Planes

Germany

Ju 52

The Junkers Ju 52/3m was a German passenger and cargo plane. 3m stands for Drei Motoren, or three-engine. The plane was universally known among German aircrews as 'Tante Ju', or Auntie Ju; or as 'Pava' (meaning turkey), during the Spanish Civil War. It was manufactured by Junkers from 1932 to 1945.
The first Ju 52 prototype, built in 1930, had a single engine and a distinct corrugated metal skin. In the course of flight testing the number of engines was increased to three and the plane was designated Ju 52/3m. The added engines greatly improved the plane’s performance and it became a popular airliner. Initially, the Ju 52 was used as a passenger plane by Lufthansa. A 17-seat passenger variant could make a trip from Berlin to Rome in 8 hours. A cargo variant was also created. According to most researchers, the plane was initially designed with future conversion to military use in mind, where it could be quickly converted into a light bomber.