The Giant Airliner With Cabins In Its Wings | Junkers G38 [Aircraft Overview #19]

The Junkers G38 is one of my favourite commercial aircraft from the interwar period - probably because I love blended wing designs. Developed during the late 1920s, it would become the largest landplane in the world when it first took off in 1929. Despite only two being built in Germany, they would quickly make a name for themselves with Lufthansa as luxurious air liners.
Its main feature was the massive wing, which had a span of 44 meters and was almost 2 meters thick. This allowed it to hold a pair of passenger cabins, 'engine rooms' for mechanics to service the engine, and a large fuel capacity - giving it excellent range and endurance. Unfortunately the aircraft was let down somewhat by its lack of passenger capacity (never exceeding 34), but it was an exciting demonstration of 'big wing' design. The G38 was also built under licence in Japan as the Mitsubishi Ki-20 (or Type 92).
***
Producing these videos is a hobby of mine. I have a passion for history, and personally own a large collection of books, journals and other texts, and endeavor to do as much research as possible. However if there are any mistakes, please don't hesitate to reach out and correct anything :)
Sources:
archive.org/de...
www.amazon.com...

[@karlfriedrich7758]

It's genuinely incredible that just 26 years after the first flight, we were building 21 ton aircraft with 3,000hp. Science and engineering developments are truly fascinating

[@alecdeter1999]

Remember in less than a century we went from throwing an engine on strip of wood and cloth to launching people into space that's super impressive

[@donjones4719]

@@alecdeter1999 Closer to just half a century, just 58 years. Even more amazingly, it was only 8 more years till we walked on the Moon. Orville Wright was still alive when the sound barrier was broken and when the F-86 was flying - a fully capable aircraft that was supersonic in a dive.

[@IvanTre]

People were getting up to crazy shit before peer review became a thing..

[@justdags6611]

3,000 hit points

[@12gauge_shawtyy]

and nowadays u can fly on a airliner that’s design is easily older than that. crazy

[@donjones4719]

I can't get enough of these giant planes from the 1920s. The audacity of these designers is amazing considering they were building during an era when new wire-braced biplanes were still being produced.

[@RexsHangar]

That and airships make the 1920s - 1930s my favourite decades for aircraft development!

[@FalloutGenius1]

The audacity of engineering from all angles at the time period to be completely honest is incredible

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@RexsHangar If you like the interwar period you should definitely make it to WAAAM in Hood River Oregon. All the planes there fly as well. Outstanding collection of 20s and 30s aircraft , mostly civilian but a few military.

[@emilparker5521]

Me too buddy!

[@donjones4719]

@@RexsHangar These aircraft and these decades also produced some iconic looks for illustrating sci-fi stories of the 1930s and 40s. In a way, a new era of steampunk. Those illustrations in turn became iconic for sci-fi. During my childhood in the 1960s my reading contained airplane history and enormous amounts of sci-fi, all while avidly following the unfolding space age. My dad loved airplanes, he was an electrical ground crew tech for B-29 turrets and post-war was an engineering draftsman for Grumman until ~1955. My uncle was an engineer at Grumman and worked on the Lunar Module. So I came by all these interests honestly!

[@billenloe9692]

When I first watch “The Wind Rises”, I thought the J-38 must have been another one of Miasaki’s fantasy planes. It is even more amazing to see that it was really all true!

[@Carewolf]

Ditto. It really looks like an alt-history aircraft.

[@m2heavyindustries378]

"A triumph of German industrial technology!"

[@brrrt6666]

"Halt, da herrscht Lebensgefahr" angry german face

[@FabiokiOjedaBuitrago]

I thought same way!

[@kleeblattchen38]

@@brrrt6666 "Das ist unser Sstolz!"

[@hanshartfiel6394]

The airfield near Dessau, where Hugo Junkers developed his planes, is still in existence. There is also a Hugo Junkers Museum.

[@RexsHangar]

I've added it to my list of places to visit when I finally travel to Europe again lol

[@csours]

I live right next to a street named Dessau.

[@EclecticRecordCollector]

Q

[@donfredo8013]

@@RexsHangar Then do it quickly so we can see more of your great videos. If you are looking for a place to stay in Germany, let me know. You are welcome.

[@samj8830]

Deßau is pretty cool. The city is on the come up💯

[@Ensign_Cthulhu]

It's easy for any man and his dog to dig up old footage and call themselves a KZbin aviation historian, but too many of these channels turn out to be worthless clickbait with poor delivery and subjective, emotive padding and theorycrafting. Your delivery is excellent, your content very well assembled, and you have earned yourself a sub this day, sir.

[@seanmcdonald5859]

WAIT . . . . .does the dog narrate the videos?? I MUST WATCH THIS VIDEO!!😎

[@teleguy5699]

That's what I've learned from all these "auto experts" I've run across on KZbin lately. Half of them are just on to rip a certain brand and get all the fanboys of other brands to agree with them.

[@FoundAndExplained]

agreed

[@FreightmareFTW]

Repent and follow Jesus! Contemplate how the Roman empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years to accomplish the religion of the Israelites C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate though because you can start a relationship with God and have proof. Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life. - Revelation 3:20 Revelation has been unfolding since Jesus died. The Popes are now and have been claimed to be equal to God and set themselves in Jesus' place. Vatican City (Which is its own nation BTW) have risen up to fulfill the role of the false prophet 2 Thessalonians 2:4 says “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” The restrainer that the Apostle Paul was referring to was the Western Roman Emperor, who held back the Popes from taking power. Once the last Western Roman Emperor was removed from power in 476 AD, the Pope was given civil and ecclesiastic authority over Rome; healing the deadly head wound, as they took the Emperors title of Pontifex Maximus, leader of the church and state. “We may according to the fullness of our power, dispose of the law and dispense above the law. Those whom the Pope of Rome doth separate, it is not a man that separates them but God. For the Pope holdeth place on earth, not simply of a man but of the true God.” (Source: “Decretals of Gregory IX,” Book 1, chapter 3.) Pope Pius V blasphemed, “The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth.” (Source: Pope Pius V, quoted in Barclay, Cities Petrus Bertanous Chapter XXVII: 218.) Pope Leo XIII declared, “We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.” (Source: Pope Leo XIII Encyclical Letter, June 20, 1894) The antichrist sea beast of Revelation points to the office of the papacy, the Popes of Rome, who controlled the Roman beast for 1,260 years, from 538-1798 AD. Daniel 7:25 says “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” The Popes of Rome spoke against Elohim and proclaimed to be God. They reigned for 1,260 years, from 538-1798 AD. during which they caused tens of millions of saints to be killed. The Pope’s title is Vicar of Christ, which in Latin is ‘Vicarius Filii Dei’, and equates numerically to the number 666

[@boxsterman77]

I want to associate myself with your comment. My rule is, if you expose your ignorance of the subject you purport to educate us about, I bail, but not without first posting a scathing rebuke.

[@thomasdoran2363]

There is a difficult to pin-point elegance, and 'Art Deco' style, to the aesthetic, geometric, organic lines, of these beautifully designed planes ! What a capture of the 'era'

[@art.is.life.eternal]

Corrugated aluminum sheets never looked so aesthetically beautiful, or served so powerfully, functionally.

[@jakes1999]

I absolutely love inter-war aviation! Most people just talk about ww1 and ww2, but what happens in between is so fascinating! This is my new favorite channel!

[@exasperated]

Yeah, I get that war drives a lot of innovation, but I'm far more interested in the genius that went into aviation intended for other purposes. It seems far more varied.

[@pistonar]

It's sad that so many interesting, historical, and ground-breaking aircraft didn't make it to today. Great video!!

[@HunterShows]

The whole country was mostly destroyed...

[@TeaLuck1]

I'm sure replicas are possible and do exist.

[@dr.wilfriedhitzler1885]

We. the Germans, are suppressed till now. Because we have brain. O.K.?

[@EneTheGene]

@@TeaLuck1 But replicas just aren't the same :(

[@themightyalpaca313]

Nono, I can see this sort of design making an appearance in the future If commercial prop-driven aircraft make a come back Eco-friendly, electric prop engines… possibly a contra-rotating configuration

[@NameNotAlreadyTaken2]

This aircraft is lovingly depicted in the Miyazaki movie The Wind Rises. It's really incredible.

[@jorgegonzalez-larramendi5491]

God bless you yes

[@MultiScooter63]

Hey, didn't know about this movie so far. So thanks for the info, bro !

[@ultimobile]

ah - I see you beat me to it - yes I recognised it immediately from the under shots from kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6apf4KqqNqWgac

[@ressljs]

Cool! I have that movie on Blu-ray, but I haven't watched it yet.

[@pervertt]

"Dr Junkers is in trouble."

[@williamscoggin1509]

It always amazes me when these engineers and designers come up with such a radical massive new products. This guy had his foot on the pedal at 120% as far as daydreaming new stuff all day long, and then staying up a whole lot of late nights drawing and planning. This is really someone wrapping their head around modern technology back in the day and coming up with something extraordinary! Got to admire them!!!

[@peacefuljeffrey]

I think that it’s safe to call Junkers a genius in his time. Imagine the kinds of things he’d be dreaming up today!

[@wynottgivemore9274]

Ah Ludacris came to my mind...

[@FreightmareFTW]

Repent and follow Jesus! Contemplate how the Roman empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years to accomplish the religion of the Israelites C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate though because you can start a relationship with God and have proof. Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life. - Revelation 3:20 Revelation has been unfolding since Jesus died. The Popes are now and have been claimed to be equal to God and set themselves in Jesus' place. Vatican City (Which is its own nation BTW) have risen up to fulfill the role of the false prophet 2 Thessalonians 2:4 says “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” The restrainer that the Apostle Paul was referring to was the Western Roman Emperor, who held back the Popes from taking power. Once the last Western Roman Emperor was removed from power in 476 AD, the Pope was given civil and ecclesiastic authority over Rome; healing the deadly head wound, as they took the Emperors title of Pontifex Maximus, leader of the church and state. “We may according to the fullness of our power, dispose of the law and dispense above the law. Those whom the Pope of Rome doth separate, it is not a man that separates them but God. For the Pope holdeth place on earth, not simply of a man but of the true God.” (Source: “Decretals of Gregory IX,” Book 1, chapter 3.) Pope Pius V blasphemed, “The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth.” (Source: Pope Pius V, quoted in Barclay, Cities Petrus Bertanous Chapter XXVII: 218.) Pope Leo XIII declared, “We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.” (Source: Pope Leo XIII Encyclical Letter, June 20, 1894) The antichrist sea beast of Revelation points to the office of the papacy, the Popes of Rome, who controlled the Roman beast for 1,260 years, from 538-1798 AD. Daniel 7:25 says “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” The Popes of Rome spoke against Elohim and proclaimed to be God. They reigned for 1,260 years, from 538-1798 AD. during which they caused tens of millions of saints to be killed. The Pope’s title is Vicar of Christ, which in Latin is ‘Vicarius Filii Dei’, and equates numerically to the number 666

[@Jesus_Christ_loves_you_alot]

​@@wynottgivemore9274 Hi there! Jesus Christ loves you! He is the only way to heaven. May God bless you! :)

[@emmedigi89]

I remember building a scale model of this as a child and being fascinated by its unique arrangement and design, really unusual for today's standards.

[@nickh5081]

What amazes me about this aircraft is the swept wings - not at all typical for the time.

[@Snowboarder16]

Where you get the model?

[@JimHendrickson]

I recall being fascinated by this plane when I first saw it on an episode of Wings many years ago. Details were scant, then I soon forgot about it. This presentation of its rich and detailed history is excellent. This is my favorite period of aviation history, and with so much rapid development, many designs were obsolete even before they took to the air. That this one lasted a good 12 years (even longer in Japan) is remarkable for its era. The combination of a metal monoplane wing and large, wooden propellers gives away its design at the intersection of different periods of aviation technology, and must have been a sight to behold when it landed at a local airfield. It's too bad that there are no surviving examples, but WWII did that to a lot of magnificent planes. It would have been really neat to see one make a trans-Atlantic trip.

[@thanathanhagalas7842]

Mein Uropa war dort Tragflächenschlösser. Mein Opa wohnt 500m von der alten Start und Landebahn. Bis heute prägen mich die Geschichten und meine Liebe zu Flugzeugen.

[@alepaz1099]

those wing cabins were totally awesome i wonder about the noise from the engines, but the view...

[@AsbestosMuffins]

noise isn't exactly a problem when every plane is loud anyways. even today's 'quiet' cabins didn't really come about until the 1960s

[@pat8988]

I would not have liked to sit in that cabin next to the engines. You’d be deaf by the end of the flight.

[@jimmason8502]

@@pat8988 But those two nose seats though!👍

[@ThePhoenix198]

I think aircraft evacuation drills could have been 'interesting', too!

[@pat8988]

@@jimmason8502 Yeah, those nose seats! First to the scene of an accident! 😀

[@andrewweitzman4006]

You have to love the sheer crazy-train audacity of these dieselpunk designs from the "teenage years" of aviation development.

[@iconicshrubbery]

Dieselpunk? Surely Kerosenepunk, much more volatile ⛽

[@martijn9568]

I gotta love how we've had the totally sane Fokker F VII and Ford Trimotor and these totally insane aircraft in the 1920s. It's probably an healthy state for an industry to be in. Where there's reliable products while also having some insanely experimental products that work, or not.

[@MURDOCK1500]

Inter war aviation is really festinating. It's a bit like the age of the dinosaurs with some massive and obscure designs

[@Gwailo54]

This is one of the good reasons the internet exists. A thoughtful and well presented story about an aircraft I imagine most people never knew existed.

[@viktor506]

Thank you! I very much like the style of your short documentations. I'm sure it was a lot of work to find photos, analyze manuals and dig into the history of this truly amazing aircraft! I'd love to see more videos of this quality about airliners from the 20s, 30s, and 40s!

[@uncinarynin]

Imagine sitting in front of the wing with a big panorama window next to a roaring engine. It was probably deafening but also a breathtaking view out front!

[@lucasrem1870]

Hindenburg for me please! loved the panorama windows in the bar!

[@SephirothRyu]

One must wonder: If WW2 didn't happen, what would aircraft development have looked like? Not only did WW2 end up putting runways all over the place (which effectively lead to the slow demise of flying boats as a viable aircraft style), but it effectively ended up accelerating the "standardizing" of larger aircraft to all generally follow the same style (read: the military bomber style). And many airline aircraft following the war effectively were built with the lessons learned from making bombers.

[@johannesfranck1770]

Without the war million of people wouldn’t die and Europe wouldn’t be destroyed, there’s nothing good in war…all the uncountable money that is spent to produce killing machines could better be spend in wealth, developing of sustainable technology and so on

[@Kevin-bl6lg]

With no WW2 millions millions of children would not have lost their fathers! Women would not have lost their husbands and sons. Millions of houses would not have been bombed..... But all you care about is some plane design? How sad. Ask your grandparents if they prefere some plane design over their brothers and sisters, cousins and parents, friends and neighbours.

[@SephirothRyu]

@@Kevin-bl6lg Nice bait, mate. Edit: Just in case it wasn't clear how "bait" this was, let us go through it. 1. I made a comment wondering how planes would turn out if WW2 hadn't happened, and imagined a few minor details that might give some level of idea of at least a possible outcome on how planes would be based on this. 2. "Kevin" attacked me for only caring about planes and not caring about the (in his words) "millions millions of children would not have lost their fathers! Women would not have lost their husbands and sons. Millions of houses would not have been bombed.....". As if I am supposed to put my entire life story and/or my entirety of beliefs and everything into every single post I make on the internet. 3. While not so... inflamatory, the other comment also is one that, while it doesn't attack me, does comment that without WW2 millions wouldn't have died and all that. So for some reason, people on the interwebs automatically assume you ONLY CARE ABOUT THE THING YOU SAY IN YOUR COMMENT. Not about anything else. No really. I made a comment where I wondered how aircraft would be if WW2 never happened (for whatever imagined reason). And I got TWO responses within the next day or two (and so far, the ONLY responses) that are nothing except "if WW2 didn't happen a lot of people would not have died" with one of the two then attacking me for caring more about planes than people. I could rant more about this, but honestly, anyone who cares is either approaching the limit of how much of a comment they are willing to read, or are already past it. So let us just end with "This Kevin guy thinks that because I wonder how aircraft would have developed without WW2, that the only thing I care about is aircraft, and that I don't give a crap about all the people who died, the atrocities committed during the war, the camps, the military personel who died... *No. Apparently, I DON'T CARE, BECAUSE I HAD THE AUDACITY TO MERELY WONDER HOW AIRCRAFT WOULD BE DIFERENT IF THESE BAD THINGS DIDN'T HAPPEN, AND TO POST SUCH A COMMENT ON A PRE-WW2 AIRCRAFT VIDEO.* Let this be a lesson not to assume. Because when you assume...

[@Kevin-bl6lg]

@@SephirothRyu so, you pick a aspect which YOU prefer? Ask every second family in Europe to choose between 1) the dead of ww2 or 2) other plane design. ...or, maybe you also declare that ww2 and German scientists were the best to happen to rockets and manned moon flight?

[@SephirothRyu]

@@Kevin-bl6lg In case you forgot, or were just unable to understand the words you read, the original comment is me wondering what kinds of aircraft development we would have had if WW2 had not happened. You are the one who just assumed for some reason that I cared more about plane designs then the people who died. You are the one who brought up the idea of caring only about the planes. You are the one who weirdly thinks me merely not mentioning the people who died in a short post automatically means I don't care about them. Guess what. As shocking as it may be to you, it is possible to both think WW2 is a tragedy, AND to wonder about how aircraft would look in the 40s and beyond if WW2 had never happened.

[@MrRandomcommentguy]

Junkers was one of the greatest engineers in history

[@youchoob8090]

Whilst I enjoy these giant planes of the past, I have always found myself fascinated by the Airships from Graf Zeppelin, and the lighter than air balloons shaped like tubes and cigars, to see such a sight flying over a city such as New York has always captivated me, most recently I watched the Castle in the Sky and was blown away by the design of Airship Goliath. Like the man in the Wind Rises, Giovanni Caproni, I dream of a ship flying through the sky, packed with passengers going to and from continents. Like the flying caste I would’ve named a airship like Goliath Laputa, Castle in the Sky

[@laszlozoltan5021]

what I like about these type of history videos is how it puts my own life into a different form of perspective, in that I wonder about those pioneers in their day if they could see what has become of their work today- I eventually come to think that in time someone else might wonder about mine

[@JTA1961]

Good point.

[@NoName-ds5uq]

It’s an intriguing aircraft. I’d love to have been able to board one, just to look around!

[@JTA1961]

Same here

[@FreightmareFTW]

Repent and follow Jesus! Contemplate how the Roman empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years to accomplish the religion of the Israelites C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate though because you can start a relationship with God and have proof. Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life. - Revelation 3:20 Revelation has been unfolding since Jesus died. The Popes are now and have been claimed to be equal to God and set themselves in Jesus' place. Vatican City (Which is its own nation BTW) have risen up to fulfill the role of the false prophet 2 Thessalonians 2:4 says “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” The restrainer that the Apostle Paul was referring to was the Western Roman Emperor, who held back the Popes from taking power. Once the last Western Roman Emperor was removed from power in 476 AD, the Pope was given civil and ecclesiastic authority over Rome; healing the deadly head wound, as they took the Emperors title of Pontifex Maximus, leader of the church and state. “We may according to the fullness of our power, dispose of the law and dispense above the law. Those whom the Pope of Rome doth separate, it is not a man that separates them but God. For the Pope holdeth place on earth, not simply of a man but of the true God.” (Source: “Decretals of Gregory IX,” Book 1, chapter 3.) Pope Pius V blasphemed, “The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth.” (Source: Pope Pius V, quoted in Barclay, Cities Petrus Bertanous Chapter XXVII: 218.) Pope Leo XIII declared, “We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.” (Source: Pope Leo XIII Encyclical Letter, June 20, 1894) The antichrist sea beast of Revelation points to the office of the papacy, the Popes of Rome, who controlled the Roman beast for 1,260 years, from 538-1798 AD. Daniel 7:25 says “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” The Popes of Rome spoke against Elohim and proclaimed to be God. They reigned for 1,260 years, from 538-1798 AD. during which they caused tens of millions of saints to be killed. The Pope’s title is Vicar of Christ, which in Latin is ‘Vicarius Filii Dei’, and equates numerically to the number 666

[@franzhaider2221]

Amazing !! A wing so thick you can stand in and maintain the engines during flight !! Really unbelievable !! 😲👍

[@simplywonderful449]

That photo at 11:35 really makes it look like the plane is nose-diving into the earth!

[@Rubashow]

I was always fascinated by this aircraft ever since I was a child. To me being able to be seated inside of the wing was unimaginable. As a kid I always thought it was gigantic. Thank you for making this video and all the facts I' had never heard about.

[@DanAI17]

I adore this design of aircraft, particularly front facing compartments and engine rooms. It makes a lot of sense and I can see why engineers pursued these designs.

[@victorcontreras9138]

It's great to see giant aircraft from various countries. They were bigger than the countries typical planes and had extra luxuries like sleeping rooms and even theaters.

[@TechyBen]

OK. Having cabins in the wings, and a profile like that is not the most crazy thing here... It's reliability is the jaw dropping thing. They seemed to have just worked and worked, with the exception of pilot error in the take off? Amazing.

[@BlueSky-ub4fx]

Wonderful video! 👍👍 no music, no soundeffects. I LOVE that! ♥♥ Thank you!

[@JTA1961]

Amen

[@BlueSky-ub4fx]

@@JTA1961 :) Thank you! At least some people around youtube appreciate that 🙂🙂👍👍

[@donaldstanfield8862]

@@BlueSky-ub4fx The sound pollution is so maddening!! Thank you!

[@BlueSky-ub4fx]

@@donaldstanfield8862 yes, it sure is...

[@model-man7802]

27 years as an aircraft mechanic, Warbird Mechanic and air operations agent I would have loved to fly on this aircraft.

[@charliechapman7156]

It kills me that these things all got destroyed by WW2. It's such a unique and cool design, I 100% believe that some hobbyist (or team of hobbyists) would have kept one of them patched together through today. It would be an awesome piece of aviation history to see in action.

[@kittyparty6925]

I hear you.. so sad the 552 Antonov was destroyed in the Ukraine war.

[@jacksavage4098]

Awesome video. Amazing aircraft of this size were a thing this early in aviation.

[@Cjnw]

Especially the ill-fated dirigibles!

[@RonaldoSerio7]

Spetacular ! Congrats, I didn't know this most important part of the aviation history.

[@markhonea2461]

First time I have viewed this plane. I really enjoy the thought of the creature comforts they designed into these early aircraft. Probably loud, but they tried to make it almost homey. Like a modern day RV. 👍

[@art.is.life.eternal]

Thank you so much for presenting this masterclass in not only HOW to present the wonders of the past (without raucous background, stupid and pointless transitions or effects), and speaking calmly, respectfully, and with an obviously great deal of love and well-studied knowledge of the subject - and carefully aligning your pictorial documentation with your dialog. Sadly, these relatively simple documentary/informational techniques are VERY uncommon these days. At 73, I had forgotten this story - but you brought it back, and really brought it into focus - back to life. It's shocking - the speed at which an important technology develops - all these wonderful, incredible behemoths of the air, were designed only a little over 20 years after the Wright Brothers flew their wire-and-paper air machine at Kitty Hawk; and not forty+ years later, We were on the Moon, sending pictures, voice and data back to Earth - Live!! And it is due to underwater cable-lines and satellites, that we were watching, as one species, together, for the first time, as the first member of Humanity stood on the moon. Things like this airplane can become lost chapters in history - unless someone makes therm amazing memories. But they are an integral part of our progress - every generation seems to have at least one person who can push up the ladder with a massive leap forward, by dreaming big, and then making those dreams real. Unfortunately (as always seems to be the case) a war started, and his talents and dreams were diverted to develop new and better ways to kill people, in a war of aggression his own country started. But even that doesn't stop me from appreciating his peace-time creativity and brilliance. Thank you for not letting these technological "magic moments" fall by the wayside, or be overshadowed.

[@colinhoward74]

The ability to work on and around engines and feul supply was very clever , way ahead of its time . Yes , to a point , during WW2 , multi engined bombers had this (abeit drastically reduced ) facility , the job of the engineer . Planes such as the Avro Lancaster were such planes .

[@skovner]

The B-36 had tunnels in the wings that allowed access to the engines. I think that was the last aircraft to have this, as jet engines are located in nacelles

[@billybud9557]

Very well researched, good photos, and I must say, the narration was the best I have ever seen in an historical vlog. I know aviation history well, and this was nearly perfect.

[@richardyatesyates3893]

Amazing German technology these planes and the airships. Germany was ahead in many ways.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

And Germany is still ahead in many ways

[@zteaxon7787]

@Earth is hell nacism must return. The crimes comitted against Germans are immeasurable.

[@mattilangofficial]

Now we are a deep state regulated multi-culture-lbgt-society ruled by Klaus Schwab. Gute Nacht!

[@arnie5854]

@@anthonyxuereb792 In what ways currently?

[@Phildo8]

Just found this man’s channel in 2024 & INSTANTLY SUBSCRIBED! Idk how or why this channel wasn’t recommended to me earlier!? Im glad to have found it during my research of the old Soviet Steel Monster The Kalinin K7!

[@lhkraut]

I worked for Lufthansa Cargo for 23 years in ATL and CLT. I would loved to have flown on this aircraft! What an amazing sight this would have been. It really was the first jumbo, just not a jumbo jet. Thank you for making this video.

[@p40f20]

Good choice for a video! I was unaware that Japan had made some of these as well!

[@JTA1961]

The pilot sat on the other side...😉

[@theinventor2866]

Who else was glad when this plane didn’t fill out its role as a bomber? It just seems like a gentle giant to me.

[@Car1Sagan]

Fascinating. The view from those seats must have been exhilarating.

[@critical]

Awesome video! Thanks

[@BeaufordBL]

Yoo what a place to find you

[@dannyb3663]

What a wonderfully realized aircraft. I was very relieved when I learned that neither aircraft's destruction was the result of the aircraft itself. Seems like it was a very safe and unique plane, in an era when aircraft were usually unsafe, and uncomfortable. It puts modern airliners to shame.

[@hanyoukimura]

Imagine how cool it would be if one of these still existed today for sightseeing flights or something. They look like that had incredible presence. It's a shame we'll likely never see this k ind of bold experimentation again.

[@frogflyer79]

Best video yet on this subject

[@NorthernChev]

If you’re sitting in the center fuselage and the plane makes a slight corrective action for turbulence, you feel a slight or sudden movement. If you’re many meters out AWAY from the fuselage in a wing, that SAME action would be significantly more violent of an action, due to the increased speed and distance your body would travel during that corrective maneuver. You’d eventually be puking your guts out after an extended period of time.

[@hulkhogan5605]

German ingenuity and efficiency , not even the sky offers the limit !

[@kyle857]

Flying wing passenger aircraft failed for one important reason. When the plane rolls, those far from the centerline go for one hell of a ride. In this plane, the wing cabins are fairly conservatively located. I've seen some though that would be insane to sit in.

[@davidwright7193]

There is also the problem of emergency exits in a very wide cabin.

[@binaway]

A flying wing's passenger cabin can't be pressurized limiting altitude. Pressurization would warp the shape of the wing changing airflow and the lifting surface. Constant pressurization would cause metal fatigue and air-frame failure.

[@AtheistOrphan]

‘Wind cabins’? I don’t like the sound of those!

[@kyle857]

@@davidwright7193 Also a good point.

[@kyle857]

@@binaway Yeah, certainly not feasible for modern passengers.

[@markmarco2880]

Riveting documentary, it leaves me rather mesmerized. What a unique experience of flight it had to be for every seat or sleeping compartment in that plane.

[@tommyhunter1817]

Pretty cool. The concept of an ocean liner in the sky is cool.

[@thomasdoran2363]

What an amazing, (& the subsequent evolution's) of unique planes - I had absolutely *NO* idea this plane *EVEN* existed until watching this video ! Thank You

[@cal-native]

Oh would I have loved to ride around in one of those leading edge cabins!

[@Patrick_B687-3]

In all pertinent context, this is fascinating to a staggering degree. Just incredible!

[@HFamilyDad]

You do really good smooth flowing videos, so thanks for that.

[@zxbzxbzxb1]

Great vid, never heard of this amazing plane!

[@affordableairgunningbyjb6994]

Absolutely love your channel !! You put a lot of effort into your videos and very informative to watch them, THANKS !! Having been trained on a war-bird trainer, the T6 Texan (Harvard), even brings back more memories every time a Radial engine starts !!

[@skovner]

I've watched too many of the junk ones. This one was well worth the time,

[@gianurwiler5098]

Thank you Rex, excellent Video !

[@jamesburns2232]

Blended wing with passengers housed in the wings is the future of commercial aircraft. They offer higher useful loads over long range flights with minimal optimal fuel burn. One drawback is getting passengers to accept displacement from the centerline roll axis of the normal fuselage tube type aircraft.

[@digimaks]

Not only. The wide front side of the wing creates allot of tension with air, causing tremendous drag. This es[ecially gonna matter if you are going on the speeds of the jet engine. Tremendous air resistance on those thick wings.

[@tinkeringsolderbro1968]

Incredible, now i know where the Skylane aircrafts in Fallout 4 are invented from. Never thought this was a real patent ever.

[@lexacutable]

wow, I had no idea a plane like this was ever successfully put into service!

[@sophrapsune]

There’s something particularly charming about there large aircraft of the 1920s and 30s.

[@kiplingslastcat]

I wish we still made amazing designs like this.

[@vaitonl314]

Keep up the great work Rex, love the content

[@toastysalmen4642]

Such a lovely video as always, one of the best for obscure or obsolete aircraft based videos

[@jamescarrington6504]

Thanks for mentioning the Animated Film ; The Wind Rises it us a beautiful aviation story, and once you mentioned the Japanese and German engineering partnership it made me instantly think of that movie

[@Dr.CandanEsin]

Did I ever thought of watching aircraft documentary in KZbin? No! Will I be addicted to this comprehensive and very well crafted videos in this channel? Of course yes!

[@iconicshrubbery]

And.. Is your grammar all over the place? Yes! Ya!

[@HeadPack]

Another fine video. Must have been exciting times when there was so much visible innovation. Today, most commercial aircraft look pretty much the same. As if nobody dares to innovate anymore.

[@kyle857]

It isn't that, it is thay decades of data and engineering have shown what works. Passenger aircraft are a mature technology. Flying wings are a poor solution for passenger planes because any banking causes the passengers farther from the centerline to move up for down very quickly. This is dangerous for those not in their seats and thrilling to say the least for those buckled in.

[@JTA1961]

What do you expect when lawyers & insurance companies run the world...

[@ghengiscant538]

Everybodies computer comes up with the same answer . Thank goodness for guys like Burt Rutan . Greetings from U.K.

[@paoloviti6156]

Hugo Junkers was a very important figure with German aviation and pioneered in many aviation aspects and at Dessau factory it was famous to have one of most comprehensive collection of aviation books in Germany, all lost by now. The downfall of Hugo Junkers was that he refused to collaborate with Göring and his cronies so they took everything from him and relegated him at house arrest, soon to die there...

[@pervertt]

I got an inkling of that when I watched Miyazaki's "Kaze Tachinu" (The wind rises). Castorp leans over to a young Jiro Horikoshi and whispers: "Dr Junkers is in trouble ..."

[@knightowl3577]

What a beautiful aircraft, and ahead of its time.

[@thomasdoran2363]

Thank You for your work & Upload - You're are a STAR !

[@adrianrutterford762]

Excellent! A new video

[@marc1829]

Wow! What a plane, and such a great presentation. Excellent work, really can't thank you enough!!

[@lordterra1377]

I really love how this plane looks.

[@Henchman1977]

What a marvelous and terrifying time for aviation...

[@lichtetredgeenachternaamop2312]

I first learned of the existence of this airplane via the Studio Ghibli anime 'the Wind Rises', it actually seemed pretty fantastical when I saw it in that movie. Intersting to learn more about it.

[@jfan4reva]

I was surprised to see that this was an actual working aircraft when I saw this video. Recognized it instantly. I should have known. Studio Ghibli films use a lot of aircraft that actually existed, and are accurately rendered. Watch the combat scene in "Porko Rosso" and see the pilot using 'top rudder' in an extreme banked turn. Only a director who is an avid aviation fan would have included that shot and made sure that the rudder pedals were used correctly.

[@mts003]

I remember seeing this giant in The wind rises

[@RexsHangar]

One of my favourite Ghilbli films :)

[@TAVSWHBIII]

@@RexsHangar Mine too! That's what attracted me to this video.

[@PapaBrejj]

@@RexsHangar Have you seen Porco Rosso? Another one of my favourites. You really get the sense from those 2 films that Miyazaki has had a lifelong passion for aviation. I wish I'd known about them when I was a kid.

[@jymmid.8278]

So glad you mentioned The Wind Rises!

[@jayg1438]

What an interesting oddity

[@dylanmilne6683]

All of the unusual features make me think of a zeppelin.

[@L0stEngineer]

If you get any bigger, you're going to have to become an zeppelin channel.

[@joesky011]

The photo of a plane in front of the hangar bearing the name "Harts Aircraft Service" was in Melbourne, Australia. The "VH" prefix is on the registration for all civil aircraft in Australia.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

So THIS (and the K7) is what inspired the crashed airliners in Fallout 4! I loved the idea of those wing-volume seating areas.

[@bearclaw5115]

If you are an aviation fan, checking out "The Wind Rises" is an absolute must. It's the only movie I know of dedicated to aspiring aircraft designers and it's gorgeous!

[@zennvirus7980]

More than that, my friend. Miyazaki is apparently such a fan of this plane, that its design has also appeared, after a fashion in others of his works. We have the Giganto from his anime "Future Boy Conan" (kinda like the "kaijuu version), and the Tormekian airships from "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind".

[@stevie-ray2020]

Going by those extra seating-positions, I'm certain they were designed with military-use in mind from the very beginning!

[@guymorris6596]

Especially with such great fields of vision including below the plane.

[@notwhereyouthink]

Truly magnificent feat of engineering for its time and the Jerbins really set a standard for all others to follow.

[@Meisha-san]

Amazing! The passenger was right there, in front of the wing--experiencing the journey like flying a paramotor 😅

[@rjwintl]

they were so far ahead of the rest of the World !!! ... our Stealth fighters and bombers of today employ Junkers original delta-wing designs !!!

[@danepatterson8107]

what an interesting design with amazing engineering

[@shoveljorge]

Fantastic narration

[@JUStCALLMEZIMM]

This Era is Among my favorite of creativity and a dream. The other is the space age

[@badapple9482]

Great video about a plane I knew nothing about. I've heard a couple people recently mention the Treaty of Versailles limiting the Luftwaffe but that was only on paper I believe. They overcame all the limitations and fielded the best air force in the world in 1939. The Luftwaffe put together during this time was never intended to be able to bomb England or you can rest assured that there would have been plenty of capable planes built to do that.

[@alastairward2774]

The Germans practiced for WWII by bombing Guernica.

[@badapple9482]

@@alastairward2774 They cut their teeth in Spain.

[@demanischaffer]

The reason the Luftwaffe failed at strategic bomber was the fact that the commander who was advocating it died in a plane crash and then the focus of the Luftwaffe became dive bombing, hence why planes like the HE117 was a 4 engine bomber with 2 nacels and dive flaps

[@badapple9482]

@@demanischaffer Thanks. What was his name? I think I read something about that years ago.

[@demanischaffer]

@@badapple9482 His name was Walther Wever, died in 1936

[@billwrinkle9662]

I love the thought of the seats in the wing, but can you imagine what the noise and heat level would have been like sitting with one of those giant engines literally inches from your shoulder?

[@sorenweisshartmann]

Really cool video and a fascinating giant plane. Thanks

[@adammisner971]

wow this is going in my dieselpunk notebook for sure. thank you

[@iffracem]

Lovely, "modern" swept cantilever main wings... and a biplane tailplane that resembles a box kite. hmmm, if it wasn't for the explanation about drag due to size, I would think that two different people had two different ideas about flying surfaces and came to a weird compromise.

[@iroll]

And, interestingly, once you have power assistance for steering, a single vertical stabilizer is the "lower drag" option.

[@spawnof200]

those wings are more tapered than swept

[@donaldstanfield8862]

It does sppear to have been designed by a committee! LOL