The German Junkers Ju 52 corrugated skinned tri-motor aircraft is one of the most distinctive aircraft ever built, it was designed by Ernst Zindel of Junkers at their Dessau works and first took to the air, albeit as a single engined aircraft, in 1930. Production of the Junkers Ju 52, nicknamed 'Iron Annie' and 'Tante Ju' (Auntie Ju), commenced in 1932 and ended thirteen years later in 1945. Most Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 52 were troop and cargo transport versions but some early examples were built as bombers, the bomber variants first saw action in the Spanish Civil War, German air superiority meant that their relatively slow speed and poor defensive armament was of little consequence, their most notable use was in the bombing of Warsaw during World War II. A floatplane version of the Junkers Ju 52 had limited successes as a mine sweeper, magnetic mines were exploded using a large ring shaped electro-magnet suspended beneath the Ju 52's airframe. |
The Junkers Ju 52 tri-motor served with many Airlines including Lufthansa and Swissair in both cargo and passenger roles and remained in use as a Military Transport with the Swiss Air Force in to the early 1980's, several Junkers Ju 52 remain in limited use today and can be occasionally seen at air-shows. Junkers Ju 52/3m g7e Specifications: Crew: Two pilots and a radio operator Capacity: 18 troops Length: 18.90 m (62 ft 0 in) Wingspan: 29.25 m (95 ft 10 in) Height: 4.5 m (14 ft 10 in) Max takeoff weight: 10,990 kg (24,200 lb) Engines: Three 533 kW (715 hp) BMW 132T radial engines Maximum speed: 265 km/h (165 mph) Range: 870 km (540 miles) Service ceiling: 5,490 m (18,000 ft)
Armament: Single 13 mm MG 131 machine gun in a dorsal position Two 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns up to 455 kg (1,000 lb) of bombs
|
