Heinkel He 112

Heinkel · German Reich · first flew 1935 · fighter

The Heinkel He 112 was a single-seat fighter that competed against the Messerschmitt Bf 109 for the Luftwaffe's new fighter contract in the mid-1930s, ultimately losing despite its pleasant handling and elliptical wing. Small numbers were exported.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, elliptical
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	9.3 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Elliptical wing plan similar to Spitfire, though German in origin
Lost the Luftwaffe fighter contest to the Bf 109 in 1936
Exported to Romania, Spain, and Japan in small numbers

The elliptical wing, slightly gull-shaped from the front, and the enclosed cockpit canopy distinguish it; the Bf 109's angular wing is quite different despite similar overall proportions.

Specifications

The Heinkel He 112 has a length of 9.3 m (31 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.1 m (30 ft).
Its maximum speed is 510 km/h (317 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Development began in 1934 and the He 112 first flew in 1935. Although it was more stable and had better visibility than the Bf 109, the Luftwaffe selected the Messerschmitt design. Heinkel exported small batches to Spain, Romania, and Japan as a commercial venture.

Variants

The He 112A was the prototype series; the He 112B-0 and B-1 were the production export models with an uprated Jumo 210 or DB 600 engine.

Where you'll see it

Romanian He 112s saw combat on the Eastern Front against Soviet forces in 1941–42; Spanish examples flew briefly in the Civil War; Japanese aircraft were evaluated but not adopted.

Related aircraft

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