Like the USAF C-47, the Junkers Ju 52 tri-motor was first built in the 1930s and remained in service for more than a quarter century. It made its maiden flight in April 1931, and three years later a heavy bomber variant entered service with the German Luftwaffe. The latter version formed the nucleus of the Luftwaffe's early bomber force, which was used with great effect during the Spanish Civil War.

By 1939, the Ju 52 was obsolete as a bomber, but because of its durability, simplicity of design, and handling characteristics, it continued to serve throughout WW II as a versatile workhorse for the German transport fleet. Adolf Hitler even used a Ju 52 as his private transport. Ju 52s delivered the attacking forces and their supplies during the German invasion of Norway, Denmark, France, and the Low Countries in 1940. Later on, approximately 500 Ju 52s participated in the historic airborne assault on the island of Crete in May 1941 and later supplied Rommel's panzerwaffe operating in North Africa.

This particular 1:72 scale replica of a German Junkers Ju-52/3m transport that served as the German Chancellor's personal transport aircraft, which was located at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport, circa 1936. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 16-inches
Length: 10-1/4-inches

Release Date: September 2019

Historical Account: "Immelmann II" - Undoubtedly one of the most distinctive aircraft of the Second World War, the tri-motor Junkers Ju-52 can trace its origins back to a first flight in October 1930 and even though it was obsolete at the start of the conflict, it would go on to see extensive use and be produced throughout the war. From the early days of his political career, Adolf Hitler was one of the first major world figures to use aircraft as his preferred mode of transport and on becoming Chancellor of Germany, he began to establish his own private air fleet, which was based at Berlin Tempelhof Airport.

Preferring to use the roomy and reliable Junkers Ju-52, his aircraft were named after famous German airmen of the Great War, such as Immelmann, Richthofen and Boelcke, with his personal pilot Hans Baur overseeing the internal fittings of the aircraft to ensure Hitler's comfort. Ju-52 3/m D-2600 Immelmann III was one of the famous aircraft operated as a Fuhrermaschine, usually serving as the lead aircraft (and Hitler's preferred aircraft) but backed up by several other Ju-52s to ensure constant availability. The aircraft were also available for use by other high ranking officials and in order to ensure Hitler's safety, a number of aircraft were often operated at the same time, to minimize the risk of attack. At the insistence of Hans Baur, Hitler upgraded his main transport aircraft to the new four engined Focke Wulf Fw 200 Condor in 1939, however, he retained links to his trusty Junkers by naming the new aircraft "Immelmann III" and transferring the registration D-2600 - it appears Hitler was rather superstitious.