Junkers G.38

The Junkers G.38 was a large German four-engined transport airplane which first flew in 1929. Two prototypes were constructed in Germany. Both airplanes flew as a commercial transport within Europe in the years leading up to World War II.

During the 1930s, the design was licensed to Mitsubishi which constructed and flew a total of six aircraft, in a military bomber / transport configuration, designated Ki-20.

The G38 carried a crew of seven. On board mechanics were able to service the engines, in flight, due to the G.38's blended wing design which afforded access to all four power plants.

The G.38, during its early life, was the largest landplane in the world. Passenger accommodations were sumptuous by today's standards and were meant to rival those offered by the competing Zeppelin service. It was unique in that some of the passengers were seated in the wings.
In fact, the leading edge of each wing was fitted with windows enabling these passengers the forward view, typically reserved only for pilots. In design terms, it foreshadowed the Blended Wing Body design currently being developed by both NASA and Boeing as an alternative to traditional tube and wing aircraft configurations.

General characteristics
* Crew: Seven
* Capacity: 30 (D-2000/D-AZUR) and 34 (D-2500/D-APIS) passengers
* Length: 23,21 Meters
* Wingspan: 44 Meters
* Height: 6,96 Meters
* Wing area: 290 square metre
* Empty weight: 14,920 kg
* Loaded weight: 24,000 kg (52,900 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 21,240 kg
* Powerplant: 4× diesel , see below each
* Total engine power: 1470 kW in 1929; 2352 kW in 1932; 2200 kW in 1934[3]
* Powerplants: diesel mixed inline six cylinders and V-12s evolving to four V-12s:
o two L55 and two L8 a in 1929;
o two L8 a and two L88 a in 1931;
o four L88 a in 1932;
o two Junkers Jumo 204 in 1934

Performance
* Maximum speed: 225 km/h (140 mph)
* Cruise speed: 175 km/h
* Range: 3,500 km (2,175 miles)