The American Heritage Museum (AHM) has made substantial progress in the restoration of an extremely rare Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, one of the last remaining complete examples of the iconic World War II dive-bomber. Since acquiring the airframe in late 2023, AHM has undertaken an intricate, large-scale rebuild that involves reverse-engineering components, 3D scanning surviving aircraft in Europe, and fabricating custom parts to exact wartime German specifications.
The aircraft was retrieved from a frozen lake where it had been deliberately landed during the war. Though its crew detonated a thermite grenade in the cockpit to prevent enemy capture, the Stuka was not the result of a crash, leaving its structural integrity largely intact. Despite the fire damage, the restoration team considers the airframe’s condition to be favorable for rebuilding.
“There are no surviving original construction drawings,” noted AHM President Rob Collings, highlighting the project’s technical complexity. To overcome this challenge, the team is relying on detailed 3D scans of Ju 87 airframes housed at institutions such as the RAF Museum in Hendon and the Technikmuseum in Berlin. These scans, along with surviving fragments and components, are being used to reverse-engineer precise technical drawings for manufacturing replacement parts.
Structural restoration is currently underway in the Czech Republic. Initial efforts have concentrated on the aircraft’s tail and wings, particularly the severely corroded right wing. According to Collings, “We started on the worst parts first.” In contrast, the left wing was found to be in relatively good condition. The horizontal stabilizer has already been fully rebuilt, and most structural work on the right wing is now complete.
A critical next step in the project involves fabricating and installing historically accurate German rivets. Unlike Allied designs, German WWII-era rivets have a unique 120-degree head angle and are constructed from specialized alloys. Collings emphasized the importance of this detail: “It’s not just about historical accuracy. Using the wrong rivets could compromise structural integrity, as we’ve seen in past Luftwaffe restorations.”
While the airframe remains the primary focus, initial work has also begun on replicating the Stuka’s complex flap-aileron mixing system—designed to lower ailerons in conjunction with the flaps to improve handling during steep dives. The museum is reproducing the system based on scans of surviving units from Berlin’s Technikmuseum, compensating for the fact that the original component in AHM’s aircraft was destroyed.
In Austria, multiple Junkers Jumo 211 engines—original powerplants for the Ju 87—are currently in storage at Michael Renner’s restoration facility (RPE), awaiting future rebuild. Though engine restoration has not yet commenced, it remains a key milestone in the overall project timeline.
Looking ahead, AHM plans to transition from the wings and tail to the fuselage and center section over the next year. The ultimate goal is to restore the Ju 87 not as a static museum exhibit but as a potential flight-worthy example—an extraordinary ambition given the aircraft’s rarity and historical complexity.
Collings described the project as a landmark effort in aviation preservation. “The Stuka is a milestone machine in the history of aerial warfare. Restoring it to flying condition is about more than preservation—it’s about enabling future generations to truly understand and study one of history’s most impactful aircraft.”
As the restoration progresses, the American Heritage Museum continues to set new standards in historical aviation craftsmanship, reaffirming its commitment to preserving the legacy of military flight.
