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Germany's Junkers Ju 52 transport1,2,3
Nicknames: Tante Ju (Auntie Junkers)1,2,3, Iron Annie3
Junkers Ju 52 transport:
Junkers Ju 52 transport:
Junkers Ju 52/3mg7e transport3:
Junkers Ju 52 transport:
Junkers Ju 52/3m transport:
Junkers Ju 52 transport, 1936:
Design
The Junkers Ju 52 started out with a single engine in 1930.3
Engines
The engines on the wings were angled slightly outward.1 This was to make the Ju 52 easier to control if one of the wing engines failed.1
Wings
The flaps and ailerons were hung behind the wing.1
Fuselage
The skin was corrugated duralumin.1,2 It was load-bearing and proved to be very strong.1
The rear gunner had a windshield to protect him from the slipstream.1
Prototype
The Ju 52/3m prototype first flew in April 1931 and it was powered by three Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engines (550 HP).3
The prototype first flew in April 1932.1
Production
Production went until mid 1944.3
There were 4,835 built.1 By the end of the war there were only 50 flyable.1
- France: 4003
- Germany: 4,8453
- Hungary: 263
- Spain: 1703
After the War
France built 400 and Spain 170.1
Variants
- Ju 52/3mg3e: Bomber version.1
- Ju 52/3mg4e: Able to use different wheel, float, or ski landing gear.2
- Ju 52/3mg5e: Able to use different wheel, float, or ski landing gear.2,3
- Ju 52/3mg6e: Improved radio.2 Used BMW 132T engines.3
- Ju 52/3mg7e: Had automatic pilot.2 The loading doors were wider.2 Could carry 18 assault troops.2
- Ju 52/3mg8e: More cabin windows.2 Had a 13 mm MG in dorsal position.2
- Ju 52/3mg9e: Glider tug.2
- Ju 52/3mg10e: Had BMW 132L radial engine.2 Introduced in late 1943.2
- Ju 52/3ms: Had floats.1
- Ju 52/3m(MS): Had an energized hoop to explode mines.1
- CASA 352: Spanish built version.3
Usage
Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland used the Ju 52 during World War II.3
The Luftwaffe used the Junkers Ju 52 on all fronts.3
Multi-role
The Ju 52 was used mostly as a transport, but it was also used as a bomber, flying classroom, minesweeper, glider tug, and other roles.3
Airlines
There were 200 Ju 52s that equipped 30 airlines before 1940.3
Bomber Squadrons
The Luftwaffe used the Ju 52/3mg3e as a heavy bomber in its first bomber squadrons.3
Spanish Civil War
Some of the Ju 52/3mg3es in Spain were used as bombers.1,3 They were flown for 13,000 operational hours and dropped around 6,000 tons of bombs.3
Eve of Invasion of Poland
The Luftwaffe had 552 Ju 52s before the invasion of Poland.2 547 of those were the Ju 52/3ms.2
Demyansk
In three months 22,399 tonnes / 22,045 tons of supplies were air lifted to six divisions.1
After the War
The Swiss Fliegertruppe flew the Ju 52/3ms into the 1980s.1
| Junkers Ju 52/3m3 | Junkers Ju 52/3mg3e3 | Junkers Ju 52/3mg4e2 | Junkers Ju 52/3mg5e3 | Junkers Ju 52/3mg7e1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Transport3 Bomber3 |
Transport2 | Transport1 | ||
| Crew | 3 - 43 | 2-32 | 31 | ||
| Passengers | 183 | 182 | 181 | ||
| OR | |||||
| Stretchers | 122 | ||||
| Engine (Type) | 3: BMW 123A-33 | 3: BMW 132T piston2 | 3: BMW 132T3 | 3: BMW 132T3 3: BMW 132T-21 |
|
| Cylinders | Radial 93 | Radial2 | Radial3 | Radial 91 | |
| Cooling | Air1 | ||||
| HP | 725 each3 | 830 each2 | 830 each3 | 830 each1 | |
| Propeller blades | 2 each3 | 2 each3 | 2 each1 | ||
| Dimensions | |||||
| Span | 95' 11.5"3 29.49 m3 |
95' 11.5"2 29.25 m2 |
95' 11"1 29.24 m1 |
||
| Length | 62'3 18.9 m3 |
62'2 18.9 m2 |
61' 8"1 18.8 m1 |
||
| Height | 18' 2"3 5.54 m3 |
11' 9 3/8"2 3.6 m2 |
14' 9"1 4.5 m1 |
||
| Wing area | 1,189.5 ft2 2 110.5 m2 2 |
1,189 ft2 1 110.46 m2 1 |
|||
| Weight | |||||
| Empty | 12,610 lb3 5,720 kg3 |
14,352 lb2 6,510 kg2 |
14,330 lb3 6,500 kg3 |
14,432 lb1 6,546 kg1 |
|
| Loaded | 23,149 lb3 10,500 kg3 |
23,148 lb2 10,500 kg2 |
24,320 lb3 11,031 kg3 |
23,133 lb1 10,493 kg1 |
|
| Performance | |||||
| Speed at sea level | 168 mph2 270 kph2 |
183 mph1 295 kph1 |
|||
| Speed @ 2,955' / 900 m |
171 mph3 275 kph3 |
||||
| Speed @ 4,590' / 1,400 m |
178 mph3 286 kph3 |
||||
| Cruising speed | 130 mph3 209 kph3 |
||||
| Climb | 689'/minute2 210 m/minute2 |
682'/minute1 208 m/minute1 |
|||
| Service ceiling | 19,360'3 5,900 m3 |
18,045'2 5,500 m2 |
18,000'3 5,486 m3 |
18,050'1 5,500 m1 |
|
| Range | 621 miles3 1,000 km3 |
570 miles2 917 km2 |
800 miles3 1,287 km3 |
||
| Armament | |||||
| Dorsal turret | 1: 7.9 mm MG3 | 1: 7.92 mm MG 151 | |||
| OR | 1: 13 mm3 | ||||
| Abeam | 1: 7.9 mm MG3 | 2: 7.92 mm MG1 | |||
| Ventral | 1: 7.9 mm MG3 | ||||
| Bombs | 1,102 lb3 500 kg3 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
