Heinkel He 63
Heinkel · Germany · first flew 1932 · light aircraft
The Heinkel He 63 was a German two-seat advanced training biplane of the early 1930s, used to give pilots flying experience in preparation for military aviation that was officially prohibited by the Versailles Treaty.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.2 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- German two-seat biplane trainer of the early 1930s
- Open tandem cockpit with an inline engine in a neat cowling
- Used as a covert military trainer during the Weimar/early Nazi period
A clean two-seat biplane with an inline engine, open tandem cockpit, equal-span wings, and spatted fixed undercarriage — similar to other German inter-war training biplanes.
Specifications
- The Heinkel He 63 has a length of 8.2 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.8 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed and built at Heinkel in 1932, the He 63 served as an advanced trainer and was operated at covert Luftwaffe training centres in the Soviet Union and within Germany itself under civilian cover. It provided a more demanding step up from basic trainers before pilots moved to combat types.
Variants
No significant production sub-variants; a small series was built.
Where you'll see it
Used by German military training establishments in the early 1930s before being superseded by purpose-built Luftwaffe trainers after 1935.
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