Hospital plane

alwayslost · Apr 9, 2007

Hi. I'm translating a novel for one of my classes and I don't know (pretty much) anything about aircraft. The thing is, the action takes place in Russia during WWII and in a part of the book, the characters get away in a "hospital plane". (Literal translation, I don't think that's even a real term.)

Now, all I know about the plane is that it has three engines, it's German and is for some reason referred to as a "hospital plane". Granted, this is a work of fiction and such a plane might not even have existed, but if it does, could someone help me out? In any case, what would a airplane carrying wounded soldiers be called?

Any info would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Gnomey · Apr 9, 2007

Would most likely of just been called a hospital plane. By the sounds of things it is a Ju-52
(Source on right click).

Soundbreaker Welch? · Apr 9, 2007

I think you may very well be right Gnomey.

evangilder · Apr 9, 2007

Most transport aircraft were also used to evacuate wounded. Three-engined German transport...most likely candidate is the Ju-52. I can't vouche for the authenticity of this, but the Franklin Mint did a hospital ship model:

LUFTWAFFE JU-52

Soundbreaker Welch? · Apr 9, 2007

It isn't too hard a plane to shoot down in Sturmovik, the video game.

DerAdlerIstGelandet · Apr 9, 2007

Yeap the only thing that I can think of is a Junkers Ju-52. They were used as evacuation aircraft and air ambulances among other things. Another possibility but I highly doubt it, is Dornier Do-24 Sea plane but then it would have to be near nakes or the ocean to be the aircraft you are looking for. The Do-24 was used as an ambulance aircraft as well.

More than likely what you are looking for is a Junkers Ju-52 however like the one below.

alwayslost · Apr 9, 2007

Thanks! You've all been very helpful!

ChrisMAg2 · Apr 14, 2007

In the caption of "DerAdlerIstGelandet" (Ju 52 WL-KLQ) there is a big mistake.
"WL" does not stand for "Wehrmacht Lufthansa" (there was no such!) but for Wehrmacht Luftwaffe. This is not a confiscated or impressed a/c, but a regularly registerded operated by the Luftwaffe. WL is the first military register, replaced the german "D-" as for country prefix and was introduced in 1935, until is change to the first four letter code with out and prefix in July 1939. If it were a civilian registered a/c and just operated by the Luftwaffe, it would have a callsign where the "D" is replaced by "WL". A medevac Ju 52 of the Sanitätsflugbereitschaften (overall white with red crosses and a civil / governemental HK in a red band, similar to the SAR He 59s until 1941) would use a regular civil registration á la D-Axxx.

Another mistake is the register is incomplete. It should be WL+AKLQ or WL-A+KLQ.

ChrisMAg2 · Apr 14, 2007

alwayslost said:
...
Now, all I know about the plane is that it has three engines, it's German and is for some reason referred to as a "hospital plane". Granted, this is a work of fiction and such a plane might not even have existed, but if it does, could someone help me out? In any case, what would a airplane carrying wounded soldiers be called?

The english term for that is -as said earlier- "Medevac" or medical evacuation a/c. In german it's "Ambulanzflugzeug" or "Sanitätsflugzeug". For the modern German Luftwaffe there is also the terms "Fliegendes Krankenhaus" (Flying Hospital) or "Fliegendes OP" (Flying Surgery).

DerAdlerIstGelandet · Apr 15, 2007

Civettone I never said the picture was accurate. I said it would look something like this.

Hospital plane

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