Junkers Ju 388

The Junkers Ju 388 was a late Second World War German multi-role aircraft based on the Ju 88 airframe by way of the Ju 188, intended for high altitude operation and given a pressurized cockpit for its crew of three. It emerged from German concern over Allied high-altitude heavy bombers, above all the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, and was planned in several versions including a Ju 388J night fighter and a Ju 388L reconnaissance model, with engine options that included the BMW 801J radial. The first prototype, built mainly from Ju 188 series components, made its first flight on 22 December 1943 and handled much better at altitude than the Ju 88S because of its larger tail surfaces. It was introduced very late in the war and production problems and deteriorating conditions meant few were built; the exact number is hard to determine because records conflict. Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 trialled four Ju 388J-0 night fighters in April and May 1945. One Ju 388L-1 reconnaissance aircraft survives, captured by US troops and flight tested in the United States.