By far the most popular German transport and one of the most recognizable aircraft of all time, the Junkers Ju 52/3m began life as a widely used commercial airliner and, initially in Luftwaffe service, as a bomber. Nicknamed Tante Ju (Auntie Ju) and "Iron Annie" by the Germans, the Ju 52/3m's most distinguishing feature was its three-engine design and corrugated fuselage which, used in a variety of configurations, could normally hold 18 fully-armed troops (including paratroopers) or 12 stretchers for wounded soldiers. Ju 52/3ms became an enduring symbol of the Nazi conquest of Europe (and of the Spanish Civil War) as they were used in every campaign throughout the conflict: dropping paratroopers over Belgium, Norway and Crete, and bringing supplies to the beleaguered troops in Stalingrad and Tunisia, for example. It's ruggedness and reliability overcame any drawbacks such as the fact that it became more outdated as the war progressed. Nevertheless, it never lost its position as the Luftwaffe's principal transport aircraft despite a numer of planned successors and also served in Hungary, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. Overall, there is little doubt that the Ju 52/3m will forever be considered one of the crowning achievements of the German aircraft industry and a true legend of both civil and military aviation history.

The Ju 52/3 was first flown as a civil airliner in May 1932 having been developed from the aborted single-engine Ju 52, over 200 ended up in service in more than 30 airlines around the world. The Ju 52/3mg3e was the first to see combat during the Spanish Civil War where it served both as transport and as bomber. The Ju 52/3mg4e and mg5e variants featured various landing gear configurations while the mg7e could accommodate 18 troops. A 13-mm gun was introduced in the Ju 52/3mg8e for defensive armament while the Ju 52/3mg9e was designed as a glider tug. A more powerful BMW 132L engine was installed in the Ju 52/3mg10e.