Heinkel He 51 C-2

Heinkel · Germany · first flew 1936 · fighter

The He 51 C-2 was a dedicated ground-attack variant of the Heinkel He 51 biplane, fitted with underwing bomb racks for close-support operations.

Recognition (WEFT)

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Spot it by:

• Ground-attack biplane variant of He 51
• Bomb racks under lower wing
• Condor Legion service in Spain

Visually identical to other He 51 variants at distance but distinguished by underwing bomb carriers; the sesquiplane biplane layout with V-struts and cowled BMW VI engine remains the primary recognition cue.

Specifications

• The Heinkel He 51 C-2 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

With the He 51 proving uncompetitive as a fighter over Spain, the Luftwaffe redirected surviving airframes to the ground-attack role, leading to the C-series. The C-2 variant served with the Condor Legion supporting Nationalist forces, gaining the Luftwaffe valuable combat experience in close air support tactics.

Variants

The C-1 and C-2 were ground-attack sub-variants; the C-1 retained the wheeled undercarriage while both featured underwing stores provisions, distinguishing them from the fighter A and floatplane B sub-series.

Where you'll see it

Operated exclusively by the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War from 1937, the C-2 helped develop German ground-attack doctrine that would later be refined with the Ju 87 Stuka.

Related aircraft

• Heinkel He 114
• Heinkel He 118
• Heinkel He 51 C-1
• He 111
• Arado Ar 95
• Avia B-634
• Boeing P-26C Peashooter
• Brewster XSBA-1

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