Junkers, Hugo (1859–1935)

German aeroplane designer. In 1919 he founded in Dessau the aircraft works named after him. Junkers planes, including dive bombers, night fighters, and troop carriers, were used by the Germans in World War II.

Among the best known of the wartime Junkers aircraft were the Ju52 Iron Annie, an all-purpose monoplane, mainly used for shipping cargo The Ju87 Stuka was a dive bomber which acted as the flying artillery for the Panzers in their Blitzkrieg tactics and became one of the most famous German wartime aircraft. In a near-vertical dive, with siren screaming, and a 500 kg/1,100 lb bomb slung beneath, its effect on ground troops was a much psychological as real. The Ju88 was designed as a high-speed medium bomber, but was also converted for night fighting, photo reconnaissance, torpedo-bombing, mine-laying, dive-bombing, and ground attack.