Heinkel He 111

About Heinkel He 111 – Source Wikipedia

Role: Medium bomber
Manufacturer: Heinkel Flugzeugwerke
Designer: Siegfried and Walter Günter
First flight: 24 February 1935
Introduction: 1935
Status: Retired 1945 (Luftwaffe), 1958 (Spain)
Primary users: Luftwaffe
Number built: 32 prototype aircraft, 12 civilian airliners, 808 pre war aircraft, 5,656 aircraft (1939 – 1944)
Variants: CASA 2.111
Total number built: 6,508

Specifications (He 111 H-6)
Data from Nowarra, Heinz J. Heinkel He 111: A Documentary History

General characteristics

• Crew: 5 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator/bombardier/nose gunner, ventral gunner, dorsal gunner/radio operator)
• Length: 16.4 m (53 ft 9½ in)
• Wingspan: 22.60 m (74 ft 2 in)
• Height: 4.00 m (13 ft 1½ in)
• Wing area: 87.60 m² (942.92 ft²)
• Empty weight: 8,680 kg (19,136lb lb)
• Loaded weight: 12,030 kg (26,500 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 14,000 kg (30,864 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Jumo 211F-1 or 211F-2 liquid-cooled inverted V-12, 986 kW (1,300 hp (F-1) or 1,340 (F-2)) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 440 km/h (273 mph)
• Range: 2,300 km (1,429 mi) with maximum fuel
• Service ceiling: 6,500 m (21,330 ft)
• Rate of climb: 20 minutes to 5,185 m [88] (17,000 ft [88])
• Wing loading: 137 kg/m² [88] (28.1 lb/ft² [88])
• Power/mass: 082 kW/kg [88] (.049 hp/lb [88])

Armament

• Guns: up to 7 × 7.92 mm MG 15 or MG 81 machine guns, some of them replaced or augmented by

– 1 × 20 mm MG FF cannon (central nose mount or forward ventral position)
– 1 × 13 mm MG 131 machine gun (mounted dorsal and/or ventral rear positions)

• Bombs:
  – 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb) in the main internal bomb bay.
  – Up to 3,600 kilograms (7,900 lb) could be carried externally. External bomb racks blocked the internal bomb bay. Carrying bombs externally increased weight and drag and impaired the aircraft’s performance significantly. Carrying the maximum load usually required rocket-assisted take-off.

Specifications (He 111 C-0)
Data from Regnat, Karl-Heinz. Black Cross Volume 4: Heinkel He 111

General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Length: 17.5 m (57′ 5″)
• Wingspan: 22.60 m (74 ft 2 in)
• Height: 4.10 m (13′ 5⅜”)
• Wing area: 87.60 m² (942.92 ft²)
• Empty weight: 5,400 kg (11,905lb lb)
• Loaded weight:  9,610 kg (21,186 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × BMW VI liquid-cooled inverted V-12, (660 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 310 km/h (193 mph)
• Range: 2,400 (1,491 mi)
• Service ceiling: 4,800 m (15,750 ft)
• Wing loading: 09.7 kg/m² (22.45 lb/ft²)

The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a “Wolf in sheep’s clothing”,[3][4] it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, though its actual purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium bomber.

History

Perhaps the best-recognised German bomber due to the distinctive, extensively glazed, bullet-shaped “greenhouse” nose of later versions, the Heinkel was the most numerous and the primary Luftwaffe bomber during the early stages of World War II. It fared well until the Battle of Britain, when its weak defensive armament, relatively low speed, and poor manoeuvrability were exposed.[4] Nevertheless, it proved capable of sustaining heavy damage and remaining airborne. As the war progressed, the He 111 was used in a variety of roles on every front in the European Theatre. It was used as a strategic bomber during the Battle of Britain, a torpedo bomber during the Battle of the Atlantic, and a medium bomber and a transport aircraft on the Western, Eastern, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African Fronts.
Although constantly upgraded, the Heinkel He 111 became obsolete during the latter part of the war. It was intended to be replaced by the Luftwaffe’s Bomber B project, but the delays and eventual cancellation of the project forced the Luftwaffe to continue using the He 111 until the end of the war. Manufacture ceased in 1944, at which point, piston-engine bomber production was largely halted in favour of fighter aircraft. With the German bomber force defunct, the He 111 was used for transport and logistics.[4]
The design of the Heinkel endured after the war in the CASA 2.111. The Spanish received a batch of He 111H-16s in 1943 along with an agreement to licence-build Spanish versions. Its airframe was produced in Spain under license by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA. The design differed significantly in powerplant only. The Heinkel’s descendant continued in service until 1973, when it was retired.

Design and development

Design conception

After its defeat in World War I, Germany was banned from operating an air force by the Treaty of Versailles. German re-armament began in the 1930s and was initially kept secret because it violated the Treaty. Therefore, the early development of military bombers were disguised as civilian transport planes.
In the early 1930s Ernst Heinkel decided to build the world’s fastest passenger plane, a goal met with scepticism by Germany’s aircraft industry and political leadership. Heinkel entrusted development to Siegfried and Walter Günter, both fairly new to the company and untested. In June 1933 Albert Kesselring visited Heinkel’s offices.[5] Kesselring was head of the Luftwaffe Administration Office: at that point Germany did not have a State Aviation Ministry but only an aviation commissariat, the Luftfahrtkommissariat.[5] Kesselring was hoping to build a new air force out of the Flying Corps being constructed in the Reichswehr[5] and convinced Heinkel to move his factory from Warnemunde to Rostock and turn it over to mass production with a force of 3,000 employees who would produce the first He 111. Heinkel began a new design for civil use in response to new American types that were appearing, the Lockheed 12, Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2.[5]
The first single-engined Heinkel He 70 Blitz (“Lightning”) rolled off the line in 1932 and the type immediately started breaking records. In its normal four-passenger version its speed reached 380 km/h (230 mph), powered by a 447 kW (600 hp) BMW VI engine.[6] The elliptical wing that the Günther brothers had already used in the Bäumer Sausewind sports plane before they joined Heinkel became a feature in this and many subsequent designs they developed. The design drew the interest of the Luftwaffe, which was looking for an aircraft with dual bomber/transport capabilities.[7]
The He 111 was a twin-engine version of the Blitz, preserving the elliptical inverted gull wing, small rounded control surfaces and BMW engines, so that the new design was often called the Doppel-Blitz (“Double Blitz”). When the Dornier Do 17 displaced the He 70, Heinkel needed a twin-engine design to match its competitors.[6] Heinkel spent 200,000 hours developing it.[8] The fuselage length was extended to just over 17.4 m/57 ft (from 11.7 m/38 ft 4½ in) and wingspan to 22.6 m/74 ft (from 14.6 m/48 ft).[6]

First flight

The first He 111 flew on 24 February 1935, piloted by chief test pilot Gerhard Nitschke, who was ordered not to land at the company’s factory airfield at Rostock-Marienehe, as this was considered too short, but at Rechlin. He ignored these orders and landed back at Marienehe. He said that the He 111 performed slow manoeuvres well and that there was no danger of overshooting the runway.[9][10] Nitschke also praised its high speed “for the period” and “very good-natured flight and landing characteristics”, stable during cruising, gradual descent and single-engined flight and having no nose-drop when the undercarriage was operated.[11] However during the second test flight Nitschke revealed there was insufficient longitudinal stability during climb and flight at full power and the aileron controls required an unsatisfactory amount of force.[11]
By the end of 1935, prototypes V2 V4 had been produced under civilian registrations D-ALIX, D-ALES and D-AHAO. D-ALES became the first prototype of the He 111 A-1 on 10 January 1936, and received recognition as the “fastest passenger aircraft in the world”, as its speed exceeded 402 km/h (250 mph).[12] [13] The design would have achieved a greater total speed had the DB 600 engines of 746 kW (1,000 hp) been added.[7] However, German aviation industries lacked power plants with more than 447 kW (600 hp). Heinkel were forced to use the BMW VI glycol-cooled engine.[10]
During the war, test pilot Eric Brown evaluated many Luftwaffe aircraft. Among them was a He 111 H-1 of Kampfgeschwader 26 which was forced to land at the Firth of Forth on 9 February 1940. Brown described his impression of the He 111s unique greenhouse nose:
The overall impression of space within the cockpit area and the great degree of visual sighting afforded by the Plexiglas panelling were regarded as positive factors, with one important provision in relation to weather conditions. Should either bright sunshine or rainstorms be encountered, the pilot’s visibility could be dangerously compromised either by glare throwback or lack of good sighting.[14]
Taxiing was easy and was only complicated by rain, when the pilot needed to slide back the window panel and look out to establish direction. On take off, Brown reported very little “swing” and the aircraft was well balanced. On landing, Brown noted that approach speed should be above 145 km/h (90 mph) and should be held until touch down. This was to avoid a tendency by the He 111 to drop a wing, especially on the port side.[14]

Competition

In the mid-1930s, Dornier Flugzeugwerke and Junkers competed with Heinkel for Ministry of Aviation contracts. The main competitor to the Heinkel was the Junkers Ju 86. In 1935, comparison trials were undertaken with the He 111. At this point, the Heinkel was equipped with two BMW VI engines while Ju 86A was equipped with two Jumo 205Cs, both of which had 492 kW (660 hp). The He 111 had a slightly heavier takeoff weight of 8,220 kg (18,120 lb) compared to the Ju 86’s 8,000 kg (17,640 lb) and the maximum speed of both aircraft was 311 km/h (193 mph).[11] However the Ju 86 had a higher cruising speed of 177 mph (285 km/h), 9 mph (14 km/h) faster than the He 111.[11] This stalemate was altered drastically by the appearance of the DB 600C, which increased the He 111’s power by 164 kW (220 hp).[11] The Ministry of Aviation awarded both contracts, and Junkers sped up development and production at a breathtaking pace, but the financial expenditure for the Junkers was huge. In 1934-1935, 3,800,000 RM (4½% of annual turnover) was spent.[11] The Ju 86 appeared at many flight displays all over the world which helped sales to the Ministry of Aviation and abroad. Dornier, which was also competing with their Do 17, and Heinkel were not as successful. However, in production terms, the He 111 dominated with 8,000 examples produced.[11] Just 846 Ju 86s were produced,[11] and the Ju 86’s weak performance could not match that of the He 111.[8] Having dropped out of the race, Junkers concentrated on their Ju 88 design. It would be the He 111 that entered the Luftwaffe as the numerically dominant type at the beginning of the Second World War.[11]
In view of this disaster [failure of the Ju 86], it was understandable that the Luftwaffe encouraged with particular urgency and attention conversion of the He 111 into a standard bomber. This was pursued in a similar manner to the Ju 86. Three machine-gun stands were installed that, spacewise, were more favourable, especially when the entire fuselage nose, including the cockpit, was later expanded to make provision for an all-round-vision canopy. Nobody sang praises to my fast commercial aircraft, something that eventually happened.

Production

To meet demand for numbers, Heinkel constructed a factory at Oranienburg. On 4 May 1936, construction began, and exactly one year later the first He 111 rolled off the production line.[66] The Ministry of Aviation Luftwaffe administration office suggested that Ernst Heinkel lend his name to the factory. The “Ernst Heinkel GmbH” was established with a share capital of 5,000,000 Reichsmarks (RM). Heinkel was given a 150,000 RM share.[66] The factory itself was built and belonged to the German state.[66] From this production plant, 452 He 111s and 69 Junkers Ju 88s were built in the first year of the war.[67] German production for the Luftwaffe amounted to 808 He 111s by September 1939.[68] According to Heinkel’s memoirs, a further 452 were built in 1939, giving a total of 1,260.[68] But “1940’s production suffered extreme losses during the Battle of Britain, with 756 bombers lost”.[67] Meanwhile, the He 111’s rival – the Ju 88 – had increased production to 1,816 aircraft, some 26 times the number from the previous year.[67] Losses were also considerable the previous year over the Balkans and Eastern Fronts. To compensate, He 111 production was increased to 950 in 1941.[68] In 1942, this increased further to 1,337 He 111s.[67][68] The Ju 88 production figures were even higher still, exceeding 3,000 in 1942, of which 2,270 were bomber variants.[67] In 1943, He 111 increased to 1,405 aircraft.[67][68] But the Ju 88 still outnumbered it in production terms as its figures reached 2,160 for 1943.[67] The Allied bomber offensives in 1944 and in particular Big Week failed to stop or damage production at Heinkel. Up until the last quarter of 1944, 756 Heinkel He 111s had been built, while Junkers produced 3,013 Ju 88s, of which 600 were bomber versions.[67][68] During 1939-1944, a total of 5,656 Heinkel He 111s were built compared to 9,122 Ju 88s.[67] As the Luftwaffe was now on the strategic defensive, bomber production and that of the He 111 was suspended. Production in September 1944, the last production month for the He 111, included 118 bombers.[69] Of these 21 Junkers Ju 87s, 74 Junkers Ju 188s, 3 Junkers Ju 388s and 18 Arado Ar 234s were built.[69] Of the Heinkel variants, zero Heinkel He 177s were produced and just two Heinkel He 111s were built.[69]

Quarterly production 1942-1944.^[69]

Exports

In 1937, 24 He 111 F-1s were bought by the Turkish Air Force. The Turks also ordered four He 111 G-5s.[69] China also ordered 12 He 111 A-0s, but at a cost 400,000 Reichsmark (RM).[69] The aircraft were crated up and transported by sea. At the end of the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Air Force acquired 59 He 111 “survivors” and a further six He 111s in 1941-1943.[69] Bulgaria was given one He 111 H-6, Romania received 10 E-3s, 32 H-3s and 10 H-6s.[69] Two H-10s and three H-16s were given to Slovakia, Hungary was given 3 He 111Bs and 12-13 He 111s by 6 May 1941.[69] A further 80 P-1s were ordered, but only 13 arrived.[69] Towards the end of 1944, 12 He 111Hs were delivered. The Japanese were due to receive 44 He 111Fs, but in 1938 the agreement was cancelled.[69]

Operational history

Main article: Heinkel He 111 operational history
The Heinkel He 111 served on all the German military fronts in the European Theatre of World War II. Beginning the war as a medium bomber it supported the German campaigns in the field until 1943 when, owing to Western Allied and Soviet air superiority, it reverted to a transport aircraft role. Small numbers of Kampfgeschwader did continue to operate a small number of He 111s until 1945 in various roles, but mostly at night to avoid Allied fighter aircraft.
German-built He 111s remained in service in Spain after the end of the Second World War, being supplemented by Spanish licence-built CASA 2.111s from 1950. The last two German-built aircraft remained in service until at least 1958.[70]

Variants

• He 111 A-0: 10 aircraft built based on He 111 V3, two used for trials at Rechlin, rejected by Luftwaffe, all 10 were sold to China”.
• He 111 B-0: Pre-production aircraft, similar to He 111 A-0, but with DB600Aa engines.
• He 111 B-1: Production aircraft as B-0, but with DB600C engines. Defensive armament consisted of a flexible Ikaria turret in the nose A Stand, a B Stand with one DL 15 revolving gun-mount and a C Stand with one MG 15.
• He 111 B-2: As B-1, but with DB600GG engines, and extra radiators on either side of the engine nacelles under the wings. Later the DB 600Ga engines were added and the wing surface coolers withdrawn.
• He 111 B-3: Modified B-1 for training purposes.
• He 111 C-0: Six pre-production aircraft.
• He 111 D-0: Pre-production aircraft with DB600Ga engines.
• He 111 D-1: Production aircraft, only a few built. Notable for the installation of the FuG X, or FuG 10, designed to operate over longer ranges. Auxiliary equipment contained direction finding Peil G V and FuBI radio blind landing aids.
• He 111 E-0: Pre-production aircraft, similar to B-0, but with Jumo 211 A-1 engines.
• He 111 E-1: Production aircraft with Jumo 211 A-1 powerplants. Prototypes were powered by Jume 210G as which replaced the original DB 600s.
• He 111 E-2: Non production variant. No known variants built. Designed with Jumo 211 A-1s and A-3s.
• He 111 E-3: Production bomber. Same design as E-2, but upgraded to standard Jumo 211 A-3s.
• He 111 E-4: Half of 2,000 kg (4,410 lb) bomb load carried externally.
• He 111 E-5: Fitted with several internal auxiliary fuel tanks.
• He 111 F-0: Pre-production aircraft similar to E-5, but with a new wing of simpler construction with a straight rather than curved taper, and Jumo 211 A-1 engines.
• He 111 F-1: Production bomber, 24 were exported to Turkey.
• He 111 F-2: 20 were built. The F-2 was based on the F-1, differing only in installation of optimised wireless equipment.
• He 111 F-3: Planned reconnaissance version. Bomb release equipment replaced with RB cameras. It was to have Jumo 211 A-3 powerplants.
• He 111 F-4: A small number of staff communications aircraft were built under this designation. Equipment was similar to the G-5.
• He 111 F-5: The F-5 was not put into production. The already available on the P variant showed it to be superior.
• He 111 G-0: Pre-production transportation aircraft built, featured new wing introduced on F-0.
• He 111 G-3: Also known as V14, fitted with BMW 132Dc radial engines.
• He 111 G-4: Also known as V16, fitted with DB600G engines.
• He 111 G-5: Four aircraft with DB600Ga engines built for export to Turkey.
• He 111 J-0: Pre-production torpedo bomber similar to F-4, but with DB600CG engines.
• He 111 J-1: Production torpedo bomber, 90 built, but re-configured as a bomber.
• He 111 L: Alternative designation for the He 111 G-3 civil transport aircraft.
• He 111 P-0: Pre-production aircraft featured new straight wing, new glazed nose, DB601Aa engines, and a ventral gondola for gunner (rather than “dust-bin” on previous models).
• He 111 P-1: Production aircraft, fitted with three MG 15s as defensive armament.
• He 111 P-2: Had FuG 10 radio in place of FuG IIIaU. Defensive armament increased to five MG 15s.
• He 111 P-3: Dual control trainer fitted with DB601 A-1 powerplants.
• He 111 P-4: Fitted with extra armour, three extra MG 15s, and provisions for two externally mounted bomber racks. Powerplants consisted of DB601 A-1s. The internal bomb bay was replaced with a 835 L fuel tank and a 120 L oil tank.
• He 111 P-5: The P-5 was a pilot trainer. Some 24 examples were built. The variant was powered by DB 601A engines.
• He 111 P-6: Some of the P-6s were powered by the DB 601N engines. The Messerschmitt Bf 109 received these engines, as they had greater priority.
• He 111 P-6/R2: Conversions later in war of surviving aircraft to glider tugs.
• He 111 P-7: Never built.
• He 111 P-8: Its existence and production is in doubt.
• He 111 P-9: It was intended for export to the Hungarian Air Force, by the project founder for lack of DB 601E engines. Only a small number were built, and were used in the Luftwaffe as towcraft.
• He 111 H-0: Pre-production aircraft similar to P-2 but with Jumo 211A-1 engines, pioneering the use of the Junkers Jumo 211 series of engines for the H-series as standard.
• He 111 H-1: Production aircraft. Fitted with FuG IIIaU and later FuG 10 radio communications.
• He 111 H-2: This version was fitted with improved armament. Two D Stands (waist guns) in the fuselage giving the variant some five MG 15 Machine guns.
• He 111 H-3: Similar to H-2, but with Jumo 211 A-3 engines. Like the H-2, five MG 15 machine guns were standard. One A Stand MG FF cannon could be installed in the nose and an MG 15 could be installed in the tail unit.
• He 111 H-4: Fitted with Jumo 211D engines, late in production changed to Jumo 211F engines, and two external bomb racks. Two PVC 1006L racks for carrying torpedoes could be added.”
• He 111 H-5: Similar to H-4, all bombs carried externally, internal bomb bay replaced by fuel tank. The variant was to be a longer range torpedo bomber.
• He 111 H-6: Torpedo bomber, could carry two LT F5b torpedoes externally, powered by Jumo 211F-1 engines, had six MG 15s and one MG FF cannon in forward gondola.
• He 111 H-7: Designed as a night bomber. Similar to H-6, tail MG 17 removed, ventral gondola removed, and armoured plate added. Fitted with Kuto-Nase barrage balloon cable-cutters.
• He 111 H-8: The H-8 was a rebuild of H-3 or H-5 aircraft, but with balloon cable-cutting fender. The H-8 was powered by Jumo 211D-1s.
• He 111 H-8/R2: Conversion of H-8 into glider tugs, balloon cable-cutting equipment removed.
• He 111 H-9: Based on H-6, but with Kuto-Nase balloon cable-cutters.
• He 111 H-10: Similar to H-6, but with 20 mm MG/FF cannon in ventral gondola, and fitted with Kuto-Nase balloon cable-cutters. Powered by Jumo 211 A-1s or D-1s.
• He 111 H-11: Had a fully enclosed dorsal gun position and increased defensive armament and armour. The H-11 was fitted with Jumo 211 F-2s.
• He 111 H-11/R1: As H-11, but with two 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 81Z twin-gun units at beam positions.
• He 111 H-11/R2: As H-11, but converted to a glider tug.
• He 111 H-12: Modified to carry Hs 293A missiles, fitted with FuG 203b Kehl transmitter, and ventral gondola deleted.
• He 111 H-14: Pathfinder, fitted with FuG FuMB 4 Samos and FuG 16 radio equipment.
• He 111 H-14/R1: Glider tug version.
• He 111 H-15: The H-15 was intended as a launch pad for the Blohm & Voss BV 246.
• He 111 H-16: Fitted with Jumo 211 F-2 engines and increased defensive armament of MG 131 machine guns, twin MG 81Zs, and a MG FF cannon.
• He 111 H-16/R1: As H-16, but with MG 131 in power-operated dorsal turret.
• He 111 H-16/R2: As H-16, but converted to a glider tug.
• He 111 H-16/R3: As H-16, modified as a pathfinder.
• He 111 H-18: Based on H-16/R3, was a pathfinder for night operations.
• He 111 H-20: Defensive armament similar to H-16, but some aircraft feature power-operated dorsal turrets.
• He 111 H-20/R1: Could carry 16 paratroopers, fitted with jump hatch.
• He 111 H-20/R2: Was a cargo carrier and glider tug.
• He 111 H-20/R3: Was a night bomber.
• He 111 H-20/R4: Could carry twenty 50 kg (110 lb) bombs.
• He 111 H-21: Based on the H-20/R3, but with Jumo 213 E-1 engines.
• He 111 H-22: Re-designated and modified H-6, H-16, and H-21’s used to air launch V1 flying-bombs.
• He 111 H-23: Based on H-20/R1, but with Jumo 213 A-1 engines.
• He 111 R: High altitude bomber project.
• He 111 U: A spurious designation applied for propaganda purposes to the Heinkel He 119 high-speed reconnaissance bomber design which set an FAI record in November 1937. True identity only becomes clear to the Allies after World War II.
• He 111 Z-1: Two He 111 airframes coupled together by a new central wing panel possessing a fifth Jumo 211 engine, used as a glider tug for Messerschmitt Me 321.
• He 111 Z-2: Long-range bomber variant based on Z-1.
• He 111 Z-3: Long-range reconnaissance variant based on Z-1.