Heinkel He 60

Development and design

The Heinkel He 60 was designed by Heinkel engineer Reinhold Mewes, the designer of the He 59. The resulting design was a single-engined biplane of mixed wood and metal construction with fabric covering. Its single bay wings were of equal-span and had significant stagger.

The first prototype flew early in 1933 and proved to be underpowered with its 492 kW (660 hp) BMW VI engine. The second prototype had a more powerful version of the BMW engine, but this only marginally improved its performance and was unreliable, so production aircraft reverted to the original engine. Of conventional configuration, the He 60 was a sturdy aircraft, designed (as the specification required) to be capable of operating on the open sea. As a result, it was always somewhat underpowered for its weight, which made handling sluggish and the aircraft vulnerable to enemy fire. Attempts were made to solve its lack of power by fitting one aircraft with a Daimler-Benz DB 600 engine, but engines were not available for production.

Operational history

Initial deliveries of the He 60 were to Kriegsmarine training units in June 1933. From 1934, the major production version, the He 60C began to be delivered to the shipboard floatplane units of the Kriegsmarine, operating from the catapults of all German cruisers. It also saw action with Spanish Nationalist forces during the Civil War.

In 1939 it was replaced as a shipboard aircraft first by the He 114 in service, then soon after by the Arado Ar 196, but it remained in service with several coast reconnaissance Staffeln (squadrons) when World War II began. It had been withdrawn from front-line service by 1940, but returned to use following Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, being used for coastal patrol work in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas. All He 60s were removed from service by October 1943.

Variants

He 60a

First prototype which began flight testing in early 1933.

He 60b

Second prototype which experimented with a more powerful engine. However, it proved no better and the design reverted to that used in the 60a.

He 60c

Third prototype, used for successful catapult trials in early 1933. This aircraft was delivered into operational service with the navy.

He 60A

14 pre-production aircraft were ordered. A total of 81 A-variant aircraft were produced.

He 60B

Initial production version, commencing in 1934.

He 60B-3

In 1933 a single aircraft was fitted with a 671 kW (900 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 600 engine in an effort to improve performance. However, the development was dropped.

He 60C

In late summer 1934, the improved C-variant went into production, with first deliveries in Autumn 1934.

He 60D

The D-variant was similar to the He 60C, with the capability added for a fixed MG-17 machine gun and improved radio equipment. Production commenced in June 1936.

He 60E

6 aircraft were ordered by Spain, and these D-variants were called the 60E, ending delivery in April 1937. They flew coastal patrols in the Spanish Civil War, and the last aircraft were withdrawn from service in 1948.

Operators

 Bulgaria

Bulgarian Navy - 5 examples from 1942-1944

 Germany

Luftwaffe

Kriegsmarine

 Spanish State

Spanish Air Force

Specifications (He 60)

Data from War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Six Floatplanes

General characteristics

Crew: two (pilot and observer)

Length: 11.50 m (37 ft 8¾ in)

Wingspan: 13.50 m (44 ft 3¾ in)

Height: 5.30 m (17 ft 4¾ in)

Wing area: 56.0 m² (603 ft²)

Empty weight: 2,735 kg (6,018 lb)

Loaded weight: 3,407 kg (7,495 lb)

Powerplant: 1 × BMW VI 6.0 water-cooled V12 engine, 492 kW (660 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 240 km/h (130 knots, 149 mph) at sea level

Cruise speed: 216 km/h (117 knots, 134 mph)

Range: 826 km (446 nmi, 513 mi) at 2,000 m (6,560 ft)

Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,400 ft)

Climb to 1,000 m (3,280 ft): 3.2 min

Armament

Guns: 1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in flexible mount for observer