In the second decade of the age of air travel, a Junkers aircraft would once again dominate the skies: the tri-motor Ju 52/3m, also known as the “Tante (Aunt) Ju.” The first flight of the Ju 52 – originally configured as a single-engine cargo plane – took place on 3 September 1930. Prompted by Lufthansa’s request, the 52 was converted to a three-engine aircraft, and one of the most reliable transport aircraft of all time was now available to the world. Good-tempered and above all economical, the Ju 52/3m quickly found a multitude of international buyers, and up to the end of the war it also formed the backbone of the Lufthansa fleet. At one time or another, the Ju 52/3m flew with 30 airlines in 25 countries scattered throughout the globe.
In Germany, 5,000 Ju 52/3m in its various configurations were built, of which almost two thirds were made as military transport aircraft for the Luftwaffe. The plane was also manufactured extensively under license in Spain and France until well after the end of the war. In Switzerland, the Tante Ju even remained in service into the 1970’s.
