He 111

Heinkel · Germany · first flew 1935 · bomber

The Heinkel He 111 was the Luftwaffe's principal medium bomber early in the war, recognisable for its fully glazed, frameless nose.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• Fully glazed, stepless rounded nose with an offset cockpit bulge
• Broad elliptical wings tapering to rounded tips
• Ventral 'Bola' gondola hanging beneath the forward fuselage

The smoothly glazed asymmetric nose, elliptical wing planform and underslung gondola together identify the type from above.

Specifications

• The He 111 has a length of 16.4 m (54 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 22.6 m (74 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 434 km/h (270 mph).
• Typical crew: 5.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1935, the He 111 was disguised as a civil airliner during development to circumvent the Versailles restrictions. The classic stepless glazed nose appeared from the P and H series, which carried the type through the major bombing campaigns.

Variants

The H-series, including the H-16, became the most numerous, powered by Junkers Jumo engines. Specialised marks served as torpedo bombers, glider tugs and even launch platforms for V-1 flying bombs.

Where you'll see it

The He 111 was a mainstay of the Luftwaffe bomber force during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, where its weak defensive armament made it vulnerable to RAF fighters. No complete He 111 is on permanent display in a UK museum, though wreck fragments survive in British collections.

Related aircraft

• Heinkel He 112
• Heinkel He 51B-0
• Heinkel He 114
• Heinkel He 51 C-1
• Arado Ar 81
• B-17 Flying Fortress
• Bolkhovitinov DB-A
• Breguet 460 Vultur

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.