Junkers Comes Together in Sweden

Junkers comes together in Sweden
 
Junkers W 34, SE-BYA, is now on display at Arlanda. Jan Forsgren

The Arlanda Civil Aviation Collection near Stockholm Airport has put Junkers W 34, SE-BYA, on show after volunteers reattached its wings earlier this year. It’s the first time the aircraft has been seen in its complete form since 2001.

The 1935-built machine was delivered to Flygvapnet (Swedish Air Force) in 1935, serving until 1953 as an air ambulance. Joining the nation’s civil register as SE-BYA on October 16 of that year, the W 34 initially flew with Svensk Flygtjänst and later with Lapplandsflyg AB. Based at Gällivare in northern Sweden, it was usually equipped with floats during the summer months and skis for the long winters.

It was donated to the Swedish aviation authority’s historical collection in 1961, but remained outside at Arlanda until the early 1970s. The aircraft was moved indoors in 1986 but subsequently had its wings removed due to lack of space. It’s the only one of its kind preserved in Europe, although an example of its predecessor, the W 33, is on display in Bremen, Germany. Jan Forsgren