Junkers Ju 52

Junkers Ju 52

Description
Role Troop carrier
Crew
First Flight
Entered Service 1935
Manufacturer Junkers Flugzeug & Motorenwerke AG
Dimensions
Length 18.9 m 62 ft
Wingspan 29.3 m 96 ft
Height m ft
Wing area m² ft²
Weights
Empty kg lbs
Loaded 9,200 kg 20,270 lbs
Maximum takeoff kg lbs
Powerplant
Engine 3 × BMW 132A
Power (each) 485 kW 650 hp
Performance
Maximum speed 265 km/h 165 mph
Combat range 870 km 540 miles
Ferry range km miles
Service ceiling 6,100 m 20,000 ft
Rate of climb m/min ft/min
Wing loading kg/m² lb/ft²
Power/Mass 0.16 kW/kg 0.096 hp/lb
Armament
Guns

The Junkers Ju 52 nicknamed "Tante Ju" (Auntie Ju) and "Iron Annie" was a civilian airliner and military transport aircraft and bomber manufactured between 1932 and 1945 by Junkers.

Originally prototyped in 1930 with one engine by Ernst Zindel in the Junkers works at Dessau, its corrugated metal fuselage gave a characteristic boxy appearance. Three BMW Hornet engines improved performance and load carrying abilities. As a Lufthansa airliner, the Ju52 could seat seventeen, reaching Rome from Berlin in 8 hours. Export models were also built with Pratt & Whitney Wasp and Bristol Pegasus engines.

The Ju 52 first saw military service in the Spanish Civil War with roles as a bomber and as a transport, including paratroop drops. The Luftwaffe relied on the Ju52 for transport roles during World War II. Compared to fighters, it was slow (top speed 165 mph) and lightly armed, so an escort was always necessary; many were shot down.

While most were destroyed following war's end, a small number was manufactured after 1945 in France and Spain. Some continued in productive service by the Swiss air force until the 1980's. Quite a few are still airworthy and in regular use today.

External Links

www.ju52-3m.ch
www.compsoc.man.ac.uk
www.oldprops.f9.co.uk
www.constable.ca