Page 4 - March 2018

But, bringing the aircraft to Winnipeg is a story in
itself, a true-life adventure with LCol Mal Joyce, of
402 Squadron, at the controls

A Relic Takes Wing
Junkers JU-52/1M, CF-ARM Keith Olson, then museum curator, contacted the
Base Commander at CFB Winnipeg, who in turn
called on LCol Malcolm Joyce, Commanding Officer
402 (City of Winnipeg) Air Force Reserve Squadron.
Olson and Joyce got together and developed an
exercise to bring the Junkers to Winnipeg similar to
recovery of a “downed aircraft”. The official

sanction allowed use of a squadron DC-3 aircraft
A pioneer workhorse in aviation history, this 1931 single- with pilots and technicians to acquire the Junkers,
engine aircraft could lift a maximum of three tons. Some get it ready for flight and fly it to Winnipeg.
of its more distinguishable features include a corrugated
aluminum skin as well as large side doors and a hatch in Special Airworthiness Permit
the roof to accommodate awkward loads.

The Junkers JU-52/1M was first flown on October 13,
1930. It was a single-engine, cargo-carrying, corrugated
metal commercial transport. It played a significant role in
the aviation history of Canada’s north. Only five were
built; none have survived.

One of those five (CF-ARM) was a member of
the Canadian Airways Ltd. fleet, the firm founded by
James A. Richardson of Winnipeg. For 12 years, between
1931 and 1943, it became known as the “Flying Boxcar”,
roaring over Canada’s northland.

With large, side-opening doors, it could carry loads no
other aircraft could. Just as significant was the large roof A special airworthiness permit was issued by the
hatch that allowed loading heavy items from a crane.
U.S. Federal Aviation Authority and Transport
In 1942, Canadian Pacific Airlines took over all of Canada, but the Junkers could only be flown with
Canadian Airways’ fleet. In 1947, CF-ARM was taken out two pilots and a crewman technician. The other
of service because of difficulty in getting parts. It was squadron personnel flew in the escort DC-3.
bought by a junk dealer who stripped it down and sold it
Joyce recalls: “The airframe on the Junkers was in
for parts. The fuselage ended its days as a child’s excellent condition but the three engines were
playhouse in Winnipeg.
rather questionable. There were two, fixed-pitch
The Richardson Family took the floats to Lake of the propellers on the wings with a Pratt & Whitney
Woods to form a floating dock at the local yacht club. 1340 engine on the nose having a constant-speed
When the floats were no longer needed, they were sunk propeller. This modification had been made some
time ago to fly the aircraft to Orlando. The nose
With a generous donation from George T. Richardson, the
engine had two dead cylinders, and that was our
museum purchased a Junkers JU-52/3M in 1982 from the
Wings and Wheels Museum in Orlando, Florida. That best engine. We also had a few basic flight
instruments and a very elementary floating
museum had lost its lease and was forced to put its
memorabilia up for auction. Similar to the original JU-52, compass; all in all, woefully inadequate for
instrument flight.”
its only difference was a tri-motor formation instead of a
single-engine version of the plane.