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Heinkel He 60

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He 60
Heinkel He 60.
General information
TypeReconnaissance seaplane
ManufacturerHeinkel
Primary usersLuftwaffe
Number built361
History
Introduction date1933
First flightEarly1933
Retired1943

TheHeinkel He 60was aGermansingle-enginedbiplanereconnaissanceseaplanedesigned to becatapultedfromKriegsmarine(German navy)warshipsof the 1930s.

Development and design

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The Heinkel He 60 was designed by Heinkel engineer Reinhold Mewes, the designer of theHe 59.[1]The resulting design was a single-enginedbiplaneof mixed wood and metal construction with fabric covering. Itssingle baywings were of equal-span and had significantstagger.[2]

The first prototype flew early in 1933 and proved to be underpowered with its 492 kW (660 hp) BMW VI engine. The second prototype had a more powerful version of the BMW engine, but this only marginally improved its performance and was unreliable, so production aircraft reverted to the original engine.[2][3]Of conventional configuration, the He 60 was a sturdy aircraft, designed (as the specification required) to be capable of operating on the open sea. As a result, it was always somewhat underpowered for its weight, which made handling sluggish and the aircraft vulnerable to enemy fire. Attempts were made to solve its lack of power by fitting one aircraft with aDaimler-Benz DB 600engine, but engines were not available for production.[4]About 200 He 60Cs and Ds were built by Arado and Weser.[5]

Operational history

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A Heinkel He 60 flies above theGerman light cruiser Köln

Initial deliveries of the He 60 were toKriegsmarinetraining units in June 1933.[4]From 1934, the major production version, the He 60C began to be delivered to the shipboardobservation seaplaneunits of theKriegsmarine,operating from the catapults of all German cruisers.[6]It also saw action with Spanish Nationalist forces during theCivil War.[1]

In 1939 it was replaced as a shipboard aircraft first by theHe 114in service, then soon after by theArado Ar 196,but it remained in service with several coast reconnaissanceStaffeln(squadrons) whenWorld War IIbegan.[7]It had been withdrawn from front-line service by 1940, but returned to use following Germany'sinvasion of the Soviet Unionin 1941, being used by various SAGr (Seeaufklarungsgruppe/Maritime reconnaissance group)[8]for coastal patrol work in theBalticandMediterranean Seas.All He 60s were removed from service by October 1943.[1]

Variants

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He 60a
Firstprototypewhich began flight testing in early 1933.
He 60b
Second prototype which experimented with a more powerful engine. However, it proved no better and the design reverted to that used in the 60a.
He 60c
Third prototype, used for successful catapult trials in early 1933. This aircraft was delivered into operational service with the navy.
He 60A
14 pre-production aircraft were ordered. A total of 81 A-variant aircraft were produced.
He 60B
Initial production version, commencing in 1934.
He 60B-3
In 1933 a single aircraft was fitted with a 671 kW (900 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 600 engine in an effort to improve performance. However, the development was dropped.
He 60C
In late summer 1934, the improved C-variant went into production, with first deliveries in Autumn 1934.
He 60D
The D-variant was similar to the He 60C, with the capability added for a fixed MG-17 machine gun and improved radio equipment. Production commenced in June 1936.
He 60E
6 aircraft were ordered by Spain, and these D-variants were called the 60E, ending delivery in April 1937. They flew coastal patrols in the Spanish Civil War, and the last aircraft were withdrawn from service in 1948.

Operators

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Bulgaria
Germany
Spanish State

Specifications (He 60)

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Data fromWar Planes of the Second World War: Volume Six Floatplanes[6]

General characteristics

  • Crew:2
  • Length:11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
  • Wingspan:13.5 m (44 ft 3 in)
  • Height:5.3 m (17 ft 5 in)
  • Wing area:56 m2(600 sq ft)
  • Empty weight:2,735 kg (6,030 lb)
  • Gross weight:3,407 kg (7,511 lb)
  • Powerplant:1 ×BMW VI 6.0V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 492 kW (660 hp)
  • Propellers:2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed:240 km/h (150 mph, 130 kn) at sea level
  • Cruise speed:216 km/h (134 mph, 117 kn)
  • Range:826 km (513 mi, 446 nmi) at 2,000 m (6,600 ft)
  • Service ceiling:5,000 m (16,000 ft)
  • Time to altitude:1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 3 minutes 12 seconds

Armament

See also

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Related lists

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toHeinkel He 60.

Notes

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  1. ^abcDonald 1994, p.97.
  2. ^abSmith and Kay 1972, p.229.
  3. ^Green 1962, p.71
  4. ^abGreen 1962, p.72.
  5. ^Munson 1978,p. 71.
  6. ^abGreen 1962, p.73.
  7. ^Smith and Kay 1972, p.231.
  8. ^Munson 1978,p. 72.

Bibliography

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  • Donald, David (editor).Warplanes of the Luftwaffe.London: Aerospace Publishing, 1994.ISBN1-874023-56-5.
  • Fernandez, José (August 1994). "Le Heinkel He 60 (3ème partie)" [The Heinkel He 60, Part 3].Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire(in French) (18): 44–48.ISSN1243-8650.
  • Gerdessen, Frederik. "Estonian Air Power 1918 – 1945".Air Enthusiast,No. 18, April – July 1982. pp. 61–76.ISSN0143-5450.
  • Green, William.War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Six Floatplanes.London: Macdonald 1962.
  • Lang, Gerhard.The Heinkel HE 60 (Luftwaffe Profile).Schiffer Publishing, 2004.ISBN0-88740-922-9
  • Munson, Kenneth (1978).German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour.Poole, Dorsett, UK: Blandford Press.ISBN0-7137-0860-3.
  • Smith, J.R. and Kay, Antony L.German Aircraft of the Second World War.London: Putnam, 1972.ISBN0-85177-920-4.
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