Luftwaffe Junkers Ju52/2m, April 1933

[nönöbär]

Junkers Ju 52/2m

The Plane:

When Junksrs started to develop the Junkers Ju 52, two differetn versions were build. The Ju52/1m, first flown in 1930 was powered by a single 685hp BMW VII engine. Only 6 of those planes were build.
The much more successful version was the three engines Ju 52/3m, first flown in 1932, where several different engines in the range of 550-880 hp were used. Over 4800 of those planes were build.

Now, as there was the Ju52/1m and Ju52/3m, what about a hypotheical Ju 52/2m ?

In the early 1930s, the Ju52/3m was used as a bomber by the Luftwaffe, simply as other modern bomber planes were missing at that time. 
Ad the aircraft prooved to be not very succesful as a bomeber, too slow and to lightly armed, Junkers tried to improve the Ju 52 in its bomber role until more modern "real" bombers were available.
The result was the Ju52/2m, which was first flown in April 1933. The concept was to remove the center engine, replace it this an additional MG arment and bombardier view, increase the number of MGs on board and add the more powerful BMW 132 K with 960 hp. While still havine less power than the Ju52/3m, the lesser weight and improved aerodynamics was thought to give it a slightly higher speed than its three engines variant.

Which prooved to be wrong. With a top speed of 280kph, it was even slower than the Ju52/3m. The improved MG armamaent prooved to the useful - a total of 7 MGs - but with the introduction of fast, monowinged fighter planes, the Junkers would have been an easy target for modern fighter planes.
The planes were tested as part of "Legion Kondor" in the Spanish Civil War, but like the Ju 52/3m, the slow speed made them easy targets for fighter aircraft.

Therefore, only 8 Ju 52/2m were build and maily used as a testbed for other bombers. Radio equippment, bomb sights and autopilot systems were among the components tested on those planes.


Various views of the Junkers Ju 52/2m:






External bomb load:


Read gunner:


Cockpit:


Together with civilian Ju 52/3m:



The Model:

The Ju  52/2m is based on the Italeri Civilian Ju52/3m model. This kit also contains severl parts that are used fro military versions of this plane. The center engine was removed and replaced by the nose of an Airfix Do 215 model. The external bombload is from a Tamiya 1/100 A-7 Corsair kit.
The color scheme is the early 1030s Luftwaffe scheme and was airbrushed with Revel Aqua Color. Decals are from the spare parts box, only those on the tail are form the original Ju 52 model.

[NARSES2]

I like that, very much of the period 

[Dizzyfugu]

I like it - even though the nose (the glass/fuselage intersection) should IMHO be a bit "smoother" - it looks as if the glazing was just glued to the fuselage, as if the parts to not belong together. Love the paint scheme, though, esp. because of the complicated surface! 

[PR19_Kit]

That looks pretty darn good, ugly but good. 

[McColm]

Great build.

[Weaver]

Nice one! 

Just a thought: the nose glazing looks like it might match the fuselage better if it was the other way up. The lower fuselage corners could them have been chamfered to match, but of course it's too late now.

[comrade harps]

That paint job is spectacular! 

[nönöbär]

I like it - even though the nose (the glass/fuselage intersection) should IMHO be a bit "smoother" - it looks as if the glazing was just glued to the fuselage, as if the parts to not belong together. Love the paint scheme, though, esp. because of the complicated surface! 

I know, the nose is not that nice, so there is improvement for the next model....