Heinkel HD 24
Heinkel · Germany · first flew 1926 · light aircraft
The Heinkel HD 24 was a widely built two-seat training seaplane, successful enough to win German and Swedish military orders and see private use on polar exploration.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.69 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-bay biplane with equal-span, staggered wings
- Interchangeable twin floats, wheels or skis
- Tandem open cockpits for instructor and pupil
A simple, equal-span staggered biplane on twin floats, readily converted to wheels or skis, typical of 1920s German training seaplanes.
Specifications
- The Heinkel HD 24 has a length of 9.69 m (32 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.2 m (47 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 180 km/h (112 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1926, the HD 24 placed third in that year's Seeflugwettbewerb seaplane competition, leading the German DVS flying school to order 23 aircraft and the Swedish Navy to take six more, built by Svenska Aero and designated Sk 4. German explorer Gunther Pluschow bought one, named it Tsingtau, and flew it on an expedition to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego in 1927-28.
Variants
Sweden's Svenska Aero-built examples were designated Sk 4; a further aircraft was exported to China.
Where you'll see it
Around 35 HD 24s were built in total; none is known to survive today, though the type is remembered for Pluschow's Patagonian expedition.
Related aircraft
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