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	lb
Loaded	9,200 kg	20,270 lb
Maximum takeoff	kg	lb
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	160 W/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 1980s. Quite a few are still airworthy and in regular use today.

Specifications (variant described)

General characteristics

• Crew:
• Capacity:
• Length: m ( ft)
• Wingspan: m ( ft)
• Height: m ( ft)
• Wing area: m² ( ft²)
• Empty: kg ( lb)
• Loaded: kg ( lb)
• Maximum takeoff: kg ( lb)
• Powerplant: Engine type(s), kN (lbf) thrust or
• Powerplant: Engine type(s), kW ( hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: km/h ( mph)
• Range: km ( miles)
• Service ceiling: m ( ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: or
• Power/mass:

See also: List of airworthy Ju 52

External links

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