Junkers A 32 Explained
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.
References
Further reading
- Book: Zuerl, Walter . Deutsche Flugzeug Konstrukteure . München, Germany . Curt Pechstein Verlag . 1941 .
