Scale: 1/87 | Manufacturer: Airpower87 | Scheme: Crete Campaign 1941

The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed Tante Ju (“Aunt Ju”) and Iron Annie) is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers. First introduced in 1930 as a civilian airliner, it was adapted into a military transport aircraft by Nazi Germany.

Lightly armed, and with a top speed of only 265 km/h (165 mph) — half that of a contemporary Hurricane — the Ju 52 was very vulnerable to fighter attack, and an escort was always necessary when flying in a combat zone.

The Junkers 52/3m. Public Domain.

This was my first encounter with a 1/87 scale plane. The build of the kit is pretty straightforward. In order to give more visual interest to the model I gave the plane a tropical splinter camouflage scheme. If you ever fancy building a JU-52, perhaps with a limited amount of display space, I would highly recommend this kit.

I’ve sold this model in 2024.