Heinkel He 74
Heinkel · Germany · first flew 1934 · fighter
The Heinkel He 74 was a small, single-seat biplane designed in 1934 ostensibly as a sport aircraft but intended to develop fighter pilot skills covertly during the period of German rearmament. It was a compact and agile biplane with a relatively strong performance for its class.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.45 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Lightweight single-seat German biplane fighter of 1934
- Fixed undercarriage
- Intended as a covert fighter trainer
A very compact single-seat biplane with sesquiplane or near-equal wings, fixed undercarriage, and an enclosed cockpit — notable for its small size relative to its fighter-like performance.
Specifications
- The Heinkel He 74 has a length of 6.45 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.15 m (27 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 280 km/h (174 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed during the clandestine expansion of German military aviation prior to the open repudiation of the Versailles Treaty, the He 74 was evaluated by the still-secret Luftwaffe. It was not ordered into large-scale production, serving mainly as a test and evaluation type.
Variants
A small number of prototypes and pre-production aircraft; no series production variants documented.
Where you'll see it
Evaluated within Germany; not exported. Never reached frontline operational service as a fighter.
Related aircraft
- He 111
- Heinkel He 112
- Heinkel He 51
- Heinkel He 51 B-2
- Aero A.102
- ANF Les Mureaux 115
- Arado Ar 68
- Arado Ar 76
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.