A truly great aeroplanes of the 20th century, the Junkers Ju52 actually started life as a single-engined freight-carrying aircraft which made its first flight in October 1930. Just six months later, the 3m (three motor) variant of this aircraft had announced itself to the aviation world, offering much greater power and the reassurance of multi-engined operation. This new aircraft could carry 17 passengers in relative comfort for that period, and helped Lufthansa to establish early commercial routes across Europe. Significant in its adoption of a corrugated magnesium/aluminium construction method, the Junkers Ju52 was a reliable and extremely rugged aircraft, which served with distinction as the backbone of the Luftwaffe’s airborne transport force during the Second World War. It was also pressed into service as an airborne ambulance, paratrooper transport, glider tug, floatplane, and even minesweeper, where they used a large metal degaussing ring under the fuselage, creating a strong magnetic field to detonate any Allied naval mines it flew over.
