First introduced in 1930 as a civilian airliner, the Ju 52 was then used during WW2 as a German military transport and bomber. So how does it fly in the sim?

Startup and Shutdown

The airplane has three engines. Starting them is relatively easy – remember to start #3 first. There’s a master start button in red that must be pushed before engaging the airplane’s individual starters. After starting, switch the oil/fuel supply lever from “start” to “run” (fully pulled). Keep in mind that the primer is labeled “Nebulizer” in German. Before starting engines, you must also open the fuel wobble pump (found next to the co-pilot’s seat).

Flight and Landing

Note: you can slide an overhead window fully back.

From where you’re sitting in the cockpit, you can only see the middle engine, but there’s pretty good visibility all around. When taxiing, it isn’t very maneuverable on the ground. Also, use the parking brake lightly – if applied at high speeds, the front engine will eat the ground.

The Junkers takes off well at around 60-70 knots, steering gently into the sky. In terms of maneuverability and speed, it maneuvers like a giant air bus and is relatively fast for its size. The sim also has an autopilot, but it doesn’t work very well.

It’s good for transport and as an airliner, but outmaneuvering enemy fighters? Good luck. It also stalls out when you try to loop-the-loop:

Landing

To adjust flaps, you must switch to the co-pilot’s seat. There’s a wheel right under the pilot’s seat, which normally adjusts pitch/trim. To adjust flaps, you need to click on the clutch (a little dark round lever), switch it to flaps, and then spin the wheel.

As long as you land at slow speeds, there shouldn’t be any problems. It bounces a little, and there’s squealing of tires, but it generally touches down like a large, tired eagle. Again – don’t use the parking brake too early, as it doesn’t have tricycle landing gear!

Overall, the Junkers Ju 52 is a fun plane to fly in the sim albeit not very maneuverable.

Rating: 8.4/10.