Junkers Ju 52

[tyrodtom]

Why were the wing engines on the Ju 52 splayed outward ?

Was it for better ground handling, or better engine out control ?

Whatever the reason, it had to be inefficient , making a already slow aircraft even slower .

 

[davebender]

1932. Ju-52 enters operational service.
1982. Swiss Air Force retires final three Ju-52s.
.....Service life = 50 years.

I cannot imagine an inefficient aircraft remaining in operational service for 50 years.

 

[tyrodtom]

That inefficient remark aside, it had good short field performance I know, very handy for the Swiss.

But why were the engines splayed out, looks like almost 10 degs. Dragging the engines and propellers in a yaw, why ?

 

[tomo pauk]

My 2 cents: if a wing engine is not working in Ju-52/3m case, remaining wing engine doesn't make plane flying into a dead engine's side as much, as a result of outboard engine thrust direction.

 

[Snautzer01]

At the time of development of the Ju52 there were no sufficient reduction gears for use on this plane.To have better lenght stability the engines were set a few degrees outward.

Flugzeug Profile Junkers Ju52

 

[tyrodtom]

I can see your explanation tomo pauk.
Maybe both your explanations come out meaning the same thing, just different words.

I wonder why no one else tried the same thing, or at least no one tried to such a visible degree ?
It would have to waste some of the engine's power .