Hugo Junkers was a trailblazing German aeronautical engineer and industrialist during the early days of aviation. As the owner of his namesake company, Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works), he oversaw many early advances in the field of aircraft design. One of the most innovative aircraft Junkers created was the J 1, an experimental all-metal monoplane from 1915 affectionately nicknamed the Blechesel (“Sheet Metal Donkey”). With other planes of the era being of primitive wooden and fabric construction, the aluminum-based alloy used by the Junkers J 1 was considered revolutionary. Although only one prototype J 1 was ever built, the lessons learned from this plane influenced many later designs from Junkers, culminating with the tri-motor Ju 52 in 1930. Junkers intended the Ju 52 to be the premier passenger and cargo aircraft of its day. The plane had its first flight in October of 1930, and by mid-decade it was in service not only by the German flag carrier Deutsche Luft Hansa but was also exported to other operators in countries as far-flung as Finland, Sweden, Canada, and Brazil. The Ju 52 was designed first and foremost as a civilian aircraft, but it also played a military role in the turbulent years following its introduction. Shortly after becoming German Chancellor in 1933, Adolf Hitler began a program of rapid re-armament and requested Junkers build military aircraft for the Nazi regime. Hugo Junkers, who strongly opposed fascism, was aghast at this request and refused to cooperate. In response, he was threatened with imprisonment for High Treason if he didn’t comply and was forced to surrender control of his factories and patents to the Nazi government. Junkers was placed under house arrest in 1934 and died a year later at the age of 76. During the Second World War, the Ju 52 was used as a military transport plane and dropped paratroopers.