Heinkel He 51A

Heinkel · Germany · first flew 1933 · fighter

The Heinkel He 51A is a German single-engine sesquiplane biplane fighter that entered Luftwaffe service in 1935, representing the last generation of biplane fighters before Germany's rapid transition to monoplane types. It served as a frontline fighter before being relegated to training duties.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	8.4 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single-bay sesquiplane biplane fighter with open cockpit
BMW VI inline engine with distinctive narrow cowling
Last major Luftwaffe biplane fighter before the monoplane era

Recognised by its single-bay sesquiplane biplane layout, narrow inline engine cowling, open cockpit with headrest, fixed undercarriage with wheel fairings, and the characteristic interplane strut arrangement.

Specifications

The Heinkel He 51A has a length of 8.4 m (28 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

Developed in secrecy to circumvent Versailles Treaty restrictions, the He 51 first flew in 1933 and equipped the early Luftwaffe fighter units from 1935. It saw combat during the Spanish Civil War with the Legion Condor, where its limitations against the Soviet Polikarpov I-16 became apparent, hastening the transition to the Bf 109.

Variants

Variants included the He 51A landplane, He 51B with minor modifications, and the He 51C simplified trainer version; a floatplane version was also produced.

Where you'll see it

Served as Germany's primary fighter in the mid-1930s, saw combat in Spain, and continued as an advanced trainer into the early WWII period.

Related aircraft

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