Due to the demands of IDFLIEG in 1916, Hugo Junkers was forced to develope the combat aircraft J4 as a double wing design. Junkers himself believed, that also a cantilever monoplane would offer the same performance than a double wing aircraft. Therefore Junkers was thinking about a combat conversion of the J7 to proof his approach. This combat aircraft version of the J7 was designated as Junkers J8. Compared to the J7, the J8 got a longer fuselage to accomodate a pilot and an observer seat and a larger wing for slow speed flights.

Just three month after the first flight of the J7, on December, 10th 1917 Schmidt took off for the first flight of the J8. After the foundation of Junkers-Fokker Werke A.G. Anthony Fokker is interested in a serial production of the J8 within the new joint-venture company. Since February 1918 the aircraft was also tested by IDFLIEG. It got its type approval during the same month as Junk CL. The prototype and a further two J8 aircraft were built for IDFLIEG until March 1918. These test aircraft were designated J8I, J8II and J8III. A fourth J8 was built for ICO itself for some flight performance tests.

IDFLIEG was interested in a serial production of the J8. But due to the bad experiences with the J4 serial production, IDFLIEG did not believe, that ICO or Junkers-Fokker A.G., which was just founded from former ICO workshops were capable to built up a convenient serial production line for the J8. Therefore IDFLIEG was discussing a license production of this aircraft at Linke-Hoffmann. At the same time Junkers and Fokker were discussing about the transfer of the J8 production rights from ICO, which had developed the J8 to Junkers-Fokker Werke A.G., which should produce the aircraft. Finally Junkers transfered the rights of a slightly modified J8 to Junkers-Fokker A.G. under the designator J10. In sofar a total of four J8s were built and the J8 remained an exclusive ICO developement.

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