Junkers Ju 52
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The Junkers Ju 52 (nicknamed Tante Ju - 'Auntie Ju' - and 'Iron Annie') was a transport aircraft and bomber manufactured between 1932 and 1945 by Junkers. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with well over a dozen air carriers including Swiss Air and Lufthansa as an airliner and freight hauler. In a military role, it flew with the Luftwaffe as a troop and cargo transport.
Development
Originally prototyped with one engine, in 1930 by Ernst Zindel, in the Junkers works at Dessau, the corrugated metal skin gave the fuselage a characteristic boxy appearance. Three BMW 132 Hornet engines improved performance and load carrying abilities, with the aircraft redesignated as the Ju 52/3m (German drei Motoren, meaning 'three engines'). As a Lufthansa airliner, the Ju 52 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 (Guernica) with roles as a bomber and as a transport. The Luftwaffe then relied on the Ju 52 for transport roles during World War II, including paratroop drops, most notably in the Battle of Crete in May 1941. Compared to fighters, it was slow (top speed 165 mph) and lightly-armed, so an escort was always necessary; many were shot down by guns and fighters while transporting supplies, most notably during the Battle of Stalingrad.
Variants
In addition to the standard, fixed undercarriage version, there was a floatplane version, equipped with two large floats. This model served during the Norwegian Campaign, in 1940 and later in the Mediterranean theatre. Some Ju 52 floatplanes were also used as minesweepers, fitted with a large degaussing ring under the airframe.Most Ju 52s were destroyed after the war but a small number were manufactured after 1945, in France and Spain, by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA as the CASA 352. Some remained in service with the Swiss air force as late as the 1980s; several are airworthy and in regular use today.
Military operators
- Argentina, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, France (post war), Germany, Hungary, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Specifications (Junkers Ju 52/3m g7e)
#endnote_ps]|max speed main=265 km/h |max speed alt=165 mph |max speed more=at sea level |cruise speed main=211 km/h |cruise speed alt=132 mph |range main=870 km |range alt=540 miles |ceiling main=5,490 m |ceiling alt=18,000 ft |climb rate main=17 minutes to 3,050 m |climb rate alt=10,000 ft |loading main= |loading alt= |power/mass main= |power/mass alt= |armament=
- 1× 13 mm MG 131 machine gun in a dorsal position
- 2× 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns
- up to 455 kg (1,000 lb) of bombs (some variants)
Notes
↑ Originally measured as 725 PS}}
References
External links
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