Schuco 403551800 | Junkers Ju 52/3m Lufthansa "Manfred von Richthofen" D-ABIK, Germany 1936, Hermann Goering Personal Transport

General Background:

The Ju-52 entered service in April 1931 as a troop transport and bomber. During the Spanish Civil War, it ferried troops from Morocco to Spain and dropped some 6,000 tons of bombs. The three-engine Ju-52 served as a 17-passenger airliner for many nations, most famously with the German Lufthansa. Nicknamed "Iron Annie," the Ju 52 was built of strong corrugated metal. For air defense and tactical ground support it was armed with multiple machine guns and was fitted with bomb racks capable of carrying 3,307 lbs of bombs. During WWII, 5,000 Ju-52s served in all fronts in a variety of roles, from troop transport to mine-laying.

The Aircraft:

One of Lufthansa's Ju 52s c/n 4069 was registered as D-ABIK and operated with them in 1935 and 1936. The aircraft was given the name "Manfred von Richthofen" and became the aircraft Hermann Goering would use when he traveled. Lufthansa was influential in founding several other airlines Spanish Iberia, the Brazilian "Syndicato Condor" and the Chinese "Eurasia" airlines. In December 1941 the aircraft was in Hong Kong and was destroyed when the Japanese bombed the city.