The Ju 52/3m was a typical Junkers design with covering of corrugated duralumin skinning on a nearly rectangular fuselage. The wings were fitted with Junkers patented full-span slotted alierons/flaps. Nearly five thousand aircraft of the type were built during the years 1934-1945, most of them as military transports and bombers, but also in the beginning as civilian airliners. After the war, several surplus Ju 52s were sold abroad and again used in civil service. 

The Swedish airline company AB Aerotransport (ABA) - which later became the Swedish part of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) - operated about ten Ju 52/3m at the time of WWII. The aeroplanes were delivered to ABA in 1936-1937. They could take 14-15 passengers. Five of these aeroplanes were mobilized by the Air Force. They were given the Air Force designation Tp 5.The aircraft were mostly used for transport of ground staff between different war bases and for VIP-transports. Also material transports were sometimes executed. The Tp 5s also acted as ”flying classrooms” for the training of aircraft radio operators.

The five Tp 5s were: 

SE-ADR ”Södermanland”

SE-AFA ”Svealand”

SE-AFB ”Götaland”

SE-AFC ”Norrland”

SE-AFD ”Vikingaland”. This aircraft was painted totally orange as a neutrality marking. 

The ”Södermanland” was powered by three Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines of 575 hp each. The other four aircraft had Pratt & Whitney Wasp SH-G engines of 550 hp each.

The cockpit of the "Södermanland" is preserved at Arlanda Aerospace Museum (photo at top).

Below: HM Prince of Wales embarking the brand new "Södermanland", here with floats. From the magazine "Flygning", Christmas 1932.

Length: 19,00 m. Span: 29,25 m. Height: 4,5 m. MTOW 11.000 kg. Max. speed: 215-240 km/h.

This Bulgarian stamp depicts a Junkers 52 of the variant Ju52/3m Sova (mg6e). This model had three BMW 132T-2 engines. It was registred in Bulgaria in 1938 as LZ-UNB.

© Lars Henriksson

Updated 2009-07-14