Heinkel He 177 Greif

Heinkel · Germany · first flew 1939 · bomber

The Heinkel He 177 Greif was Germany's only operational strategic heavy bomber of WWII, distinctive for its paired-engine nacelles that gave it the appearance of a twin-engined aircraft despite having four motors.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	22 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Twin-engined appearance masking four coupled motors in two nacelles
Long glazed nose reminiscent of a heavy bomber
Single vertical tail on a large German WWII heavy bomber

The coupled-engine nacelles give a twin-engined look despite four motors; the large, elongated fuselage and single fin distinguish it from Allied heavy bombers of the period.

Specifications

The Heinkel He 177 Greif has a length of 22 m (72 ft).
It has a wingspan of 31.44 m (103 ft).
Its maximum speed is 565 km/h (351 mph).
Typical crew: 6.

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

History

Designed in the mid-1930s under a requirement for a dive-capable heavy bomber, the He 177 was plagued by engine fires from the coupled Daimler-Benz DB 606 power plants throughout its development and service life. It entered Luftwaffe service in 1942 and was used on the Eastern Front and for anti-shipping missions, but reliability remained poor.

Variants

Main variants included the He 177A-1 through A-5 series; the He 177B with four separate engines was developed but did not reach production.

Where you'll see it

Served with Kampfgeschwader units on the Eastern Front and over the Atlantic; no airworthy examples survive.

Related aircraft

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