Junkers Ju 52/2m – The Forgotten Twin

The Junkers Ju 52 is remembered today primarily in its iconic three-engined configuration, the Ju 52/3m, which became one of the most recognizable transport aircraft of the 20th century. Less well known is that the early 1930s also saw the construction of a small twin-engined variant, the Ju 52/2m, conceived as a stopgap bomber at a time when the nascent Luftwaffe had few modern designs available.

Development

Following the limited success of the single-engined Ju 52/1m (only six examples completed), Junkers shifted its attention to the more powerful Ju 52/3m, which first flew in 1932 and quickly proved itself as a reliable transport and airliner. However, as the German air arm grew, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium pressed Junkers for bomber derivatives.

Engineers in Dessau experimented with several alternatives, including the removal of the nose engine to produce a streamlined twin-engined bomber variant. The freed nose section was redesigned to carry a glazed bombardier’s station and additional defensive armament. The Ju 52/2m was powered by two uprated BMW 132K radials, each delivering 960 hp, while structural refinements aimed to offset the loss of the third engine.

The prototype flew in April 1933, with a small pre-series of eight aircraft completed for evaluation.

Performance and Armament

The redesign ultimately disappointed. With a top speed of just 280 km/h, the Ju 52/2m was in fact slower than its three-engined counterpart. The heavier armament—seven 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns covering multiple arcs—gave the aircraft an unusual porcupine appearance, but defensive firepower could not compensate for its lack of speed or agility.

Still, the type provided a useful testbed for new technologies. Several Ju 52/2m airframes were fitted with experimental radio equipment, improved bombsights, and early automatic pilot systems, innovations later refined on operational bombers like the Dornier Do 17 and Heinkel He 111.

Operational Use

The Ju 52/2m saw limited service with the Legion Condor during the Spanish Civil War. Deployed alongside the more numerous Ju 52/3m bombers, they were tasked with day bombing missions in 1936–37. Reports from the front highlighted the futility of the design: while the concentrated defensive fire occasionally discouraged Republican fighters, the slow speed made the aircraft an easy target. Losses were severe, and surviving airframes were withdrawn from frontline operations by 1937.

Back in Germany, the handful of Ju 52/2m continued flying with Luftwaffe test and evaluation units. They contributed to the development of improved communications systems and navigation aids, serving quietly in the background until 1939, when they were finally retired and scrapped.

Legacy

Although only eight were built, the Ju 52/2m represents an unusual and often overlooked branch of Junkers’ experimentation in the early 1930s. Its poor performance confirmed that the stopgap bomber role could not be fulfilled by the Ju 52 family and accelerated the push toward true fast monoplanes. In retrospect, the Ju 52/2m served as a technological stepping stone rather than a combat aircraft, its main contribution lying in the testing of equipment that would later equip the Luftwaffe’s frontline bomber fleet.