Junkers Ju 390

[Cantankerous]

If anyone is aware, the Junkers company in Dessau developed the Ju 390 as an enlarged version of the Ju 290 with six BMW 801 engines and a longer fuselage and greater wingspan. The Ju 390 was planned as a transport aircraft (Ju 390A-1) and maritime reconnaissance aircraft (Ju 390B-1), but also as a strategic bomber (Ju 390C). The first Ju 390 prototype (GH-UK) was made by taking a Ju 90 prototype and fitting it with an additional wing section and a new fuselage section behind the wings; it first flew on October 20, 1943, at Merseburg and was to be the prototype for the Ju 390A-1. The Ju 390 V2 was the planned prototype for the Ju 390B-1, and it would have featured a FuG 200 Hohentwiel ASV (Air to Surface Vessel) radar and defensive armament consisting of five 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons. An order was placed for 26 Ju 390A-1s, and the Ju 390 V2 was to be built by modifying one Ju 290 with an additional fuselage section and new wing section. However, by the time the RLM ordered a stop to all large combat aircraft programs in mid-1944, including the Ju 390, the second Ju 390 prototype was still under construction. The Ju 390 V1 was flown to Dessau and stripped of parts, finally being blown up by the Germans to prevent it from falling into Allied hands.

There was a rumor that the Ju 390 made a test flight to within 12 miles of New York to test the Ju 390's ability to attack Manhattan, but this claim is nothing more than pure fantasy and not backed up by documented evidence.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_390
2. Griehl, Manfred and Joachim Dressel. Heinkel He 177-277-274. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-85310-364-0.
3. Herwig, Dieter and Heinz Rode. Luftwaffe Secret Projects - Strategic Bombers 1935-45. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing Ltd., 2000. ISBN 1-85780-092-3.
4. Griehl, Manfred. Luftwaffe over America: The Secret Plans to Bomb the United States in World War II. London: Greenhill Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7607-8697-0.

[Simon Gunson]

SCUBA DIVERS reported discovery of a six engine German aircraft in waters off Owl's Head, Maine. posted on Uboat.net as:
"Re: XI-B Revisited - Owls Head aircraft wreckage"

posted on Uboat.net by David E Brown, Gary Webster or Ruben Whittemore, Burlington , Vermont, owner of a shop called the Gold Mine:





The possibility of a Ju390 wreck deserves some serious investigation

[Simon Gunson]

If anyone is aware, the Junkers company in Dessau developed the Ju 390 as an enlarged version of the Ju 290 with six BMW 801 engines and a longer fuselage and greater wingspan. The Ju 390 was planned as a transport aircraft (Ju 390A-1) and maritime reconnaissance aircraft (Ju 390B-1), but also as a strategic bomber (Ju 390C). The first Ju 390 prototype (GH-UK) was made by taking a Ju 90 prototype and fitting it with an additional wing section and a new fuselage section behind the wings; it first flew on October 20, 1943, at Merseburg and was to be the prototype for the Ju 390A-1. The Ju 390 V2 was the planned prototype for the Ju 390B-1, and it would have featured a FuG 200 Hohentwiel ASV (Air to Surface Vessel) radar and defensive armament consisting of five 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons. An order was placed for 26 Ju 390A-1s, and the Ju 390 V2 was to be built by modifying one Ju 290 with an additional fuselage section and new wing section. However, by the time the RLM ordered a stop to all large combat aircraft programs in mid-1944, including the Ju 390, the second Ju 390 prototype was still under construction. The Ju 390 V1 was flown to Dessau and stripped of parts, finally being blown up by the Germans to prevent it from falling into Allied hands.

There are someinaccuracies in your summary,ie

Photos of the Ju390 in flight disclose two completed aircraft with different dimensions flew during WW2
one with Stkz markings RC+DA is often misidentified as the V2 prototype, however it is in fact the V1 aircraft



The other aircraft with stkz markings GH +UK has a much longer fuselage




bY flipping & rotating images of both aircraft, I can demonstrate which one was the V2 which it is known had a lengthened fuselage

[Cantankerous]

If anyone is aware, the Junkers company in Dessau developed the Ju 390 as an enlarged version of the Ju 290 with six BMW 801 engines and a longer fuselage and greater wingspan. The Ju 390 was planned as a transport aircraft (Ju 390A-1) and maritime reconnaissance aircraft (Ju 390B-1), but also as a strategic bomber (Ju 390C). The first Ju 390 prototype (GH-UK) was made by taking a Ju 90 prototype and fitting it with an additional wing section and a new fuselage section behind the wings; it first flew on October 20, 1943, at Merseburg and was to be the prototype for the Ju 390A-1. The Ju 390 V2 was the planned prototype for the Ju 390B-1, and it would have featured a FuG 200 Hohentwiel ASV (Air to Surface Vessel) radar and defensive armament consisting of five 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons. An order was placed for 26 Ju 390A-1s, and the Ju 390 V2 was to be built by modifying one Ju 290 with an additional fuselage section and new wing section. However, by the time the RLM ordered a stop to all large combat aircraft programs in mid-1944, including the Ju 390, the second Ju 390 prototype was still under construction. The Ju 390 V1 was flown to Dessau and stripped of parts, finally being blown up by the Germans to prevent it from falling into Allied hands.

There are someinaccuracies in your summary,ie

Photos of the Ju390 in flight disclose two completed aircraft with different dimensions flew during WW2
one with Stkz markings RC+DA is often misidentified as the V2 prototype, however it is in fact the V1 aircraft



The other aircraft with stkz markings GH +UK has a much longer fuselage




bY flipping & rotating images of both aircraft, I can demonstrate which one was the V2 which it is known had a lengthened fuselage

The Junkers Ju 390 V2 was one of six unbuilt prototypes for the Ju 390A-1 production version, the others being Ju 390 V3 to V7. The image which you claim was taken by Ron Whylie in 1942 is actually a fake created by Gert Heumann using parts of a photo of the Ju 290 V1 in flight and retouching it with the fictitious Stammkennzeichen RC+DA.

References:
Kössler, K., and Ott, G., 1993. Die großen Dessauer: Junkers Ju 89, Ju 90, Ju 290, Ju 390 – Die Geschichte einer Flugzeugfamilie (in German). Berlin: Aviatik-Verlag, 1993.
https://www.flugzeugforum.de/threads/ju-390.91181/