| Junkers Ju 52 |
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| german airliners 1930-1939 | |
| german military transport aircraft 1930-1939 | |
| world war ii german transport aircraft | |
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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 with one engine in 1930 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, the aircraft now redesignated as Ju 52/3m (3 motoren = 3 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 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 . In addition to the standard model with a fixed wheeled undercarriage, there was a Floatplane version, with twin floats. This served during the Norwegian Campaign in 1940 and, later, in the Mediterranean theatre. Some Ju 52s were also used as minesweepers, being fitted with a large Degaussing ring under the airframe. While most were destroyed after the war, a small number were manufactured after 1945 in France and Spain (as the CASA 352). Some continued in productive service with the Swiss air force until the 1980s. Quite a few are still airworthy and in regular use today. Military operators
SPECIFICATIONS (JUNKERS JU 52/3M)
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