Junkers T.21
| T 21 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Reconnaissance aircraft |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Junkers |
| Designer | Ernst Zindel |
| First flight | 12 June 1923 |
| Primary user | Soviet Air Force |
| Number built | 120 |
TheJunkers J 21(manufacturer's sales designationsT 21andH 21) was areconnaissance aircraftdesigned inGermanyin the early 1920s and produced in theSoviet Unionat the Junkers plant atFilifor use by theSoviet Air Force.
Design and development
[edit]The J 21 was an all-metal,parasol-wingmonoplaneof conventional configuration and fixed,tailskid undercarriage.The pilot and observer sat in tandem, opencockpits.Twoprototypeswere constructed at the Junkers factory inDessau,the second with a wing of reduced area. Despite the fact that the prototypes were unable to attain the performance that had been specified by the Soviets, series production commenced at Fili in August 1923 where it was known as the Ju 21 (Юнкерс Ю 21 in Cyrillic).
The production version differed from the prototypes in having aBMW IVengine in place of theBMW IIIoriginally fitted, and carriedmachine gunarmament for both the pilot and observer. Sluggish performance led to a few examples being fitted withL2andL5engines, but these provided little improvement. With performance only marginally better than theWorld War I-vintagede Havilland DH-9Athat it had been purchased to replace, the Ju 21 was itself soon replaced by newly built DH-9As built under license as thePolikarpov R-1.
The type was also evaluated by theReichswehr's clandestinetrainingschool atLipetsk,but it was rejected due to its poor performance and theHeinkel HD 17purchased instead.
Variants
[edit]- J 22 (T 22):single-seat fighter version, very similar to the J 21 but with its wing lowered almost to the top of the fuselage to reduce drag, the pilot's cockpit moved back further than the gunner's position on the J 21 and a more rounded rudder. First of two flew 30 November 1923. No production so no sales or Russian letter prefix.[1]
- J 28:two-seat fighter version of J 21 with a 400 hpBMW VIengine. No production.[2]
Operators
[edit]
Specifications (first prototype)
[edit]Data fromKay 2004 p.45
General characteristics
- Crew:Two, pilot and observer
- Length:7.90 m (25 ft 11 in)
- Wingspan:10.70 m (35 ft 1 in)
- Wing area:21.8 m2(235 sq ft)
- Empty weight:830 kg (1,830 lb)
- Gross weight:1,225 kg (2,700 lb)
- Powerplant:1 ×BMW IIIa,138 kW (185 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed:217 km/h (135 mph, 117 kn)
- Range:750 km (470 mi, 410 nmi)
References
[edit]- ^Kay, Antony (2004).Junkers Aircraft & engines 1913-1945.London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. pp. 45–6.ISBN0-85177-985-9.
- ^Kay,Ibid,p.54
Further reading
[edit]- Andersson, Lennart (1991). "Junker's Two-seaters, Part One".Air Enthusiast.No. 44. pp. 70–77.ISSN0143-5450.
- Johnson, Robert Craig (December 1998)."Planting the Dragon's Teeth: the German Air Combat School at Lipetsk (USSR) 1925-1930".Chandelle.3(3).Retrieved2008-08-16.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989).Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation.London: Studio Editions. p. 538.