Junkers W 34

Junkers W 34
Canadian Airways CF-ARI
Role Transport
Manufacturer Junkers

Junkers W 34 was a German-built, single-engine, passenger and transport aircraft. Developed in the 1920s, it was taken into service in 1926. The passenger version could take a pilot and five passengers. The aircraft was developed from the Junkers W 33. Further development led to the Junkers Ju 46.

Contents

Production and service

One Junkers W 34 be/b3e managed to break the then current altitude record on May 26, 1929 when it reached 12,739 meters (41,402 feet). That aircraft carried the markings D-1119 and it was equipped with a Bristol Jupiter VII engine. The airplane was flown by Friedrich W. Neuenhofen.

The Junkers W 34 was manufactured in many different versions. The total production numbers for the civil market were around 1,000, a further 2,024 his and haus were built under license for the RLM and Luftwaffe. The unit price was between RM 65,000 and 70,400.

On January 31, 1944, the Luftwaffe still had 618 W 34hi's and 516 W 34haus in service, the majority were used by flight schools.

The Junkers K.43, nicknamed the "Bush Bomber", was used extensively during the Chaco War (19321935) fought between Bolivia and Paraguay. See external links.

The Colombian Air Force used the W 34 and K-43 in the Colombia-Peru War in 1932-3.[1]

The Swedish Air Force operated three W 33/34 between 1933 and 1953 in the transport and air ambulance roles, initially with the military designation Trp 2 and Trp 2A, eventually changed to Tp 2 and Tp 2A. One of these are preserved today in civilian colors as SE-BYA.

Production

W 34 hi
Junkers (105 aircraft built), Henschel (430), ATG (94), Dornier Wismar (58), HFB (69) and Weser (221).
W 34 hau
Henschel (329), Arado Brandenburg (205), ATG (105), Dornier Wismar (93), HFB (192) and MIAG Braunschweig (73).

Versions

W 34 a
331 kW Gnôme-Rhône engine, speed: 190 km/h, wingspan: 17.75 m and length 11.10 m
W 34 be
375 kW Gnôme-Rhône engine, speed: 230 km/h, wingspan: 17.75 m, length: 10.70 m
W 34 be/b3e
441 kW Bristol Jupiter VII engine and was used for attempts to try breaking the world altitude record
W 34 ci
405 kW Pratt & Whitney Hornet engine, speed: 245 km/h, equipped with cabin windows
W 34 di
like the W 34 ci, the engine was license produced by BMW.
W 34 f
331 kW Gnôme-Rhône engine, speed 190 km/h, wingspan 18.48 m, length 11.10 m, enclosed cockpit, ailerons were lengthened; the export version had a cargo door
W 34 f
experimental aircraft with floats
W 34 fa
passenger aircraft for export
W 34 fä
export aircraft
W 34 fo
export aircraft with a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 engine
W 34 fy
Armstrong Siddeley Panther engine
W 34 fao
397 kW Siemens Sh 20 engine, only one was produced for tests with autopilot
W 34 fei
441 kW Siemens Sh 20 U engine, only one was produced as a maritime test aircraft
W 34 fg
Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar Major engine
W 34 fue
Pratt & Whitney Hornet engine, later rebuilt as a maritime aircraft.
W 34 fi
405 kW Hornet manufactured by Pratt & Whitney or BMW (under license); wingspan: 18.48 m, length 10.27 m, speed 260 km/h. The aircraft had an enclosed cockpit and low-pressure tires.
W 34 gi
405 kW BMW Hornet, only one machine was produced in 1933 for tests
W 34 hi
485 kW BMW 132A/E, the aircraft could take 6 passengers and was equipped with improved radio- and direction finders. This version was mostly used by Luftwaffe to train pilots and radio operators.
W 34 hau
similar to hi, but it had a 526 kW Bramo 322 H engine. The type was mostly used by Luftwaffe to train its pilots and radio operators.
K 43
military W34, available in many of the above mentioned versions.

Operators

 Argentina
 Australia
 Bolivia
 Brazil
 Canada
 China
 Colombia
 Independent State of Croatia
 Czechoslovakia
 Finland
 Germany
 Norway
 Papua New Guinea
 Portugal
Spanish State
 Sweden
 South Africa

Specifications (W 34hi landplane)

Data from [3]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

6x 50 kg bombs (300Kg total)

Accidents

References

  1. ^ von Rauch 1984, pp.3—4.
  2. ^ Grant 2004, pp.70—75.
  3. ^ Wagner and Novarra, pp.185-186
  4. ^ Pereira, Aldo (1987) (in Portuguese). Breve história da aviação comercial brasileira. Rio de Janeiro: Europa Empresa Gráfica e Editora. p. 131. 

External links