The Junkers Ju52 began it's existence as a single engined civilian aircraft. The Ju52 was a popular cargo aircraft around the world, used as by the Lufthansa and various private operators. Eventually it was decided that the single engine arrangement was not powerful enough, 3 Prat & Whitney Hornet and later 3 BMW 312 radial engines were put on the Ju52, now designated the Ju52/3m. The 3 engine configuration allowed it to carry 17 passengers as used by the Lufthansa.
The Ju52's military use by the Lufwaffe started in the Spanish Civil War, where it was used not only as a transport aircraft but also as a bomber. It was involved in the Bombing of Guernica in 1937 and later the bombing of Warsaw during the invasion of Poland. The Ju52 was the Luftwaffe's workhorse transport, being used in every theater that Germany was involved in. It was also used in aerial invasions, most notably the Invasion of Crete, where German paratroopers captured the island from the British.
The military version of the Ju52/3m was armed with 2-4 MG15 7.92mm machine guns (I've seen an MG131 thrown in as well) and could carry up to 500kg of bombs or 18 paratroopers. 'Tante Ju's' maimum speed was 171 MpH at 2,955 feet, with a service ceiling of 19,360ft. 4,845 Ju52's were made, more than the B29 and the P61 combined.
The Ju52 is one of the biggest holes in our plane set, as it was an Axis transport, which we desperately need, and it also was an early war Axis bomber, which we are short on.
