Heinkel He 51B-0
Heinkel · Germany · first flew 1935 · fighter
The Heinkel He 51B-0 was the pre-production batch of the He 51B floatplane-capable fighter variant, representing an intermediate step between the He 51A-0 pre-production and the He 51B-1 production standard. It was one of the first fighters openly operated by the reborn Luftwaffe.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.4 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Pre-production biplane fighter of the early Luftwaffe
- Single BMW VI liquid-cooled V-12 engine
- Equal-span sesquiplane with fixed undercarriage and wheel spats
Classic mid-1930s biplane fighter — equal-span wings with modest stagger, fixed undercarriage with large wheel spats, inline liquid-cooled engine with a sleek cowling, and an open cockpit.
Specifications
- The Heinkel He 51B-0 has a length of 8.4 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11 m (36 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 330 km/h (205 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The He 51 entered Luftwaffe service from 1935 as Germany openly rearmed in defiance of the Versailles Treaty; the B variant introduced provisions for float undercarriage for coastal operations. He 51s were deployed to the Spanish Civil War with the Condor Legion, where they were quickly outclassed by Soviet I-15 and I-16 fighters and relegated to ground attack.
Variants
The He 51 family includes the A (landplane), B (seaplane-capable), and C (ground attack) series; the B-0 is the pre-production batch of the B series. The type was rendered obsolete by the Bf 109 before World War II.
Where you'll see it
Served with the Luftwaffe from 1935 and the Condor Legion in Spain 1936–39; phased out of front-line fighter service before World War II and used for training until the early war years.
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- He 111
- Heinkel He 112
- Heinkel He 114
- Heinkel He 118
- Arado Ar 80
- Blohm & Voss Ha 137
- Breda Ba.65
- Curtiss P-36 Hawk
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