Junkers Ju-52/3m g5e

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Fighter Ace Screenshots 2 Fighter Ace Ratings 3 Fighter Ace Performance 4 Historical Statistics 5 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 History 8 Sources 9 See Also

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 5

Speed: 2

Maneuverability: 9

Firepower: n/a

Climb Rate: 1

Ground Attack: 5

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	169	180	181	157	185@ 6562'	99 mph	3:30	10:44	45:10
kph	272	289	292	252	297@ 2000m	160 kph

Historical Statistics

Service Date: August 1939

Primary Guns: none

Secondary Guns: none

Defensive Guns: 1x MG131 13mm machine guns with 200 rpg in dorsal turret, 2x MG-15 7.92 mm machine guns with 700 rpg in beam positions

Ordnance: 10x 121 lb (55 kg) or 2x 551 lb (250 kg) bombs in bomb bay or 3,308 lb (1,500 kg) of freight or 18 paratroopers (in game limited to 10)

Engine(s): 3x BMW-132T-2 radials rated for 830 hp each at sea level

Int Fuel Capacity: 3,926 lbs (1,780 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: none

Maximum Speeds: 169 mph (272 kph) at SL, 178 mph (286 kph) at 4,595 ft (1,400 m)

Ceiling: 19,360 ft (5,900 m)

Loaded Weight: 24,250 lbs (11,000 kg)

Wing Area: 1,189.4 sq ft (110.5 sq m)

Wing Loading: 20.4 lbs/sq ft (99.5 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Durability: Built of corrugated sheet metal, the Ju-52 was tough, heavy, and able to withstand an amazing amount of battle damage.

Weaknesses

Speed: With a top speed of about 180 mph, any flight in the Ju-52 will be a long one.

Defensive Armament: Three .30 caliber machine guns is better than nothing, but not by much.

History

The Junkers aircraft company was one whose history extended back to the years before World War I. Hugo Junkers, the company's founder, patented a technique in 1910 to use corrugated sheet metal in the construction of aircraft. His "J" series of two-seat ground attack planes were known for their rugged durability both from enemy fire and the stresses associated with flying.

After the war, Junkers turned his attention to building aircraft for civil use, but he soon became convinced that the potential military market was as lucrative as the civil market was and all future designs were built with both civil and military needs in mind. First flown as a single-engine prototype in 1930, the Ju-52 airframe was adapted to accept three Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engines. The new plane flew for the first time in April 1931 and after a few minor modifications, was ordered by Lufthansa as a passenger airliner.

Meanwhile, the still-secret Luftwaffe was building up their squadron strength with the Dornier Do-11 being planned to fill the bomber role. But production delays and unsatisfactory performance out of the expected bomber caused them to look for a suitable substitute, with the Ju-52 being selected. Having already been planned for military usage, the conversion of the civil airliner into a bomber was relatively easy. The three cargo bays, which had been previously used to hold luggage and air freight, were modified to accept ten 110 lb. or two 551 lb. bombs each, for a total of 3,306 lbs. of bombs. A bomb aiming station was installed beneath the fuselage and a pair of defensive guns were added, one flexibly mounted in a dorsal cutout atop the fuselage and the other in a retractable "dustbin" behind the bomb aiming station.

The Ju-52 was soon blooded in the Spanish Civil War, where it was used as both a troop transport and heavy bomber. Its first bombing mission took place on August 14, 1936, with the target being an airfield near Madrid. Its operational life as a bomber however, was rather short as it was soon replaced in the Condor Legion ranks by the new Heinkel He-111 and Dornier Do-17 designs.

By the start of the Second World War in September 1939, the Ju-52 had been almost completely supplanted in the bomber units by newer designs. Existing models were turned over to the transport and training units and production was shifted to meet the new need of supplying air transport for the fledgling Fleigerkorps.

By this time, the g5e variant was in production. Changes from the g3e version included the elimination of the "dustbin" defensive position in the belly of the plane, its firepower being replaced by a MG15 machine gun in a flexible mount in each of the two side windows. The g5e military transport variant was capable of carrying 18 fully laden combat paratroopers (limited in game to 10) or almost 4,000 lbs. of cargo. Even in this guise, the Ju-52 was still capable of carrying ten 110 lb. or two 551 lb. bombs instead of cargo or troops. By the end of the war, the Ju-52 had served with distinction for long past its expected useful life.

Sources

Green, William; Warplanes Of The Third Reich; Doubleday & Company Garden City, New York, 1972.

See Also

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory

Junkers Flugzeug und Motorwerke, A.G.

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II