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84-627: PZL-Mielec , then known as WSK-Mielec, began to design the Dromader in the mid 1970s, with help of United States aircraft manufacturer Rockwell International . PZL-Mielec asked for Rockwell's help because of the political situation at the time: operating in an Eastern Bloc country, PZL wanted the aircraft to sell well worldwide, and the company realized that certification by the United States Federal Aviation Administration would be important in reaching that goal. Rockwell on

168-495: A M-25 Dromader Mikro was designed. However, none of these saw production. Many aircraft of the M-18 type and its variations can still be seen around the world. They were sold to 24 countries, over 200 are used in the US. In 2008, fifteen were sold to China. In 2012, PZL-Mielec was still selling models M-18B and M-18BS, with 759 built in total. As of 2017, the Dromader was sold by PZL-Mielec, but

252-470: 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

336-643: 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

420-640: 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

504-478: 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

588-492: 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

672-535: 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

756-497: 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

840-410: 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

924-610: A factory in Mielec , designated PZL WP-2 ( Wytwórnia Płatowców 2 ; "Airframe Factory no. 2"). Production there began just before the outbreak of World War II . In March 1939, the plant began manufacturing its first aircraft — PZL.37 Łoś bombers, assembled from components delivered from the PZL WP-1 factory in Warsaw. There were 700 workers at that time. During World War II, Mielec was occupied by Nazi Germany , starting 13 September 1939. During

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1008-469: 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

1092-455: A short time in 1970-1975, it bore a name WSK Delta-Mielec. In 1975, it returned to a traditional name Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego "PZL-Mielec" ( WSK "PZL-Mielec" ), in an honor of the PZL brand. In the 1950s, there were 2600 workers; at its peak the number was 18,000. From 1950, the factory developed significantly, and became the largest Polish aircraft producer. It was a licensed producer of

1176-577: 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,

1260-457: 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

1344-402: 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

1428-406: Is a Polish aerospace manufacturer based in Mielec . It is the largest aerospace manufacturer in postwar Poland. In 2007, it was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation , which retained the brand name. Between 1948 and 2014, the company manufactured approximately 15,600 aircraft. In 1938-1939, Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze ("State Aviation Works"; PZL), Poland's largest aviation company, built

1512-492: 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

1596-407: 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

1680-593: 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

1764-636: 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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1848-624: 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

1932-524: 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

2016-524: 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,

2100-661: 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

2184-659: 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

2268-731: The PZL M-20 Mewa utility aircraft (licensed Piper PA-34 Seneca ), but a small number was built only. Partly based on the M-20, the factory developed a successful light trainer PZL M-26 Iskierka of 1988; however, only seven were built. The factory produced also non-aviation items, like fire engines (1948), refrigerators (1954–1966), Mikrus MR-300 microcar (1956–1960, 1728 built), refrigerator car bodies (1962–1974), TV broadcast cars (from 1965), fuel injection equipment (from 1964), Leyland -licence diesel engines (from 1967), Melex electric utility vehicles and golf carts (from 1970, mostly for export to

2352-621: 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

2436-664: 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

2520-529: 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

2604-473: 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,

PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader - Misplaced Pages Continue

2688-600: The Dromader sharing outer wing panels and part of the fuselage with the Thrush Commander. The first prototype of the aircraft flew on August 27, 1976. In September 1978 , the aircraft was given certification to fly in Poland. Certifications from many countries around the world followed soon. During the 1980s, PZL envisaged a family of related designs based on the M-18, optimised for different capacities. The M-21 Dromader Mini and M-24 Dromader Super flew in prototype form, and

2772-728: 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

2856-464: 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

2940-473: 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

3024-568: 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

3108-412: 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

3192-464: 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 ,

3276-526: 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

3360-610: The Polish military press, suggesting that the price was very low (56.1 million PLN), due to pro-American lobbying . It was also pointed out that the Polish military agreed in December 2008 to purchase 12 unnecessary M-28B aircraft from the new factory owners, for a price two or three times higher than their real value and export price. *An existing company, but not currently producing any vehicles Junkers Ju 52 The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed Tante Ju ("Aunt Ju") and Iron Annie )

3444-605: 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

PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader - Misplaced Pages Continue

3528-697: 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

3612-613: The Soviet-designed jet fighters MiG-15 (produced as Lim-1), MiG-15bis (Lim-2), MiG-17 (Lim-5), and their Polish-developed variants (the SBLim-1 and SBLim-2 trainers and the Lim-6 attack aircraft). The first Lim-1s were manufactured from Soviet parts in 1952, and full-scale production started in 1953. About 1500 Lims were built by 1964. In 1957-1960, there were also produced 250 Polish-designed TS-8 Bies piston-engined trainers. From 1963, there

3696-535: The Soviets, but also used in Poland, and exported to other countries. Among them there were 7880 agricultural An-2R, 1640 transport-passenger An-2TP, 1344 transport An-2T, 816 passenger An-2P, 154 An-2M floatplanes, 52 An-2TD military paratroop transports, 44 executive An-2P Lux. From 1984, PZL Mielec became an exclusive producer of the Soviet Antonov An-28 STOL transport airrcaft, of which 180 were built. It

3780-511: 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

3864-539: The USA, later separated as own brand). In 1993, a division Wytwórnia Aparatury Wtryskowej "PZL Mielec" ( Fuel Injection Equipment Factory "PZL–Mielec" ) was separated as a limited liability company . On 19 October 1998, a state-owned factory WSK "PZL-Mielec" was converted into a state-owned company Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze Mielec Sp. z o.o. ( Polish Aviation Works ), in short: PZL Mielec (not to be confused with pre-war PZL - Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze ). In May 1999, it

3948-494: The World's Aircraft 2004-05, General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era PZL-Mielec 50°18′36″N 21°27′40″E  /  50.31000°N 21.46111°E  / 50.31000; 21.46111 PZL Mielec ( Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze - Polish Aviation Works), formerly WSK-Mielec ( Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego ) and WSK "PZL-Mielec"

4032-497: 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

4116-487: 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 ,

4200-521: 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

4284-504: 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

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4368-414: The designation CSS-13, and 180 were built by 1950 (they were also produced by PZL Warszawa-Okęcie). In 1950, also a small series of pre-war Polish Salamandra gliders was built. In 1949, the factory was renamed, like all Polish aerospace industry at that time, as Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego – zakład nr 1 ( Communication Equipment Factory, No. 1 plant ), in short WSK-1 Mielec or just WSK-Mielec. For

4452-465: 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

4536-508: 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

4620-473: 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 ,

4704-547: 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

4788-444: 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

4872-465: The occupation, the factory became a part of Heinkel , among others producing tailfins of Heinkel He 111 bombers, and repairing Junkers Ju 52 aircraft. There were 5,500 workers in 1944. In July 1944, the withdrawing Germans took away all the machines and equipment. Mielec was seized by the Soviet Army on 6 August 1944. At first, the factory was used by the Soviets as a repair works. On 22 July 1945, it

4956-523: The other hand wanted to fit Polish high-power radial engines into its agricultural planes. As a result of this cooperation the Rockwell Thrush Commander aircraft was fitted with the PZL-3 engine, and the Polish designers created the higher payload M-18 Dromader by introducing the more powerful ASz-62 engine, making structural changes to the airframe, and increasing dimensions. The cooperation led to

5040-586: 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,

5124-595: The production has been halted. The produced aircraft are still refurbished instead, with new engines (produced by WSK "PZL-Kalisz"). There are plans to acquire rights and renew the production in WZL-2 in Bydgoszcz . The Dromader is in service with aerial agriculture and other companies in many countries, operating in a variety of roles. The former Yugoslav Airline, Jugoslovenski Aerotransport, used it for cropspraying. Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004, Jane's all

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5208-468: 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,

5292-465: 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

5376-510: 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

5460-401: 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

5544-404: 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

5628-460: 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

5712-436: 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

5796-597: 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

5880-578: 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

5964-499: 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

6048-400: 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

6132-430: 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

6216-495: 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

6300-460: 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

6384-518: Was built (this was the second aircraft built in Poland after the war). The factory in Mielec produced aircraft mostly under license, or designed in other Polish bureaus. In 1948, the factory built a small series of 10 utility aircraft LWD Szpak -4T, designed in the LWD (it was the first Polish post-war series-built aircraft). In the same year, the company started producing licensed Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes under

6468-684: Was certified according to JAR -21. After a fall of export to Eastern Bloc countries, production volume decreased, and there remained 1200-1400 workers. On 16 March 2007, PZL Mielec was acquired by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation , then a unit of United Technologies Corporation (UTX), now a unit of Lockheed Martin . From 2009, it manufactures fuselage sections of the parent firm's UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, and from 2010 it serves as an additional final assembly line for S-70i Black Hawk helicopters. The circumstances of this transaction and its aftermath were heavily criticized by

6552-598: Was cooperation in design work. In 1973, with Soviet aid, Mielec designed the only jet agricultural aircraft in the world, the WSK-Mielec M-15 Belphegor , which was built between 1976 and 1981 for the Soviets. On the other hand, the factory started cooperation with American firms, and the result was the very successful agricultural aircraft M-18 Dromader , first flown in 1976, and produced and developed until now (as of 2012). Over 759 were produced, most exported to Western countries. WSK-Mielec also started production of

6636-443: Was handed back to Polish control. The factory in Mielec was renamed to Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze (PZL) - Zakład nr 1 ( State Aviation Works, No.1 plant ), and turned into a state-owned factory. At first, it undertook aircraft repair works, and produced mostly non-aviation items, such as bus bodies, scales, etc. The first aircraft constructed in Mielec was a simple trainer PZL S-1 , flown on 15 November 1945, of which only one unit

6720-415: 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

6804-437: 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

6888-573: Was produced Polish-designed jet trainer TS-11 Iskra , being a basic trainer in Polish military aviation. Its successor, designed with a part of PZL Mielec, the PZL I-22 Iryda , appeared to be a failure for different reasons, mostly due to a lack of proper funding, and as such only a small series was built. The most numerous aircraft built in Mielec was the licensed Soviet Antonov An-2 utility biplane, produced from 1960 in different variants. 11,954 of these aircraft were manufactured by 2002, mostly for

6972-490: Was subsequently developed in Mielec, and in a modernized variant PZL M-28 Skytruck/Bryza, with western avionics, was offered for the Polish Army, Polish Navy and services abroad, with some success, also as a maritime patrol aircraft. Apart from license production, several aircraft were designed at Mielec in the 1950s and 1960s, but they did not enter production (e.g PZL S-4 Kania , PZL M-2 , PZL M-4 Tarpan ). More profitable

7056-628: 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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