Heinkel He 60
Heinkel / Arado · Germany · first flew 1933 · light aircraft
The Heinkel He 60 was a German single-engine biplane floatplane designed for catapult-launched ship-borne reconnaissance. It served as the standard shipboard floatplane of the Kriegsmarine in the early years of World War II.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.5 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-engine biplane floatplane for ship catapult operations
- Open cockpits in tandem for two crew
- Twin main floats with wire-braced struts
A conventional equal-span biplane floatplane with a BMW VI inline engine under a long nose cowling and twin wooden floats; similar in outline to other 1930s ship-borne floatplanes but identifiable by the longer nose and inline engine.
Specifications
- The Heinkel He 60 has a length of 11.5 m (38 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.5 m (44 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 240 km/h (149 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Entering service in 1933, the He 60 equipped the catapult positions of Kriegsmarine cruisers and pocket battleships. It was replaced in service by the more capable Arado Ar 196 from 1939 onward, but continued in secondary roles including coastal patrol.
Variants
The He 60a through He 60e series differed mainly in engine variants and operational equipment; production was shared between Heinkel and Arado Flugzeugwerke.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe maritime units; Spain received examples for use during the Civil War through the Condor Legion.
Related aircraft
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