Junkers · Vintage

Junkers JU 52

A corrugated-metal transport best known in its three-engine form.

Meet the aircraft

The Ju 52 began as a civil transport, with the three-engine Ju 52/3m becoming the familiar version. Fixed gear, a thick wing and corrugated skin accompanied airline and extensive military transport service.

Versions differed in engines, equipment and roles. The period cockpit includes a combined trim-and-flap control mechanism described in the simulator documentation.

Read the full aircraft reference →

Catalogue programme-20261011-v3

FFB-BRIDGE BUILT-IN PROFILE

Junkers JU 52

Free and ProRevision 1Partial review

Junkers JU 52: The selected loading accompanies the manually controlled trimotor.

Aircraft and simulator scope

  • Junkers JU 52 · MSFS 2024 · family starting point
  • Junkers JU 52 · MSFS 2020 · family starting point

Junkers JU 52 · The manual distinguishes 1939 and later cockpit equipment and land versus sea configurations; the selected wheeled edition must keep that scope.

The simulator model and controls

The Ju 52 began as a civil transport, with the three-engine Ju 52/3m becoming the familiar version. Fixed gear, a thick wing and corrugated skin accompanied airline and extensive military transport service.

This starting point selects Junkers JU 52. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.

How this profile feels

The selected loading accompanies the manually controlled trimotor. Spring resistance builds with the selected airspeed response. A separate aerodynamic term adds speed-dependent control load.

The combined trim/flap arrangement needs its own aircraft context. Valid trim provides the configured pressure relief. Autopilot following is off.

Controls and trim

The Ju 52/3m uses three engines and fixed gear around a corrugated-metal transport airframe. Its period cockpit links trim and flap operation through a combined mechanism. Different engine and mission fits retain their own configuration within the family.

About the values

The gains are normalized profile settings. They describe the chosen effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its output limits. IAS references are tuning values rather than operating limits. Physical acceptance of this revision remains pending.

What the documentation establishes

The manual distinguishes 1939 and later cockpit equipment and land versus sea configurations; the selected wheeled edition must keep that scope.

A shared adjustment wheel and clutch select trim or flaps, making simultaneous adjustment unavailable. Horizontal-stabilizer adjustment and flap coupling are described.

The manual states that the historic autopilot only holds a selected course, with master and emergency-stop controls.

Flap settings differ by land and sea configuration, including 25 and 40 degrees, with 10 degrees in the climb discussion. A uniform assumed detent count is not established.

The guide quotes cruise at 185 or 200 km/h depending on altitude, without a clear IAS basis. The retained 115-knot reference is a tuning estimate.

The manual describes softer aileron forces and reduced effectiveness with flaps, plus elevator shaking near low-speed conditions. It supplies no numerical hand-force or buffet curve.

Documentary review and sources

These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.

Flight controls
Not yet reviewed

The Ju 52/3m uses three engines and fixed gear around a corrugated-metal transport airframe. Its period cockpit links trim and flap operation through a combined mechanism. Different engine and mission fits retain their own configuration within the family.

Starting settings and their rationale

These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.

Estimated starting settings · revision 1
SettingStarting valueWhat it controls and why
Spring strengthStarting value0.74 What it controls and whyThe selected loading accompanies the manually controlled trimotor. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 57.5 KIAS.
Master force gainStarting value0.85 What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits.
Profile force gainStarting value0.8 What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.8 with an indicated-speed reference of 115 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring.
Force tuning speed/referenceStarting value115.0 ktWhat it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit.
Spring response reference speedStarting value57.5 ktWhat it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it.
Aileron force scaleStarting value0.72 What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled.
Elevator force scaleStarting value1.0 What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings.
Trim feelStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement.
Trim reliefStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount.
Autopilot followStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Autopilot neutral holdStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target.
Output force limitStarting value0.55 What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate.
All 44 starting settings and their rationale

The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.

Estimated starting settings · revision 1
SettingStarting valueWhat it controls and why
Spring strengthStarting value0.74 What it controls and whyThe selected loading accompanies the manually controlled trimotor. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 57.5 KIAS.
Spring deadbandStarting value0.045 What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner.
Profile force gainStarting value0.8 What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.8 with an indicated-speed reference of 115 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring.
Master force gainStarting value0.85 What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits.
QBlend EnabledStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it.
QSpring Minimum FactorStarting value0.5 What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength.
QSpring Start KnotsStarting value16.1 ktWhat it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit.
Spring response reference speedStarting value57.5 ktWhat it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it.
Force tuning speed/referenceStarting value115.0 ktWhat it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit.
Airspeed spring stiffening gainStarting value0.15 What it controls and whyThe high-speed spring-stiffening gain is 0.15. It strengthens the permitted spring response above 57.5 KIAS, with the squared-speed ratio capped at 5.
Airspeed spring stiffening limitStarting value5 What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap.
Aileron force scaleStarting value0.72 What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled.
Elevator force scaleStarting value1.0 What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings.
Output force limitStarting value0.55 What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate.
Trim feelStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement.
Trim reliefStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount.
Elevator AuthorityStarting value0.3 What it controls and whyThe combined trim/flap arrangement needs its own aircraft context. Pitch authority 0.3 provides load relief and permitted centre movement; roll authority is 0.
Aileron AuthorityStarting value0 What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response.
Force Trim EnabledStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyEnables local force trim, separate from aircraft-owned trim and add-on integration qualification.
GLoad EnabledStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it.
Rate Damping EnabledStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law.
Autopilot followStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Autopilot follow authorityStarting value0.1 What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply.
Autopilot neutral holdStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target.
Autopilot neutral hold strengthStarting value0.6 What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled.
EnabledStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions.
GainStarting value0.35 What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate.
GainStarting value0.14 What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate.
Maximum flap indexStarting value3 What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3.
Minimum flap indexStarting value2 What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate.
Shaker EnabledStarting valueDisabled What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment.
Stick shaker amplitudeStarting value0.5 What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled.
EnabledStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry.
GainStarting value0.4 What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration.
GainStarting value0.25 What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact.
GainStarting value0.65 What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue.
EnabledStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry.
GainStarting value0.12 What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration.
EnabledStarting valueEnabled What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement.
GainStarting value0.12 What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue.
GainStarting value0 What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects.
Limits and open questions
  • The guide describes control behavior but not a complete linkage or boost architecture.
  • The cockpit guide does not publish external trim/flap clutch state or automatic-flight telemetry.
  • Junkers JU 52 documentary evidence does not establish force-feedback hardware acceptance.

Physical validation

No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.

FFB-Bridge maintains this profile’s revisions and tuning discussion.

Revision 1 and download availability in FFB-Bridge ↗
Exact profile identity
Profile
airframe-junkers-ju-52
Artifact SHA-256
92dc8dea95ddd91e949f1a0add63b4bfc65bca0bf9ccc037fdf148abbc11b6aa
Bytes
12536
Spring strength
Forces.SpringStrength
Spring deadband
Forces.SpringDeadband
Profile force gain
Forces.ForceGain
Master force gain
Forces.MasterGain
QBlend Enabled
Forces.QBlendEnabled
QSpring Minimum Factor
Forces.QSpringMinimumFactor
QSpring Start Knots
Forces.QSpringStartKnots
Spring response reference speed
Forces.QSpringFullKnots
Force tuning speed/reference
Forces.CruiseSpeedRefKnots
Airspeed spring stiffening gain
Forces.SpringAirspeedStiffenGain
Airspeed spring stiffening limit
Forces.SpringAirspeedStiffenCap
Aileron force scale
Forces.AileronForceScale
Elevator force scale
Forces.ElevatorForceScale
Output force limit
Forces.MaxOutputForce
Trim feel
StickFeel.TrimFeelEnabled
Trim relief
StickFeel.TrimReliefEnabled
Elevator Authority
StickFeel.TrimRelief.ElevatorAuthority
Aileron Authority
StickFeel.TrimRelief.AileronAuthority
Force Trim Enabled
StickFeel.ForceTrimEnabled
GLoad Enabled
StickFeel.GLoadEnabled
Rate Damping Enabled
StickFeel.RateDampingEnabled
Autopilot follow
Autopilot.FollowEnabled
Autopilot follow authority
Autopilot.FollowAuthority
Autopilot neutral hold
Autopilot.NeutralHoldEnabled
Autopilot neutral hold strength
Autopilot.NeutralHoldStrength
Enabled
Aero.Enabled
Gain
Aero.Stall.Gain
Gain
Aero.Mach.Gain
Gain
Aero.Flap.Gain
Maximum flap index
Aero.Flap.MaxFlapIndex
Minimum flap index
Aero.Flap.MinFlapIndex
Gain
Aero.Gear.Gain
Shaker Enabled
Aero.ShakerEnabled
Stick shaker amplitude
Aero.Shaker.Amplitude
Enabled
Ground.Enabled
Gain
Ground.Rumble.Gain
Gain
Ground.Bumps.Gain
Gain
Ground.Thump.Gain
Gain
Ground.Reverse.Gain
Enabled
Engine.Enabled
Gain
Engine.Rumble.Gain
Enabled
Mechanical.Enabled
Gain
Mechanical.FlapMotion.Gain
Gain
Mechanical.GearMotion.Gain