Heinkel He 49
Heinkel · Germany · first flew 1932 · fighter
The Heinkel He 49 was a German single-seat biplane fighter prototype of the early 1930s, developed covertly as Germany rebuilt its air force in violation of the Versailles Treaty.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.7 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Secret German pre-rearmament biplane fighter prototype
- Predecessor to the He 51 fighter
- Open cockpit single-bay sesquiplane layout
Single-seat biplane with an inline liquid-cooled engine, open cockpit, N-strut interplane configuration, and sesquiplane wing arrangement (smaller lower wing); closely resembles the production He 51 it spawned.
Specifications
- The Heinkel He 49 has a length of 8.7 m (29 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
Flown in 1932, the He 49 was officially designated a high-speed sports aircraft to disguise its military purpose. It served as the direct predecessor to the He 51, which entered Luftwaffe service in 1935 and saw combat in the Spanish Civil War. Three He 49 prototypes were built.
Variants
He 49a, 49b, and 49c prototypes with minor airframe and engine differences; no production variant, directly evolved into the He 51.
Where you'll see it
Never entered operational service; the three prototypes informed development of the He 51, which became Germany's first production Luftwaffe fighter.
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