Junkers EF 126

Chief-TLR staff had great hopes for the light Ju EF 126 Jabo at the beginning of 1945. The Junkers Elli was one of the few new ideas at Junkers still being worked on with determination in April 1945. Ju EF 126 was a completely revolutionary design for a light, wood-built single-seat Jabo. Initially it had a fully retractable undercarriage, but diminishing resources eventually argued for the skid. By 14 February 1945 the rudder and weight calculations had been made. The machine, due for mass production in 1945, had a take-off weight of 2,800 kg (6,170 lb), 110 kg (243 lb) of this being the armament. It was to take-off using two rocket boosters or by compressed-air catapult launch. All development work was carried out at Junkers Dessau. The performance calculations gave a top speed of780 km/hr, or 680 km/hr (485/420 mph) with an external load. Powerplant was the Argus As 109-044 pulse jet used for the V-l flying bomb. Operational ceiling would be at least 7,000 metres (23,000 ft), range relatively short at 320 km (200 miles).

Junkers wanted to arm the new Jabo with 2-cm weapons (MG 151/20s each with 180 rounds) which would be housed level with the cockpit as with the Volksjager. Two sets of six Panzerblitz rockets would be carried in wooden racks below the wings or a firing installation for WK 14s fitted. Racks for spin – stabilised rockets were designed and manufactured by Kurt Heber GmbH at Osterrode/Harz. Besides the rockets a 500-kg bomb-load in four AB 70 or two larger AB 250 containers was envisaged.

According to a conference note of December 1944 progress on the Hs 132 did not take the course wanted by the Chief-TLR because of planning delays. The general war situation would not allow a completion of the first prototypes until at least mid-1945. After the Main Development Commission (EHK) had expressed doubts about the performance data of the EF 126 in January, the General der Kampfflieger was obliged to ask DVT to review the figures for Elli submitted by Junkers.

Work on the prototype was halted from February. After an air raid on 16 January, and another on Dessau on the night of 8 March, the Jumo factory was moved out to Muldenstein. At that time a mock-up of the Ju EF 126 existed but the prototypes ordered by the Chief-TLR were forgotten as the fronts then crumbled. The Volkssturm were called into Dessau on 10 April to man the outlying tank obstructions. Work in the development bureau was quiet but the arrival of RLM officials at Dessau in mid-April with orders to convert 20 Ju 290s to long-range bombers brought an unexpected brief period of relief from the prevailing indolence. On 21 April American tanks rolled past the development office on the way to Dessau town centre.

After a few chaotic days while the Americans were plundering the factory and removing documents, the situation quietened and in the summer of 1945, when US troops left, the Russian occupying force built the first prototype after taking over the Junkers works. The EF 126 was tested in the Soviet Union, where the fifth prototype made a maiden flight using a Russian engine on 16 March 1947. Testing continued into 1948 when the design was abandoned.