Ju 88 A-4

Description

The Ju 88 A-4 is a rank German bomber with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The Ju 88 A-4 is very diverse with the ability to dive bomb and regularly bomb with large payloads. Its defensive armament is a little disappointing, but the two backwards-facing heavy machine guns can deal with light planes very quickly. However, the front is only covered by a light machine gun. Overall, the Ju 88 A-4 is a decent attack aircraft and fantastic fast medium bomber.

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

• 58 mm and 60 mm Bulletproof glass around the dorsal turret
• 12 mm Steel plate behind the pilot
• 12 mm Steel plates around the ventral turret
• 20 mm Steel plate behind the cockpit

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Ju 88 A-4 is armed with:

• 1 x 7.92 mm MG 81 machine gun, nose-mounted (750 rpg)

Suspended armament

The Ju 88 A-4 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 10 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (500 kg total)
• 28 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (1,400 kg total)
• 4 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (1,000 kg total)
• 4 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs + 10 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (1,500 kg total)
• 4 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs + 28 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (2,400 kg total)
• 2 x 500 kg SC500K bombs (1,000 kg total)
• 2 x 500 kg SC500K bombs + 10 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (1,500 kg total)
• 2 x 500 kg SC500K bombs + 28 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (2,400 kg total)
• 1 x 1,000 kg SC1000L2 bomb + 1 x 500 kg SC500K bomb (1,500 kg total)
• 4 x Flam C 250 incendiary bombs
• 2 x Flam C 500 incendiary bombs
• 2 x 500 kg PC500 bombs (1,000 kg total)
• 1 x 1,000 kg PC1000 bomb + 1 x 500 kg PC500 bomb (1,500 kg total)

Defensive armament

The Ju 88 A-4 is defended by:

• 1 x 7.92 mm MG 81 machine gun, 2 x dorsal turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)
• 2 x 7.92 mm MG 81 machine gun, ventral turret (900 rpg = 1,800 total)

Usage in battles

The Ju 88 A-4 is a versatile bomber. being able to both dive bomb and do horizontal bombing. The bomber has decent defensive armament and has a single offensive 7.92 mm MG 81 machine gun, which unfortunately won't really come in handy. You are able to carry up to 2,400 kg of bombs with this plane, making it a formidable bomber.

Air Battles:

In Air battles you should either bring the SC50 x28, SC500 x2 payload or the SC50 x28, SC250 x4 payload as they fully use the Ju 88 A-4's potential and will do a great job at damaging enemy bases, airfields and even ground targets. As soon as you spawn in, start climbing to make sure you are safe from enemy fighters. The greatest threats to you will be fighters and interceptors with astonishing climb rates, so remember to always check your surroundings.

Ground Battles:

In Ground battles you should ignore the 50 kg bombs as they won't do much against tanks and will only add weight to your plane, instead, bring 250 kg bombs, 500 kg bombs or the 1,000 kg bomb, these payloads won't use the Ju 88 A-4's full bomb capacity but they will make it more manoeuvrable and faster. Additionally, it is easier to hit ground targets with dive bombing tactics, so when you approach your target, extend the airbrakes ("H" by default) and reduce throttle if necessary to avoid too much speed which could result in your wings being ripped off.

Facing the Ju 88 A-4:

If you come across a Junkers 88 A-4, you will either be facing its cockpit or its tail most of the time. Attacking the bomber from below is also an option as it does not have any ventral gunners aiming down. If you are facing its cockpit, aim for the pilot as this will cause the plane to instantly be destroyed. If you are facing its tail, however, be careful with the gunners and aim for the engines, bombers won't go far without them. Since the Ju 88 A-4 gets a bomber spawn, it is recommended to use planes with good climb rates.

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fast bomber, can outrun lower-ranked foes
• Extremely manoeuvrable at low speeds (RB & SB)
• Airframe can withstand high speed during a dive and is equipped with air brakes
• Fairly resistant to small calibre bullets (.30 cal)
• High variety of payload
• Defensive armament has a high rate of fire combined with AP-T ammunition that can easily start fires
• One of the few bombers that can reliably destroy enemy airfields at lower rank battles (AB)
• Possesses a large payload (2,400 kg) that doesn't have that much penalty in overall performance
• Very useful in precision bombing

Cons:

• Unfavourable matchmaking in arcade battles
• .50 calibre and cannon fire will quickly tear it apart
• Take-off from short runways is difficult
• Water-cooled engines and large radiator mean that any shots to the engine in RB or SB will usually result in engine failure
• Cannot reliably fly with one engine
• Big plane, ideal target for SPAAs when flying low

History

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Ju 88 A-4 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• Ju 88 A-4 (Sweden)

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance