Junkers Ju52 Transport

Junkers Ju52

In the Spanish civil war the Ju52 was used as a bomber and for transport, but in WWII more capable aircraft were available for the bomber role. As a transport in WWII it was the Luftwaffe's main aircraft. The Ju52 was a rather ugly, slab-sided aircraft with a low cantilever wing, three engines, and a seating capacity of 18. It was Junkers's last aircraft built with their characteristic corrugated metal fusilage that the company started in WWI. They were virtually defenceless against fighters and required continual fighter escort. In the invasion of Crete the Luftwaffe lost some 82 Ju52s. Over 4,800 were made from 1933 to 1945.

Technical Details
The Ju 52/3m g3e transport had a crew of 2-3 depending on the mission. It was powered by three 540kW BMW 132A-3 engines to a maximum speed of 165 mph (275km/h). It had a ceiling of 17,000 ft (5900m) and a range of 770 mi (1285km). It came armed with three 7.9mm machine guns.

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Image From: John Sentiff, permission requested.