Heinkel He 274

Heinkel · Germany · first flew 1945 · bomber

The Heinkel He 274 was a German high-altitude heavy bomber developed during World War II as a derivative of the He 177, replacing the coupled Daimler-Benz engine pairs with four separate engines to eliminate the fire problems that plagued its predecessor. It was designed to bomb targets from altitudes inaccessible to Allied fighters.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Pressurised fuselage for very high-altitude bombing
T — Tail	Twin fin

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Spot it by:

High-altitude development of the He 177 with four separate engines
Twin fins and rudders on a wide tailplane
Pressurised fuselage for very high-altitude bombing

Resembles an enlarged conventional four-engine heavy bomber with twin fins, distinguishable from other large German types by its particularly long span and absence of the He 177's characteristic coupled-engine installation.

Specifications

The Heinkel He 274 has a length of 23.3 m (76 ft).
It has a wingspan of 44.2 m (145 ft).
Its maximum speed is 580 km/h (360 mph).
Typical crew: 4–5.

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

History

Developed from the He 177, the He 274 was built under German supervision at the SAUF facility in France. When Allied forces liberated France in 1944 the aircraft was not yet complete; the French completed and flew it in 1945 after the German defeat, making it one of the very few German designs to first fly under another nation's auspices.

Variants

Only one prototype was completed and flown; the programme ended with the German defeat and the French trials.

Where you'll see it

Never entered Luftwaffe service; evaluated briefly by France after the war as a war trophy aircraft.

Related aircraft

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