Like the DC-3 and Ford Trimotor, the classic JU-52 seems destined for a makeover.
Junkers Flugzeugwerke presented its concept for a new edition of the Junkers Ju 52 in the run-up to the AERO 2022 in Friedrichshafen. Thanks to new technical developments, the legendary trimotor is to become economical and safe for contemporary operation.
”The biggest change in the planned new edition are the engines: In the future, instead of the usual radial engines, three newly developed V12 engines RED A03-005 with 550 hp will be used, which sit in new, streamlined engine nacelles. The engines will transfer their power to MTV-9 variable pitch propellers. Whether these are ultimately carried out with three, five or seven sheets is still being investigated.
The engines, which are digitally controlled by FADEC, consume only 77 litres of kerosene or diesel per hour in cruising flight and remain below the 100-litre-per-hour mark even at take-off capacity of 92 litres per hour. On the other hand, the Ju 52 New Generation takes to the air after just 641 meters on concrete slopes and over the 50-foot (15.24-meter) high obstacle assumed for the take-off calculation. Even on wet grass, a surface with significantly higher rolling resistance, 801 meters are enough for the start under standard conditions. For the landing, again over the standard obstacle, 631 meters on concrete and 733 meters on wet grass are enough. The range of the new Ju reaches 1236 kilometers or up to 6.9 flight hours. The cruising speed is 180 km/h.
The Ju, which will be built in the future from the current aluminum alloy AL 2024 and no longer from “duralaluminium”, will have a wingspan of 29.25 meters and a length of 19.2 meters. The height reaches 6.3 meters. The maximum take-off mass is 6816 kilograms. 1560 liters of fuel (diesel or kerosene) can be refueled. The crew consists of two pilots and, if necessary, a flight attendant. In the normal version, 14 passengers fit into the cabin with wide aisle, which is designed for short ground times and fast passenger changes. Optionally, air conditioning can be installed.”
Details about the Junkers Ju-52NG: The technique of the “niece Ju” | aerokurier
How does it look ? Well if you sort of squint a bit, there might be a JU-52 in there somewhere !
By: Stirling - 29th April 2022 at 20:57
Well given enough time and money anything is possible, but there may still be few customers. Being older in concept the ju52 is a less aerodynamically efficient airframe than the dc3 so unless they want to ditch many of the fundamental features that make it characteristically a ju52, except maybe the tri motor layout, then your potential customer has to be happier buying something that has inferior performance to a DC3.
As for the new unproven engines: all that needs to be said is contained in AVwebs Paul Bertorellis excellent presentation on why new aircraft engine ideas rarely succeed:
By: NewQldSpitty - 29th April 2022 at 00:00
They did it with Dc3,s and Pegusus made a composite Spitfire with a Turbine.
By: avion ancien - 28th April 2022 at 18:23
The inevitable question is why? What’s the market? I doubt that it will ‘cut the mustard’ with vintage pleasure flight operators – the engines make it look too modern – or have great appeal to modern secondary route airline operators. So who would buy it?
I don’t think it appropriate to draw a comparison between it and the Basler DC-3. The latter isn’t a newbuild aeroplane but a re-engined version of one long since out of production. And if one considers how unsuccessful the Stout Bushmaster was, I wouldn’t have thought that anyone would want to draw a comparison with that aeroplane.
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April 28, 2022 at 3:34 pm