junkers Ju 90 airliner, versions of which had been evaluated for military purposes. By 1941, two further prototype militarised Ju 90s were deemed to be different enough from their predecessors to warrant a new designation. These flew in mid 1942 and were quickly accepted into service and the type ordered into production. These two (Ju 290A-0), plus the first five production aircraft (Ju 290A-1), were completed as heavy transports, equipped with loading ramps in their tails and defensive gun turrets. Some of these aircraft participated in the Stalingrad Airlift in December. Production lines were set up at the Letov factory in Prague for the combat versions of the aircraft, commencing with the Ju 290A-2, which carried a search radar for its patrol role. Minor changes in armament distinguished the A-3 and A-4, leading to the definitive A-5 variant. From late 1943, these began to replace the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor in spotting targets for the U-boats operating in the Atlantic. The Ju 290 was well-equipped for its role, but shortages meant that it could not be built in quantity. As Germany lost access to the ocean, their role soon evaporated. By October 1944, all production was stopped. Later versions of the aircraft exhibited very promising characteristics although, with ever-increasing range and heavier armament, including the capability to carry various guided anti-shipping missiles under development. Three Ju 290s, carrying extra fuel tanks, made a non-stop flight to Manchuria to exchange technical data with the Japanese or supply "aero engines". They returned with rare metals needed by Germany for special alloys. According to historian, Horst Zoeller a postwar German newspaper article in the 'Fifties reported that three Ju-290 aircraft were converted to civilian airframes with extra fuel capacity and these were transferred to Deutsch Luft Hansa (DLH) during the war. These aircraft flew from Bulgaria to Yin-ch'uan also known as Ninghsia, which is 540nm west of Beijing. Other airframes were also civilianised during the war to fly discreet missions to Barcelona. Some of the last missions to Barcelona were at the directions of Grand Admiral Karl Donitz to evacuate records of U-boat movements into hiding before the collapse of Nazi Germany. One civilianised Ju-290 aicraft flew a number of Nazi officers from Prague to Barcelona in late April 1945. It's passengers may have included SS Lt General Hans Kammler who disappeared from Prague about the same time. Kammler was the head of the V-2 rocket project and other secret technologies. There is also a possibility that the mission was sanctioned by the OSS as a part of Operation Paperclip (to recruit Nazi scientists for USA) and Operation Sunrise (the secret surrender of Nazi Germany to US forces) The "long legs" of the Ju 290 made it an excellent candidate for the Amerika Bomber project, and prototypes of an even longer-range version were ordered as the Junkers Ju 390. A number of Ju 290s survived the war. At least two were evaluated by the Allies, and one or more found their way to Spain. One was operated for some years after the war by the Spanish Air Force. This one-off production exampleJu-290A-6 passenger version had a pressurised cabin and had been originally built as a personal transport for Hitler. Three Ju-290A-7 aircraft were completed with special bomb-bays in their bellies for export to Japan as "nuclear bombers." During the war Japan was developing an atomic bomb in what is now North Korea. Japan lacked long range aircraft with which to bomb the US mainland. These "A-7" aircraft were apparently never delivered to Japan owing to the loss of airfields in Bulgaria by Soviet occupation. One final Ju 290 was built by Letov after the war, utilising parts intended for the Ju 290B high-altitude prototype. It was completed as an airliner, designated Letov L.290 Orel.
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