Manufacturer: Airfix
Scale: 1/144
Additional parts: Engines form a Academy B-52, custom decals
Model build: Sep 2017 - Jan 2018
Lufthansa Junkers Ju-707
Airfix
1/144
1/144
Eight Jumos to the World
Made with Suno
Testing the Limits
The crisp autumn air of 1959 sent a shiver down Franz Jäger's spine as he tightened his harness. Today wasn't just any test flight; it was the maiden voyage of the Junkers Ju-707, the crown jewel of German engineering and a symbol of the Reich's resurgent power. As the lead test pilot for Junkers, the weight of responsibility pressed heavily on Franz.
Franz, a veteran of the Luftwaffe with steely nerves and a calm demeanor, climbed into the cockpit alongside his co-pilot, Erich Hartmann, a young man with a fire in his eyes. The sleek, silver Ju-707 gleamed on the runway, its eight Jumo-008 engines thrumming with a life of their own. With a final nod to the ground crew, Franz released the brakes.
The Ju-707 surged forward, the acceleration pressing Franz back into his seat. Unlike the lumbering propeller planes of the past, this machine was a beast, a predator hungry for the open sky. As they lifted off, the familiar sprawl of the Munich airfield shrunk beneath them, replaced by a vast expanse of Bavaria bathed in the golden morning light.
The test plan was simple yet rigorous: push the Ju-707 to its limits, test its maneuverability, and assess its performance at high altitudes. Franz put the aircraft through its paces, climbing at an impressive rate, the whine of the engines echoing through the spacious cabin. He banked sharply, feeling the G-forces tug at him, the Ju-707 responding with surprising agility for its size.
Then came the moment of truth: the high-speed run. Franz pushed the throttles forward, the engines roaring in protest as they unleashed their full power. The airspeed indicator climbed steadily, breaching the 900 kph mark – a revolutionary speed for a passenger aircraft. A tremor ran through the plane, a warning from the airframe. Franz eased back on the throttles, a cautious respect for the Ju-707's potential for greatness, but also for its hidden dangers, settling over him.
After a series of maneuvers, they began their descent, the Bavarian landscape reappearing below. As they touched down, a wave of relief washed over Franz. The Ju-707 had performed flawlessly, exceeding even their most optimistic expectations. Stepping out of the cockpit, Franz was greeted by a throng of engineers and officials, their faces beaming with pride.
That day, Franz knew he had witnessed the birth of a legend. The Ju-707 wasn't just an airplane; it was a symbol of a new era in German aviation, an era of speed, comfort, and dominance over the skies. It was a testament to the ingenuity of German engineers and a harbinger of the Reich's return to global prominence. As Franz basked in the adulation, a flicker of unease crossed his mind. The Ju-707's power was undeniable, but for what purpose would it be used? Only time would tell if this technological marvel would usher in a new age of prosperity or become a harbinger of a different kind of storm.
Based on the book "Fatherland", which plays in the 1960s of a hypothetical world where Germany won WW2.
Junkers Ju 707 “Weltenkreuzer” — The Aircraft That Opened the Greater Reich to the World
By the late 1950s, the Greater German Reich stood at the height of its power. The autobahn network spanned from Brittany to the Urals, magnetic rail links connected Germania with Paris, Rome, and Moscow, and commercial aviation was steadily expanding under the control of Deutsche Lufthansa Reichsdienst. Yet the Reich lacked one symbol of true modernity — a German-built intercontinental jetliner capable of binding the continents, projecting power, and demonstrating technological superiority over the American Boeing projects.
Development Under the Reichsluftfahrtministerium
In 1957, the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) issued a confidential call to the leading aircraft firms — Junkers, Dornier, Heinkel, Messerschmitt, and Focke-Wulf — to design an intercontinental jet passenger aircraft capable of reaching New York, Buenos Aires, or Tokyo without refueling.
Only Junkers and Focke-Wulf submitted viable designs. The Junkers proposal, originally designated Projekt Ju 7-07, promised superior range and greater passenger capacity. Focke-Wulf’s design was deemed more suitable for maritime patrol, and eventually led to the Fw 350 “Seestern” long-range recon aircraft used by the Kriegsmarine.
Junkers received the construction contract in 1958.
First Flight and Performance
The first prototype of the Junkers Ju 707 took to the air from Dessau on 16 September 1959. Its sleek fuselage and swept-back wings were powered by eight underwing-mounted Jumo 008 A-3 turbojets.
Service With Lufthansa and the New Order
When the Ju 707 entered service with Lufthansa Reichsdienst in January 1961, it marked a milestone: Berlin to New York in 7 hours, Buenos Aires in 11 hours, Tokyo via Moscow in 13 hours. It soon became the flagship of the Reich’s aviation prestige.
By 1965, Lufthansa operated 52 Ju 707s, connecting German-controlled Europe with South America, Persia, India, and the Reich’s colonial holdings in central Africa.
Diplomatic Symbol — The American Sale
During the US–German peace talks of 1962 in Washington, the Ministry of Aviation arranged an unprecedented deal: 25 Ju 707s were sold to Pan American World Airways.
It was both a diplomatic gesture and a statement — German airliners now crossed the Atlantic under American colors. Pan Am pilots praised the Ju 707's performance, though they privately referred to it as “the Flying Reichstag” due to its metallic eagle insignias on internal instrument panels.
Allied Adoption and Military Use
By the mid-1960s, the Ju 707 served not only the Reich but also its European partners:
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France (Vichy Government) — Air transports between Paris, Algiers, Damascus.
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Italy — Alitalia used the type for Rome–Buenos Aires, transporting settlers to the Patagonian provinces.
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Spain and Portugal — Madrid–Luanda and Lisbon–Rio de Janeiro routes.
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South American Reichskommissariats — Germania Süd Service between Buenos Aires, Recife, and Windhoek.
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Japan — Operated four under license on the Tokyo–Berlin Northern Route via Omsk and Smolensk.
The Luftwaffe converted 12 aircraft to Ju 707M tankers and 6 into Ju 707A AWACS, featuring rotating FuG-470 “Dachsrad” radar domes. Some still patrol the Siberian frontier as late as 1985.
Legacy of the Sky Reich
By 1984, most commercial Ju 707s had been replaced by the larger Ju 725 and Heinkel He 530 wide-body jets. Yet many were converted into military transports or tankers. Some continue to serve on colonial routes in Africa and Central Asia.
The Model shows a Lufthansa Ju-707 in March of 1963.
The model was build using an 1/144 scale Airfix Boeing 707 model as the base. Equipped with engines of a 1/144 scale Academy B-52, the Boeing model was build OOB. Airbrushed with Revell Aqua Colour, decals were taken form the spare part box or custom made.
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