He 45
Heinkel He 45
Role Light bomber
Manufacturer Heinkel
First flight 1931
Primary user Luftwaffe
Number built 512

The Heinkel He 45 was a light bomber produced in Germany in the early 1930s, one of the first aircraft adopted by the newly formed Luftwaffe. Its appearance was that of a conventional biplane and included seating for pilot and gunner in tandem, open cockpits. Developed in parallel with the He 46, it appeared in 1931 as a general-purpose biplane and was employed mainly as a trainer, but was also used by the Luftwaffe for reconnaissance and light bombing duties. Production of this plane totalled 512 aircraft, including those built under licence by Gotha, Focke-Wulf, and BFW.

Variants

He 45a
First prototype, powered by a BMW VI 7,3Z piston engine.
He 45b
Second prototype, fitted with four-blade propeller.
He 45c
Third prototype, armed with one 7.92 mm (.312 in) forward-firing MG 17 machine gun, and one 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun in the rear cockpit.
He 45A
Initial production version.
He 45A-1
Training version.
He 45A-2
Reconnaissance version.
He 45B
Improved production version.
He 45B-1
Reconnaissance version, armed with a 7.92 mm (0.312 in) machine gun.
He 45B-2
Able to carry a 100 kg (220 lb) bombload.
He 45C
Production version of the He 45c.
He 45D
Slightly improved version. Similar to the He 45C.
HD 61a
Reconnaissance export version of He 45B intended for China, powered by a 492 kW (660 hp) BMW VI piston engine.[1]

Operators

 Bulgaria
 China
 Germany
 Hungary
 Spanish State

Specifications (He 45C)

Data from Warplanes of the Third Reich [3]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related lists

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heinkel He 45.
Notes
  1. ^ a b Andersson, Lennart (2008). A History of Chinese Aviation - Encyclopedia of Aircraft and Aviation in China until 1949. AHS. ISBN 978-9572853337, p. 269
  2. ^ Green 1972, p. 261.
  3. ^ Green 1972, pp. 260–261.
Bibliography
Categories