FHCAM’s Junkers Ju 87 Stuka Heads to New Facility for Final Restoration Phase

**Article updated at the bottom on July 1st.** On June 27, 2025, the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum (FHCAM) shared an exciting update on one of its most iconic restoration projects—the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. Now fully created and ready for transport, the aircraft departed FHCAM for The Roost, a new aviation company in Bentonville, Arkansas, founded by Jason Muszala and Steuart Walton, which specializes in warbirds, where its restoration to airworthy condition will continue. It’s important to note that the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum (FHCAM) is now owned and operated by the Wartime History Museum, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded by Steuart Walton.

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Update as of July 1, 2025: We just received an image from Adrian Hunt, Executive Director of the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum. The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka departed FHCAM on June 27 and has now arrived at The Roost, a new aviation company in Bentonville, Arkansas, founded by Jason Muszala and Steuart Walton.Related Articles

FHCAMs Junkers Ju 87 Stuka Heads to New Facility for Final Restoration Phase — Photo via Photo via Adrian Hunt/Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum

FHCAMs Junkers Ju 87 Stuka Heads to New Facility for Final Restoration Phase 1 — Photo via Adrian Hunt/Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum

FHCAM’s Stuka restoration centers on the remains of Ju 87R-2, works number 5709, though it incorporates components from multiple airframes. The R-2 model was a long-range development of the Ju 87B, distinguished by the addition of an auxiliary oil tank and plumbing for underwing drop tanks, which extended the aircraft’s range by up to 220 miles. The reinforced fuselage of the R-2 allowed for higher-speed dives—up to 370 mph—making it well-suited for anti-shipping missions, though it served a variety of roles throughout the war.

45743065 2372769229417387 6609109620843610112 o e1750978436653 — Junkers Ju 87R-2 Stuka wk.nr. 5709 sitting partially disassembled in the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum’s newly opened display hangar. The aircraft has been undergoing restoration over the past several years, but was unveiled to the public for the first time on November 10th, 2018, at the hangar’s grand opening event. (Photo by Randall Malmstrom)

Wk.nr. 5709 was built under license by Weser Flugzeugbau GmbH in Bremen in May 1940. Originally destined for North African operations, it was instead deployed to the Eastern Front. The aircraft served with I./St.G.5 and bore the markings L1+KU. On May 28, 1942, it crashed near Motowski Bay in the Murmansk region during the German campaign in the Soviet Union. The crew, pilot Lt. Eberhardt Klauck and observer OGefr. Hans Hüllen reportedly survived, though there is speculation that Hüllen may have been taken prisoner. The Stuka was severely damaged in the crash, and the crew is believed to have bailed out before impact.

FHCAM Stuka Randy Malmstrom 05 — An unrestored outer port wing section. [Photo by Randy Malmstrom]

The wreckage remained undisturbed in the remote Russian tundra for more than 50 years before being rediscovered in 1996. It was subsequently recovered and imported to the United Kingdom in 1998. The Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin later acquired the remains, one of several Ju 87 projects in its collection. Around 2004, the aircraft transitioned to FHCAM’s stewardship, where it entered a long-term, largely behind-the-scenes restoration effort.

46024651 2372769842750659 5028948194382315520 o — The disassembled Stuka with her pair of wheel spats sitting to the front. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

45776070 2372768902750753 5824245909898133504 o — The Stuka as she sat in the new hangar at the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

45826252 2372768909417419 799901679938961408 o — The Stuka’s firewall. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

45736032 2372769949417315 8047313015143399424 o — The Stuka’s fuselage. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

45901930 2372769706084006 2995931841501855744 o — A nice three-quarters view of the Stuka’s freshly restored fuselage. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

45977068 2372769746084002 7542836279793156096 o — A view of the Stuka’s cockpit superstructure. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

45831346 2372769442750699 6049798668658147328 o — The Stuka’s rebuilt rear fuselage. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

46007481 2372778739416436 9209128507962032128 o — A nice three-quarter rear view of the restored fuselage. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

45835143 2372769419417368 8804562113600159744 o — The Stuka’s brand-new outer wing panels sitting behind a section of original wing structure still bearing the sandy brown paintwork of an aircraft used in the Luftwaffe’s desert campaign in North Africa. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

46053414 2372778609416449 6525892941561462784 o — Another view of the wings, with the fuselage to the rear. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

45768983 2372769729417337 8394615482426064896 o — A nice view of the mounting point for Stuka’s outer wing panels. The standard Junkers four-bolt is clearly in evidence here. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

46096838 2372769996083977 847816068805165056 o — The Stuka’s characteristic fixed-gear wheel spats which were such a trademark for the aircraft. Early model Stukas had a wind-powered siren attached to the top portion of the gear, which created the infamous screaming sound to terrorize opponents on the ground during the dive bombing run. These sirens were discontinued after the Ju 87B model, so will not be present on the FHCAM’s example. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

45714980 2372779292749714 2627007503828779008 o — A Bordkanone 3,7 BK 3,7 37mm cannon pod. Some Stuka variants had one of these slung under each wing, and used them to great effect attacking Soviet tanks on the Eastern Front. The Bordkanone will remain on display in Everett.(photo by Randall Malmstrom)

45917285 2372769569417353 2342489534198972416 o — Part of the Stuka’s original rear fuselage. You can see signs of sandybrown paint, which is why the FHCAM believe the aircraft was originally destined for the North African campaign. (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

46022118 2372778999416410 945547757567868928 o — One of the battered wings from Stuka wk.nr.5709 which was used as a resource for the rebuild. Note the letter ‘Z’ on the wing. At the time of her recovery, this was believed to be the original factory identification letter. The wing will remain on display in Everett (photo by Randall Malmstrom)

Now that the airframe’s structural restoration is largely complete, the remaining work will continue at FHCAM’s new restoration site, with hopes of completing the aircraft within the next few years. Notably, Mike Nixon in Tehachapi, California, has been entrusted with overhauling the rare Junkers Jumo 211 powerplant. Once completed, the engine will likely be the first operational Jumo 211 to fly in over 50 years.

FHCAM Stuka Randy Malmstrom 07 — The Junkers Jumo 211 engine, restored by Vintage V-12s. [Photo by Randy Malmstrom]

FHCAM Stuka Randy Malmstrom 08 — The Junkers Jumo 211 engine, restored by Vintage V-12s. [Photo by Randy Malmstrom]

FHCAM Stuka Randy Malmstrom 09 — The Junkers Jumo 211 engine, restored by Vintage V-12s. [Photo by Randy Malmstrom]

Although a lot of the structure is clearly newly-manufactured, when it is done, this Stuka will be only the third complete example of the breed in the world, with the other two being Ju 87G-2 wk.nr.494085 at the Royal Air Force Museum in London, England and Ju 87R-2/Trop wk.nr.5954 at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago, Illinois. The substantial remains of at least three other Stukas exist in other museums presently, and a couple of largely intact wrecks remain underwater in the Mediterranean. However, a fourth example will eventually be completed. In December 2023, the American Heritage Museum announced the airworthy restoration of a Ju-87D-5, as previously reported by Vintage Aviation News, which will have a Junkers-Jumo 211 as well. A recent update about this restoration was published on June 19, 2025 [Click HERE].

1200px Stuka dive bomber captured by Allies in North Africa 1941 Museum of Science and Industry Chicago DSC06304 — The Stuka at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois. This aircraft was recovered in North Africa by British troops during WWII, and still wears her original wartime paint. (photo via wikipedia)

Stuka Kroatien — A substantially intact submerged Stuka wreck was discovered off the Croatian coast a few years ago. (photo via wikipedia)

1200px German Museum of Technology Berlin 2017 284 — Junkers Ju 87R-2 wk.nr.5856 at the Deutsches Technikmuseum, Berlin. (photo via wikipedia)

1200px Junkers Ju87G 2 ‘494083 RIJK’ 17006248019 — The RAF Museum’s Junkers Ju 87G-2. (photo via Wikipedia)

Junkers Ju 87 wreck Auto und Technikmuseum Sinsheim — The substantial remains of another saltwater Stuka recovery are on display at the Auto-und-Technik Museum in Sinsheim, Germany. This is Ju 87B-2 wk.nr.1301643 raised from 60m down off the coast of St.Tropez, France in 1982. (photo via wikipedia)

Luftwaffe Ju 87 22Stuka22 Hellenic Air Museum Tatoi Dekelia — The substantial wreck of Ju 87D-3/Trop wk.nr. 100375 was recovered from the Aegean Sea near the island of Rhodes in 2006. It is on outdoor display at the Hellenic Air Force Museum in Athens, Greece. (photo via Wikipedia)

FHCAM’s Ju 87 restoration is not only a technical achievement but also a tribute to aviation history. As the project enters its final stages, anticipation continues to build for the day this rare Luftwaffe dive bomber takes to the skies once more. For more information about the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, visit www.flyingheritage.org.