The Junkers Ju 52 Tante Ju

The Junkers Ju 52 was to the Germans like the Douglas C-47 was to the Allied forces. It was the genuine workhorse, hauling goods and bombs to supply the troops, or paratroopers for relief or strikes.
The Ju 52 finds it'sorigins in the late 1920's, when Junkers had a very succesfull freighter, the W 33 and W 34. When looking to design a new transport, the Junkers team naturally wanted to cash in on their early successes, so the Ju 52 became an enlarged version of the afore mentioned aircraft. Initially a single-engine aircraft was designed, but sales of it fell short of expectations. The aircfat still had a poor payload and range, and the solution was found in a three-engined versin, 1 mounted in the nose and 2 wing mounted.
Large orders already had proven the types' worth, before the still secret Luftwaffe approached Junkers for a bomber/transport aircraft.

Versions:

• Junkers Ju 52/3m g7e
• Other Junkers Ju 52 versions
• CASA 352 versions
• AAC.1 Toucan versions

Further pictures:

Junkers Ju 52/3m in Swiss colours

Technical data on the Junkers Ju 52/3m g7e

Powerplant	3 × BMW 132T-2 radial, rated at 830 hp (618.76 kW) each		Role during war	Transport
Length	62 ft 0 inch		Height	14 ft 10 inch
Empty weight	14330 lb		Operational weight	24320 lb max
Wing Span	95 ft 10 inch		Wing Aspect ratio	7.72
Wing Area	1189.41 sq ft		Service ceiling	18045 ft
Maximum speed	178 mph at 4590 ft		Cruising speed	160 mph at optimum altitude
Initial climb rate	Climb to 9,845 ft in 19 min 0 sec		Range	932 miles typical
Fuel capacity internal	539 Imp gal (647 US gal)		Fuel capacity external	-
Machine guns	1 × 0.51 inch MG-131 or 0.312 inch MG 15 trainable rearward-firing in the rear dorsal position provision for 1 × 0.312 inch trainable rearward-firing in the forward dorsal position provision for 2 × 0.312 inch trainable lateral-firing in the two beam position		Cannons	-
Cargo load	18 troops, or 12 litters, or an unspecified load of supplies.		Torpedoes/rockets	-
Crew	3: pilot, co-pilot, radio operator/gunner		Naval or ground based	Ground
First flight (prototype)	April 1931		Operational Service	1932 - 1969
Manufacturer	Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke A.G.		Number produced	5.415 total, unknown number this version

Metric system

Length	18.9 m		Height	4.52 m
Empty weight	6500 kg		Operational weight	11032 kg max
Wing Span	29.21 m		Wing Aspect ratio	7.72
Wing Area	110.5 m²		Service ceiling	5500 m
Maximum speed	286 km/h at 1399 m		Cruising speed	257 km/h at optimum altitude
Initial climb rate	Climb to 3.000 m in 19 min 0 sec		Range	1500 km typical
Fuel capacity internal	2.450 liters		Fuel capacity external	-
Machine guns	1 × 13 mm MG-131 or 0.312 inch MG 15 trainable rearward-firing in the rear dorsal position provision for 1 × 7,62 mm trainable rearward-firing in the forward dorsal position provision for 2 × 7,62 trainable lateral-firing in the two beam position		Cannons	-
Cargo load	18 troops, or 12 litters, or an unspecified load of supplies.		Torpedoes/rockets	-

Here is a quick overview of all different versions, without the full technical specifications:

Remarks:

The Junkers Ju 52/3m has seen a long career, much longer than was wise, actually. The first war theatre where it was used operationally was the Spanish Civil War. In the beginning of that conflict the Ju 52/3m g3e served as an airlift. Some 20 aircraft transported 13.960 men and their equipment until the first part of October 1936 from Spanish Morocco to Sevilla. After that it was flown as a bomber by the Spanish Nationalists, until in November the first German-flown aircraft arrived in the form of the Condor Legion.
From 1937 onwards, the Ju 52/3m started serving less as a bomber, and extended it's operational duties more to transport, bomber-crew trainer, glider tug (for the DFS 230 assault glider), and in the airborne forces role. Usually the ventral 'Dustbin' was removed.
Another role in which the Ju 52/3m was used was as a mine sweeper. As described with the Ju 52/3m gxe (MS) versions, it used a Dural hoop for defusing magnetic mines throughout the war. Other aircraft were fitted with a so-called Knallkörpergerät. This deviced had 30 small explosive charges which would be dropped into the water near accoustically triggered mines, thus triggering their explosion.
Furhtermore it was used succesfully in the Dutch and Belgian campaigns in May 1940 and in the Cretan campaign in may 1941. There it was used as a paratrooper or airborne carrier.
In the North African Theatre it was used as a transport to supply Rommel's Africa Korps with needed goods, but since Malta was occupied by the British RAF, the Ju 52's proved very vulnerable during their transit over the Mediterranean Sea.
It is known that from 1942 onward there were more losses than aircraft produced, so the fleet was steadily declining then. During the support to the German troops beleaguering Stalingrad some 266 out of 490 Ju 52's were lost in the winter of 1942-1943.
The Ju 52 also served on Allied side, either as captured or impressed aircraft.

Strengths:

• Good versatility
• Able to take damage, dependable because of it's three engines

Weaknesses:

• Slow
• Insufficient defensive armament

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