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76-462: An aerodrome is any place at which flight operations take place. In British English, it refers chiefly to a small airport or airfield. Aerodrome or airdrome may refer to: Aerodrome The term airport may imply a certain stature (having satisfied certain certification criteria or regulatory requirements) that not all aerodromes may have achieved. That means that all airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports. Usage of

152-470: A corrugated duralumin metal skin as a strengthening measure, which was a material design pioneered by Junkers and used on many of their aircraft, including the popular Junkers F 13 1920s, the record-setting Junkers W 33 , and Junkers W34 . The corrugation was a strength and weakness; it created strength but also higher aerodynamic drag; more importantly it allowed the practical use of aluminum before newer alloys were developed. The Ju 52's maiden flight

228-643: A Douglas DC-3 were the last aircraft to take off from Berlin Tempelhof Airport before all operations ceased there on 30 October 2008. Most Ju 52s were destroyed after the war, but 585 were built after 1945. In France, the machine had been manufactured during the war by the Junkers-controlled Avions Amiot company, and production continued afterwards as the Amiot AAC 1 Toucan . In Spain , Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA continued production as

304-640: A Spanish republican naval blockade. Between 20 July and the end of August 1936, Ju 52s carried out 461 transport flights, ferrying 7,350 troops together with weapons and equipment, with 5,455 more troops carried in September and a further 1,157 troops carried by the time the airlift ended early in October. According to Smith, the Ju 52 gained a formidable reputation; the type having been reportedly used in practically every major military engagement in support of Nationalist forces. In

380-478: A bomber version of the Ju 52/3m to serve as interim equipment for the bomber units of the still-secret Luftwaffe until it could be replaced by the purpose-designed Dornier Do 11 . Two bomb bays were fitted, capable of holding up to 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) of bombs, while defensive armament consisted of two 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns , one in an open dorsal position, and one in a retractable "dustbin" ventral position, which could be manually winched down from

456-492: A bomber. The use of these Junkers was quite limited. The Spanish Air Force operated the Ju 52, nicknamed Pava , until well into the 1970s. Escuadrón 721, flying the Spanish-built versions, was employed in training parachutists from Alcantarilla Air Base near Murcia . Some military Ju 52s were converted to civilian use. For example, British European Airways operated 11 ex-Luftwaffe Ju 52/3mg8e machines, taken over by

532-535: A corrugated surface that provided torsional stiffening. A narrow control surface, with its outer section functioning as the aileron , and the inner section functioning as a flap , ran along the whole trailing edge of each wing panel, well separated from it. The inner flap section lowered the stalling speed and the arrangement became known as the Doppelflügel , or "double wing". The outer sections of this operated differentially as ailerons , projecting slightly beyond

608-497: A crash. While these initial aircraft had been powered by a single engine, Junkers decided to develop the Ju 52 into a trimotor configuration. Accordingly, the Ju 52/3m ( drei motoren —"three engines") was developed, being powered by an arrangement of three radial engines . According to Smith, the earliest known Ju 52/3m was delivered to Bolivian airline Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano during 1932. During its initial production years, airlines were

684-410: A dimensional capacity of 17 m (590 cu ft), and was lined with numerous windows stretching forward to the pilots' cockpit . The main undercarriage was fixed and divided; some aircraft had wheel fairings , others did not. A fixed tailskid, or a later tailwheel, was used. Some aircraft were fitted with floats or skis instead of the main wheels. In its original configuration, designated

760-469: A licence-built refinement of the Pratt & Whitney design. Export models were also built with 447 kW (600 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp and 578 kW (775 hp) Bristol Pegasus VI engines. The two wing-mounted radial engines of the Ju 52/3m had half- chord cowlings and in planform view (from above/below) appeared to be splayed outwards, being mounted at an almost perpendicular angle to

836-577: A single Junkers-built liquid-cooled V-12 engine, capable of generating up to 590 kW (800 PS). During the aircraft's extensive trials, it was reengined with a 555 kW (755 PS) BMW IV water-cooled inline-6 powerplant. The second prototype, designated Ju 52de , featured an increased wing span and was powered by the BMW IV engine at first; it was soon reengined with the 560 kW (750 hp) 14-cylinder twin-row air-cooled radial Armstrong Siddeley Leopard and re-designated Ju 52di . Later on,

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912-457: A staple military transport of the Luftwaffe . The Ju 52/3mg7e was the principal production model. The Ju 52 was in production between 1931 and 1952. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 airlines, including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa , as both a passenger carrier and a freight hauler. In a military role, large numbers flew with the Luftwaffe , being deployed on virtually all fronts of

988-402: A top speed of only 265 km/h (165 mph) — half that of a contemporary Hurricane  — the Ju 52 was very vulnerable to fighter attack, and an escort was always necessary when flying in a combat zone. Many Ju 52's were shot down by antiaircraft guns and fighters while transporting supplies, most notably during the desperate attempt to resupply the trapped German Sixth Army during

1064-695: Is velodrome , an arena for velocipedes . Αεροδρόμιο is the word for airport in Modern Greek, which transliterates as aerodromio. In British military usage, the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War , and the Royal Air Force in the First and Second World Wars , used the term—it had the advantage that their French allies, on whose soil they were often based, and with whom they co-operated, used

1140-549: Is "a defined area on land or water (including any buildings, installations, and equipment) intended to be used either wholly or in part for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft." The word aerodrome derives from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr), air , and δρόμος (drómos), road or course , literally meaning air course . An ancient linguistic parallel is hippodrome (a stadium for horse racing and chariot racing ), derived from ἵππος (híppos), horse , and δρόμος (drómos), course . A modern linguistic parallel

1216-492: Is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers . First introduced during 1930 as a civilian airliner , it was adapted into a military transport aircraft by Germany's Nazi regime, who exercised power over the company for its war efforts, over the objections of the company's founder Hugo Junkers . Development of the Ju 52 commenced in the late 1920s, headed by German aeronautical engineer Ernst Zindel. The aircraft's design incorporated

1292-465: Is an aerodrome with significant facilities to support aircraft and crew. The term is usually reserved for military bases, but also applies to civil seaplane bases . An airstrip is a small aerodrome that consists only of a runway with perhaps fueling equipment. They are generally in remote locations, e.g. Airstrips in Tanzania . Many airstrips (now mostly abandoned) were built on the hundreds of islands in

1368-661: Is an area of open water used regularly by seaplanes , floatplanes and amphibious aircraft for landing and taking off. It may have a terminal building on land and/or a place where the plane can come to shore and dock like a boat to load and unload (for example, Yellowknife Water Aerodrome ). Some are co-located with a land based airport and are certified airports in their own right. These include Vancouver International Water Airport and Vancouver International Airport . Others, such as Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre have their own control tower, Vancouver Harbour Control Tower . The Canadian Aeronautical Information Manual says "...for

1444-407: The "Palm Sunday Massacre" in which 24 Ju 52s were shot down, and another 35 staggered back to Sicily and crash-landed. Hitler used a Deutsche Luft Hansa Ju 52 for campaigning in the 1932 German election, preferring flying to train travel. After he became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Hans Baur became his personal pilot, and Hitler was provided with a personal Ju 52. Named Immelmann II after

1520-593: The Battle of Crete in late May 1941. 493 Ju 52/3m aircraft were used to transport most of the 22,750 troops flown onto Crete for the Luftwaffe's largest airborne invasion of the war. While victorious, 170 aircraft were lost along with 4,500 personnel; the high loss rate brought about the end of German paratrooper operations. During the North African campaign , the Ju 52 was the mainstay reinforcement and resupply transport for

1596-636: The CASA 352 and 352L . Four CASA 352s are airworthy and in regular use today. In April 2022, 90 years after the first flight of the Ju 52/3m, the Swiss Junkers Flugzeugwerke AG announced the successor model of the Ju 52, the Ju 52 New Generation. The Ju 52 New Generation will be able to carry 14 passengers and will have modern RED A03 engines and modern avionics. The market launch is not expected before 2025. Data from Junkers Aircraft & Engines 1913–1945 Data from The Warplanes of

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1672-624: The Colombia-Peru War in 1932–1933. After the war, the air force acquired three other Ju 52mge as transports; the type remained in service until after the end of the Second World War . Bolivia acquired four Ju 52s in the course of the Chaco War (1932–1935) , mainly for medical evacuation and air supply. During the conflict, the Ju 52s alone transported more than 4,400 tons of cargo to the front. In 1934, Junkers received orders to produce

1748-467: The First World War ace Max Immelmann , it carried the registration D-2600. As his power and importance grew, Hitler's personal air force grew to nearly 50 aircraft, based at Berlin Tempelhof Airport and made up mainly of Ju 52s, which also flew other members of his cabinet and war staff. In September 1939, at Baur's suggestion, Immelmann II was replaced by a four-engine Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor , although Immelman II remained his backup aircraft for

1824-524: The Ju 52/1m , the Ju 52 was a single-engined aircraft, powered by either a BMW IV or Junkers liquid-cooled V-12 engine. However, the single-engined model was deemed to have been underpowered and, after seven prototypes had been completed, all subsequent Ju 52s were built with three radial engines as the Ju 52/3m ( drei motoren —"three engines"). Originally powered by three Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet radial engines, later production models mainly received 574 kW (770 hp) BMW 132 engines,

1900-661: The Low Countries . In addition to the paratroop drops, they also directly landed in hostile territory to deploy assault troops, such as at Ypenburg Airport , on public highways around The Hague , and on the River Meuse (the latter using float-equipped aircraft). During the opening days of the Netherlands campaign, many German aircraft were shot down by Dutch AA-fire; a total of 125 Ju 52s were lost and 47 damaged; author Hooton considered these losses to have been relatively costly for

1976-659: The Norwegian campaign in 1940, and later in the Mediterranean theatre . Some Ju 52's, both floatplanes and landplanes, were also used as minesweepers , known as Minensuch  — literally, "mine-search" aircraft in German ;— and fitted with a 14 m (46 ft) diameter current-carrying degaussing ring under the airframe to create a magnetic field that triggered submerged naval mines . These aircraft were usually given an -"MS" suffix to designate them, as had been done with

2052-616: The Pacific Ocean during the Second World War. A few airstrips grew to become full-fledged airbases as the strategic or economic importance of a region increased over time. An advanced landing ground was a temporary airstrip used by the Allies in the run-up to and during the invasion of Normandy , and these were built both in Britain, and on the continent. A water aerodrome or seaplane base

2128-621: The Second World War as a troop and cargo transport; it was also briefly used as a medium bomber . Additionally, the type was deployed by other nations' militaries in conflicts such as the Spanish Civil War , the Chaco War , the First Indochina War , and the Portuguese Colonial War . During the postwar era, the Ju 52 had a lengthy service life with numerous military and civilian operators; large numbers were still in use by

2204-664: The Second World War . The dominant production model was the Ju 52/3mg7e , featuring advances such as an autopilot , enlarged doors to the cabin, and other general enhancements. It was configured as a pure transport aircraft, being capable of carrying up to 18 fully-equipped troops. Defensive armaments comprised a dorsal-mounted 13 mm MG 131 machine gun and a pair of beam 7.9mm MG 15 machine guns. Successive models saw other improvements, such as revised glazing, newer engines, undercarriage strengthening, and increased take-off weight. The final wartime model to be developed, designated Ju 52/3mg14e , featured improved armour protection for

2280-506: The cognate term aérodrome . In Canada and Australia, aerodrome is a legal term of art for any area of land or water used for aircraft operation, regardless of facilities. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) documents use the term aerodrome , for example, in the Annex to the ICAO Convention about aerodromes, their physical characteristics, and their operation. However,

2356-529: The 1930s. Starting in 1933, the Nazi regime that had taken power in Germany demanded Junkers produce military versions of the Ju 52. Over Hugo Junkers' resistance, the company was compelled to produce military aircraft; in 1935, Nazi officials came to Hugo Junker's house on his birthday, resulting in his death under unclear circumstances and his company having been signed over to the state. Thousands of Ju 52s were procured as

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2432-473: The 1980s. Even in the 21st century, several aircraft have remained operational, typically used for heritage aviation displays and aerial sightseeing. The Ju 52 was designed starting in 1925, in two versions, a single engine version for freight transport (Ju-52/1m) and trimotor passenger version for 17 (Ju 52/3m), both as civilian versions. Both designs were overseen by the German aeronautical engineer Earnst Zindel,

2508-728: The Germans, starting with 20 to 50 flights a day to Tunisia from Sicily in November 1942, building to 150 landings a day in early April as the Axis situation became more desperate. The Allied air forces developed a counter-air operation over a two-month period and implemented Operation Flax on 5 April 1943, destroying 11 Ju 52s in the air near Cap Bon and many more during bombing attacks on its Sicilian airfields, leaving only 29 flyable. That began two catastrophic weeks in which more than 140 aircraft were lost in air interceptions, culminating on 18 April with

2584-405: The Ju 52 for transport roles during the Second World War, including paratroop drops. During its service with Luft Hansa, the Ju 52 had proved to be an extremely reliable passenger airplane. This positive experience contributed to its adoption by the Luftwaffe as a standard aircraft model. In 1938, the 7th Air Division had five air transport groups with 250 Ju 52s. The Luftwaffe had 552 Ju 52s at

2660-473: The Ju 52 from 1939 to 1982, when three aircraft remained in operation, probably the last and longest service in any air force. Museums hoped to obtain the aircraft, but they were not for sale. They are still in flying condition and together with a CASA 352 can be booked for sightseeing tours with Ju-Air . During the 1950s, the Ju 52 was also used by the French Air Force during the First Indochina War as

2736-568: The Ju 52 through to 1950. In Yugoslavia the Ju-52 was in use by Yugoslav Air Force , which also heavily financed the aero club activity such as Letalski center Maribor and supported many parachuting sports activities with them. The plane with the inscription 208 on the nose threw paratroopers for the last time in 1960 at the Maribor airport and today is in the aviation museum in Belgrade . A Ju 52 and

2812-412: The Ju 52di was again reengined with the 550 kW (750 PS) Junkers Jumo 204 air-cooled inverted inline-6, after which it was re-designated Ju 52do . The third prototype, designated Ju 52ce , had a strengthened structure, a modified leading edge , and was fitted with both a wheeled and float undercarriages . During May 1931, one of the prototypes, designated Ju 52cai , was written off after

2888-464: The Luftwaffe. Although transport operations with the Ju 52 were noticeably curtailed after the initial days of the invasion, the type continued to aerially supply forward ground troops. During August 1940, Nazi German decided to base large numbers of Ju 52s at airfields in the Lyon , Lille , and Arras areas. Luftwaffe transport units were deliberately held at a state of readiness for Operation Sea Lion ,

2964-526: The Norwegian campaign, the Luftwaffe's Ju 52s performed a total of 3,018 sorties, 1830 of which had been carrying troops while the remainder transported cargo and various supplies. According to Smith, 29,280 personnel, 2,376 tons of supplies and 259,300 imp. gallons of fuel had been airlifted by Ju 52s through the campaign. Around 150 aircraft had been recorded as lost by the end of operations. The seaplane version, equipped with two large floats , served during

3040-605: The Portuguese Air Force, which was already using the Ju 52s as a transport plane, employed the type as a paratroop drop aircraft for its newly organized elite parachute forces , later known as the Batalhão de Caçadores Páraquedistas . The paratroopers used the Ju 52 in several combat operations in Angola and other Portuguese African colonies before gradually phasing it out of service in the 1960s. The Swiss Air Force also operated

3116-697: The RAF, between 1946 and retirement in 1947 on intra-U.K. routes before the Douglas DC-3 was introduced to the airline. French airlines such as Societe de Transports Aeriens (STA) and Air France flew Toucans in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In the USSR, captured Ju 52s were allocated to the Civil Air Fleet, being found particularly suitable for transporting sulphur from the Karakum Desert . Various Soviet agencies used

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3192-511: The Spanish theatre, the Ju 52 was operated both as a bomber and as a transport. In the former role, it participated in the bombing of Guernica , although it was considered obsolete as a bomber by late 1937, by which point it was in the process of being replaced by more capable bombers such as the Dornier Do 17 and Heinkel He 111. The type's final sortie in the theatre was performed on 26 March 1939. By

3268-497: The attack on Denmark and Norway on 9 April 1940. Fifty-two Ju 52s from 1. and 8. Staffel in Kampfgeschwader 1 transported a company of Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) and a battalion of infantry to the northern part of Jutland , and captured the airfield at Aalborg , vital to support the operation in southern Norway. Several hundred Ju 52s were also used to transport troops to Norway in the first days of this campaign. During

3344-487: The bomb-bay doors, and paratroopers jumped through the side doors. Sd.Kfz. 2 Kettenkrafträder (half-track motorcycles) and supply canisters for parachute troops were secured under the fuselage at the bomb bay exits and were dropped with four parachutes. A tow coupling was built into the tail-skid for use in towing freight gliders . The Ju 52 could tow up to two DFS 230 gliders. In late 1931, James A. Richardson 's Canadian Airways received (Werknummer 4006) CF-ARM ,

3420-521: The conflict's end in May 1945 led to the effort being abandoned in an unfinished state. As such, German production of the Ju 52 was terminated during 1944; Smith claims that a total of 3,234 aircraft of various models were constructed during the conflict. In the postwar era, manufacture of the Ju 52 resumed, albeit in foreign countries. It was constructed in France by Avions Amiot as the Amiot AAC.1 Toucan ; it

3496-504: The design team being based at the Junkers works at Dessau . A driving force in the project was the commercial prospects presented by the German airline Deutsch Lufthansa . Work on turning the design into a prototype started in 1928. The Ju 52 had numerous similarities to several previous Junkers aircraft, such as the previous Junkers W 33 , noted for its crossing of the Atlantic in 1928, and

3572-767: The early aerodromes obsolete. The unimproved airfield remains a phenomenon in military aspects. The DHC-4 Caribou served in the United States military in Vietnam (designated as the CV-2), landing on rough, unimproved airfields where the C-130 Hercules workhorse could not operate. Earlier, the Ju 52 and Fieseler Storch could do the same, one example of the latter taking off from the Führerbunker whilst completely surrounded by Soviet troops. In colloquial use in certain environments,

3648-465: The end of the conflict, Ju 52s had accumulated 13,000 operational hours and had performed 5,400 offensive missions and dropped over 6,000 bombs. Following the end of the Spanish Civil War, no further aircraft of the bomber variants were built, though the type was again used as a bomber during the bombing of Warsaw during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. The Luftwaffe instead relied on

3724-508: The envisioned invasion of the British Isles; however, this operation was never attempted, in part due to the Luftwaffe being unable to secure aerial supremacy during the Battle of Britain . The next major use of the Ju 52 was in the Balkans campaign . The type has been credited with enabling the rapid deployment of German ground forces throughout the theatre. The Ju 52 was also deployed during

3800-473: The final stages of the Battle of Stalingrad in the winter of 1942–1943. From 24 November 1942 to 31 January 1943, 488 aircraft were recorded as lost (this number included 266 Ju 52, 165 He 111, 42 Ju 86, 9 Fw 200, 5 He 177 and 1 Ju 290) and about 1,000 flight personnel. The first major operation for the aircraft after the bombing of Warsaw was in Operation Weserübung ,

3876-547: The fuselage to protect the aircraft from attacks from below. The bomber could be easily converted to serve in the transport role. The Dornier Do 11 was a failure, however, and the Junkers ended up being acquired in much larger numbers than at first expected, with the type being the Luftwaffe's main bomber until more modern aircraft such as the Heinkel He 111 , Junkers Ju 86 and Dornier Do 17 entered into service. The Ju 52 first

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3952-444: The grounds of High Treason . Despite Hugo Junkers' objections, his company, designs, and name would be pressed into military service to serve the militaristic regime that had gained power in Germany. Ironically, despite his designs being associated with Germany's Luftwaffe and the Second World War, Hugo Junkers had opposed Nazism. During 1934, work commenced on a militarised model of the Ju 52/3m, designated Ju 52/3mg3e , on behalf of

4028-452: The most part, all of Canada can be an aerodrome", however, there are also "registered aerodromes" and "certified airports". To become a registered aerodrome, the operator must maintain certain standards and keep the Minister of Transport informed of any changes. To be certified as an airport the aerodrome, which usually supports commercial operations, must meet safety standards. Nav Canada ,

4104-586: The pilot and a bolstered defensive armament. From mid-1943 onwards, the Luftwaffe began to make less use of the Ju 52, interest having waned in the type. German officials were interested in procuring a successor to the type; at one stage, the Reich Air Ministry showed enthusiasm for the Junkers Ju 352 , a larger transport aircraft somewhat resembling the Ju 52. Actions were taken to convert Junkers' Ju 52 production lines to instead manufacture Ju 352s; however,

4180-935: The private company responsible for air traffic control services in Canada, publishes the Canada Flight Supplement , a directory of all registered Canadian land aerodromes, as well as the Canada Water Aerodrome Supplement (CWAS). Casement Aerodrome is the main military airport used by the Irish Air Corps . The term "aerodrome" is used for airports and airfields of lesser importance in Ireland, such as those at Abbeyshrule ; Bantry ; Birr ; Inisheer ; Inishmaan ; Inishmore ; Newcastle, County Wicklow ; and Trim . Junkers Ju 52 The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed Tante Ju ("Aunt Ju") and Iron Annie )

4256-468: The rest of the Second World War. Eurasia was a major Chinese airliner company in the 1930s and operated at least seven Ju 52/3ms. A further example, sent out as a demonstrator to Eurasia, was purchased by the Chinese Nationalist Party government and became Chiang Kai-shek 's personal transport. Various Junkers Ju 52s continued in military and civilian use following World War II. In 1956,

4332-465: The similarly equipped Bv 138 MS trimotor flying boat. The Ju 52 transport aircraft participated in the attack on the Netherlands on 10 May 1940. It was during this campaign that the Ju 52 performed a crucial role in carrying out the first large-scale air attack with paratroops in history during the Battle for The Hague . According to Smith, 500 Ju 52s had been made ready for the aerial assault on

4408-461: The sixth-built Ju 52/1m. The aircraft, first refitted with an Armstrong Siddeley Leopard radial engine and then later with a Rolls-Royce Buzzard and nicknamed the "Flying Boxcar" in Canada, could carry 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) and had a maximum weight of 6,600 kg (14,600 lb). It was commonly used to supply mining and other operations in remote areas with equipment that was too big and heavy for other aircraft then in use. The Ju 52/1m

4484-401: The smaller Junkers W 34 . Sharing features included the distinctive corrugated duraluminum exterior. According to aviation author J. Richard Smith, the Ju 52 directly drew upon the company's First World War -era Junkers J 1 - the world's first all-metal aeroplane. On 13 October 1930, the first prototype, designated Ju 52ba , performed the type's maiden flight ; it was initially powered by

4560-404: The start of the Second World War. Though it was built in great numbers, the Ju 52 was technically obsolete. Between 1939 and 1944, 2,804 Ju 52s were delivered to the Luftwaffe (1939: 145; 1940: 388; 1941: 502; 1942: 503; 1943: 887; and 1944: 379). The production of Ju 52s continued until around the summer of 1944; when the war came to an end, 100 to 200 were still available. Lightly armed, and with

4636-460: The tapered wing's sweptback leading edge (in a similar fashion to the Mitsubishi G3M bomber and Short Sunderland ; the angled engines on the Ju 52 were intended to make maintaining straight flight easier should an engine fail, while the others had different reasons). The three engines had either Townend ring or NACA cowlings to reduce drag from the engine cylinders, although a mixture of the two

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4712-649: The term "aerodrome" (or "airfield") remains more common in Commonwealth English , and is conversely almost unknown in American English , where the term "airport" is applied almost exclusively. A water aerodrome is an area of open water used regularly by seaplanes , floatplanes or amphibious aircraft for landing and taking off. In formal terminology, as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an aerodrome

4788-479: The terms airport and aerodrome are often interchanged. However, in general, the term airport may imply or confer a certain stature upon the aviation facility that other aerodromes may not have achieved. In some jurisdictions, airport is a legal term of art reserved exclusively for those aerodromes certified or licensed as airports by the relevant civil aviation authority after meeting specified certification criteria or regulatory requirements. An air base

4864-539: The terms airfield or airport mostly superseded use of aerodrome after the Second World War, in colloquial language. In the early days of aviation, when there were no paved runways and all landing fields were grass, a typical airfield might permit takeoffs and landings in only a couple of directions, much like today's airports, whereas an aerodrome was distinguished, by virtue of its much greater size, by its ability to handle landings and takeoffs in any direction. The ability to always take off and land directly into

4940-436: The then-secret Luftwaffe . This model could function as a medium bomber , being furnished with a pair of machine gun positions (an open dorsal position and a ventral "dustbin" position lowered by a hand crank), each with single machine guns and operated by a crew of four. Between 1934 and 1935, a total of 450 Ju 52/3mg3e aircraft were delivered to the Luftwaffe. Numerous improved models would be introduced prior to and during

5016-597: The type's most common customers. By the mid-1930s, the Ju 52/3mce and Ju 52/3fe , were the two primary production variants, both being powered by the BMW 132 radial engine. Shortly after the Nazis came into power in 1933, Junkers was approached to participate in Germany's rearmament. When Junkers declined, the Nazis responded by demanding ownership of all patents and market shares from his remaining companies, under threat of imprisonment on

5092-578: The type. The Ju 52 was heavily used by Luft Hansa, it was able to fly from Berlin to Rome in eight hours; both this route and the London -Berlin service was frequently operated by the type. According to Smith, Luft Hansa's Ju 52 fleet eventually numbered 231 Ju 52s; during the pre-war era, it was flown on various routes from Germany on routes in Europe, Asia, and South America. The Colombian Air Force used three Ju 52/3mde bombers equipped as floatplanes during

5168-499: The war, usually used an air-start system to turn over their trio of radial engines, using a common compressed air supply that also operated the main wheels' brakes. In a military context, the Ju 52 could carry up to 18 fully-equipped soldiers, or 12 stretchers when used as an air ambulance . Transported material was loaded and unloaded through side doors by means of a ramp. Air-dropped supplies were jettisoned through two double chutes; supply containers were dropped by parachute through

5244-400: The whole structure over a smoother approach. The fuselage was of rectangular section with a domed decking, comprising a tubular steel structure that was entirely covered by the corrugated metal skin. A port-side passenger door was placed just aft of the wings; this entrance also acted as a loading hatch for freight, the lower half functioning as a platform to ease cargo movements. The cabin had

5320-447: The wind, regardless of the wind's direction, was an important advantage in the earliest days of aviation when an airplane's performance in a crosswind takeoff or landing might be poor or even dangerous. The development of differential braking in aircraft, improved aircraft performance, utilization of paved runways, and the fact that a circular aerodrome required much more space than did the "L" or triangle shaped airfield, eventually made

5396-430: The wingtips with control horns. The strutted horizontal stabilizer carried horn-balanced elevators which again projected and showed a significant gap between them and the stabilizer, which was adjustable in-flight. All stabilizer surfaces were corrugated. The Ju 52 featured an unusual corrugated duralumin metal skin, which had been pioneered by Junkers during the First World War ; the corrugation served to strengthen

5472-495: Was able to land on wheels, skis, or floats (as were all Ju 52 variants). Prior to the Nazi government 's seizure of control of the Junkers company during 1935, the Ju 52/3m was produced principally as a 17-seat airliner. By 1935, 97 Ju 52s were being operated by numerous airlines; early customers included Finland 's Aero O/Y , Sweden 's AB Aerotransport , and Brazil 's Syndicato Condor . During May 1932, German flag carrier Luft Hansa took delivery of its first example of

5548-460: Was also produced in Spain by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) as the CASA 352 . A handful of captured wartime aircraft were also rebuilt by Short Brothers of Northern Ireland for civilian service. The Ju 52 had a low cantilever wing, the midsection of which was built into the fuselage , forming its underside. It was formed around four pairs of circular cross-section duralumin spars with

5624-415: Was most common (as can be seen in many of the accompanying photographs), with deeper-chord NACA cowlings on the wing engines and a narrow Townend ring on the center engine (onto which a deeper NACA cowl was more difficult to fit, due to the widening fuselage behind the engine). Production Ju 52/3m aircraft flown by Deutsche Luft Hansa before the Second World War, as well as Luftwaffe-flown Ju 52s flown during

5700-437: Was performed on 13 October 1930. It was initially designed with a single engine and trimotor ; the single engine version was to be the freighter while the trimotor was the passenger airline. In the long run, the trimotor configuration was produced in far greatest numbers. The primary early production model, the Ju 52/3m , was principally operated as a 17-seat airliner or utility transport aircraft by various civil operators during

5776-628: Was used in military service in the Spanish Civil War against the Spanish Republic . It was one of the first aircraft to be delivered to the Nationalist faction in July 1936, with 20 Ju 52/3m g3e bombers being delivered to the Nationalist forces by Germany within a week of the start of the war. Their first use was to help airlift Franco 's Army of Africa from Morocco to the Spanish mainland, bypassing

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