Ju 87 G-1 Stuka Kanonenvogel

The JU-87 dive bomber is certainly one of the best-known aircraft of World War II. The characteristic "gull wing" aircraft gained great fame at the beginning of the war and, along with the Panzer Divisions of the Wehrmacht, is considered to be defining symbols of the Blitzkrieg. During the war, new versions with different operational profiles were introduced. The Ju-87G was developed as an "anti-tank" version of the Stuka, to counter the huge number of enemy armored vehicles on the Eastern Front after 1943. Stuka "ace" Hans Ulrich Rudel suggested adding two 37 mm Flak 18 guns, housed in pods under the wing, to better counter this threat. With this configuration, the Ju-87G "Cannon Bird" proved extremely effective in the hands of experienced pilots.