Heinkel He 45
He 45 | |
---|---|
Heinkel He 45 | |
Role | Light bomber |
Manufacturer | Heinkel |
First flight | 1931 |
Primary user | Luftwaffe |
Number built | 512 |
The Heinkel He 45 was a light bomber produced in Germany in the early 1930s, one of the first aircraft adopted by the newly formed Luftwaffe. Its appearance was that of a conventional biplane and included seating for pilot and gunner in tandem, open cockpits. Developed in parallel with the He 46, it appeared in 1931 as a general-purpose biplane and was employed mainly as a trainer, but was also used by the Luftwaffe for reconnaissance and light bombing duties. Production of this plane totalled 512 aircraft, including those built under licence by Gotha, Focke-Wulf, and BFW.
Variants
- He 45a
- First prototype, powered by a BMW VI 7,3Z piston engine.
- He 45b
- Second prototype, fitted with four-blade propeller.
- He 45c
- Third prototype, armed with one 7.92 mm (.312 in) forward-firing MG 17 machine gun, and one 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun in the rear cockpit.
- He 45A
- Initial production version.
- He 45A-1
- Training version.
- He 45A-2
- Reconnaissance version.
- He 45B
- Improved production version.
- He 45B-1
- Reconnaissance version, armed with a 7.92 mm (0.312 in) machine gun.
- He 45B-2
- Able to carry a 100 kg (220 lb) bombload.
- He 45C
- Production version of the He 45c.
- He 45D
- Slightly improved version. Similar to the He 45C.
- He 61
- Reconnaissance version of He 45C for China, powered by a 492 kW (660 hp) BMW VI piston engine.
Operators
- Royal Hungarian Air Force operated a single He 45C.[1]
Specifications (He 45C)
Data from Warplanes of the Third Reich[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two
Performance
- Climb to 1,000 m (3,280 ft): 2.4 min
Armament
- Guns: 1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) forward firing MG 17 machine gun and one MG 15 machine gun in rear cockpit
- Bombs: 300 kg (660 lb) bombs
See also
Related lists
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heinkel He 45.
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Green, William (1972). Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-05782-2.
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(help) - Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 499.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. File 896 Sheet 24.
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