Junkers F-13

Junkers F-13

Junkers F13 (1934)

(Aircraft depicted is still in Union Airways colours)

When SAA took-over Union Airways in 1934, the mainstream passenger aircraft was the Junkers F13 aircraft. The three aircraft that Union Airways were operating became SAA’s airliner. A fourth one was added when SWA Airways were taken over a year later. This single engine aircraft was the World’s first all-metal airliner.

One of the four, ZS-ADR was reportedly fitted with a Pratt and Whitney Wasp engine although photographic evidence seems to contradict this. The engine appears to be a twin row engine and documentation refers to the aircraft being fitted with an Armstrong Whitworth Jaguar major inline motor. The Jaguar Major motor is a twin row radial. So is this aircraft actually fitted with a Jaguar radial rather than the Wasp as documented? Examination of the photograph tends to support this view. The other 3 had standard Junkers L.5 inline engines. One of the aircraft ZS-AEN crashed in 1936 and another, ZS-ADR had been disposed of prior to WWII to the Wits technical college. At the start of WWII ZS-ABU and ZS-AEA were transferred to the SAAF with the serial numbers 258 and 259 respectively and served as communication aircraft until declared obsolete and scrapped.

The introduction of the Ju-52 into service saw these aircraft relegated to mail carriage duties.

 Normal passenger load: 4

ZS-ABU WA van der Stel, (Cutty Sark in Union Airways service)

ZS- ADR,

ZS- AEA Hendrik Swellengrebel

ZS- AEN

Modelling

 The following kits have been produced over the years that will allow the modeller to build a model of this aircraft.

 Revell have released three 1/72^nd scale kit of this aircraft although it is a bit of mishmash of versions. The wings are of a late version and the fuselage is of an early version. The original release of the landplane version from Revell had an inaccurately shaped early tail. This was subsequently modified in the floatplane version. The third kit now contains both the landplane and seaplane options. In any case the Union Airways/SAA Junkers F-13 was a later version with an enlarged squared off vertical fin.

To accurately represent a SAA Junkers F-13 the modeller will need to manufacture a replacement tail fin. The most difficult part would be to reproduce the corrugated surfaces of the original. A possible source would be to find an old scrapped Ju-52 to source a tail fin that can be modified to shape. The rudder can be modified from the seaplane one included in the kit. The other area of concern is the ailerons. A supplied they are straight with the trailing edge of the wings whereas they should curve out. This would also be extremely difficult to rectify as one would need to match up the corrugated details.

Colours

The aircraft appear to be basic natural metal overall with black cowlings. Registration codes and airline titles are in black. The registration codes are also carried above and below the main wing.

Decals

At the time of writing no dedicated decals have been produced to allow the modeller to build an SAA operated aircraft.  As the aircraft has plain black registration codes and airline titles it should not be too difficult to reproduce them.