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Nicknamed Tante Ju, or "Auntie Ju," the Junkers Ju 52/3m was a successful European airliner. Designed for Deutsche Luft Hansa in 1932, the Ju 52/3m was a tri-motor version of the single-engine Ju-52. It could carry 17 passengers or 3 tons of freight and had good short-field performance. By the mid-1930s, airlines throughout Europe and Latin America were flying them. In World War II, they were the Luftwaffe's primary transports, and some served as bombers.

A total of 4,835 Ju 52/3ms were built, including 170 under license by Construcciones Aeronauticas (CASA) in Spain and more than 400 by Ateliers Aeronautiques de Colombes in France. This airplane is a Spanish-built CASA 352-L. Lufthansa German Airlines acquired it for promotional flights, then donated it to the Smithsonian in 1987.

Display Status

This object is on display in General Aviation at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

General Aviation

Object Details

Date

1945

Country of Origin

Spain

Type

CRAFT-Aircraft

Manufacturer

Construcciones Aeronauticas S.A.

Physical Description

Junkers (CASA) Ju52; low wing tri-motor aircraft; natural corrugated aluminum finish with matte black painted on the nose and engine cowlings; Lufthansa livery with black letter text registration code "D-ADLH" painted on the aft fuselage.

Dimensions

Wingspan: 29 m (95 ft 2 in)
Length: 18.5 m (60 ft 8 in)
Height: 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Weight, empty: 5,346 kg (11,785 lb)
Weight, gross: 9,200 kg (20,282 lb)
Top speed: 290 km/h (180 mph)

Materials

Overall: Aluminum

Inventory Number

A19880044000

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. Frank Beckmann

Data Source

National Air and Space Museum

Restrictions & Rights

Open Access (CCO)
For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use.

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