Junkers A 32

A 32 and K 39
K 39
Role	Mail plane Type of aircraft
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Junkers
Designer	Ernst Zindel
First flight	1926
Number built	2

The Junkers A 32 was a mail plane built in prototype form in Germany in the late 1920s, and later developed as a prototype reconnaissance-bomber under the designation K 39. The design was a conventional low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tailskid undercarriage. Construction was metal throughout, with corrugated duralumin skin. Three open cockpits were provided in tandem; the third seat intended from the outset to accommodate a tail gunner for a military version of the aircraft. In fact, the militarised version developed in Sweden by AB Flygindustri featured a fourth crew position as well, for a bombardier. This version featured twin machine guns built into the engine cowling, and a trainable machine gun for the tail gunner.

Only two A 32s were built, and the first prototype was destroyed in a crash on 2 November 1927 that killed Junkers engineer Karl Plauth. The sole K 39 constructed may have been modified from the second prototype. No sales of either the civil or military version ensued.

Specifications (K 39)

General characteristics

• Crew: Four - pilot, observer, gunner, and bombardier
• Length: 11.10 m (36 ft 5 in)
• Wingspan: 17.8 m (58 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.38 m (11 ft 1 in)
• Wing area: 40.0 m² (430 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 2,150 kg (4,730 lb)
• Gross weight: 3,480 kg (7,660 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Junkers L55 , 447 kW (600 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 230 km/h (140 mph, 120 kn)
• Range: 830 km (520 mi, 450 nmi)

Armament

• 2 × fixed, forward-firing machine guns
• 1 × trainable, rearward-firing machine gun
• 100 kg (220 lb) bombs

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 546.
• The Hugo Junkers Homepage
• Уголок неба

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Junkers A 32.

• Zuerl, Walter (1941). Deutsche Flugzeug Konstrukteure. München, Germany: Curt Pechstein Verlag.

This page was last edited on 5 March 2024, at 09:14