Junkers Luftverkehr Persian airline, which was part of Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke, in 1929 proposed to develop a new transport aircraft. The main requirements are the transportation of 2 tons of cargo at a distance of 800 km. The work on the Ju 52/1m project was started by a team of engineers led by Ernst Zindel. October 13, 1930 - the first flight of the Junkers Ju 52/1m transport aircraft.
It was an all-metal low-wing with a non-retractable landing gear (wheeled, ski and float) and a typical Junkers corrugated duralumin skin. It was equipped with a BMW VII engine (504 hp) Cruising speed - 165 km / h, flight range - 1500 km. Took on board 15 passengers or 2170 kg of cargo.
The Ju 52/1m was not particularly successful ? only 7 aircraft were built. The reason is banal ? one engine was not enough both in power and in terms of safety. Therefore, Zindel converted the Ju 52/1m into a three-engine aircraft. This is how the famous and much more successful Ju 52/3m appeared.
