High Altitude Junkers Ju-49 Story.

The late 1920s and the 1930s had seen an increased interest in the high altitudes flights. Ultimately, the pressure cabin, insulated from the cold or heated was the way to allow crew and, eventually, passengers to travel in a normal environment.

The developement of the Junkers Ju-49 was initiated in 1929. The only purpose of this aircraft was to investigate techniques for flight at high altitude. The original intention was for operation at about 6000m.

It had a specially developed engine and the first pressurized cabin in a German aircraft. The engine combined two six-cylinder motors into a V12. It produced 700hp at about 5800m. This engine drove a large four-blade propeller. The Ju-49 propeller had a diameter of 5,60 meters.

The pressure cabin held the two crew. The cockpit section was completly seperated from the other parts of the aircraft. Just a few very small windows were included in the cockpit section. The forward view was so poor that a periscope was fitted with a downward view for landing.

By 1933 flights at 10000m were being made and by 1935 altitudes of 12500m were routine. The maximum reached was 13000 meters!

During the tests, it was clearly demonstrated that the speed in the thinner high-altitude air increased significantly. At ground level, the top speed was 145 km/h, while at 12500m it was 220km/h, an increase of 50%.

According to unconfirmed information, Asmus Hansen is said to have reached a height of 14200m with the machine as early as 1932, at this height an engine was broken and the Ju-49 caught fire. The pilot managed to extinguish the flames and bring the aircraft safely back to an airfield in a gliding flight.

Only one Ju-49 was built. It ended its life at the German research centre and crashed in October 1937.