aircraft Sets

The Heinkel He 60 was a sturdy single-engined twin-float biplane that was used as coastal and marine reconnaissance aircraft, as well as operating from German battleships and cruisers.

It was designed in 1931-32 by Reinhold Mewes in response to a Ministry of Transportation and Navy request for a seaworthy marine reconnaissance and shipboard aircraft capable of being launched by catapult.

The first prototype, He 60a/ V1, made its maiden flight early in 1933. Flight tests proved that it was as robust as hoped, and was capable of operating from rough seas, but its 660hp BMW VI inline engine meant that is was underpowered. The second prototype, He 60b, was given a 750hp BMW engine, but without any marked improvement in performance, and so the third prototype, He 60c, reverted to the original engine. This third prototype was used for catapult trials during 1933, and the type was then ordered into production.

The He 60 was a single-engined twin-float biplane. It had a welded steel tube fuselage, with a wooden frame that gave it an oval cross-section, and that was covered with fabric from the firewall aft. The single-bay unstressed wings were in a staggered configuration. The upper wings had a slightly wide span than the lower wings. The floats were single-step models, built from light metal with vee-shaped bottoms, and attached to the fuselage and lower wings by network of struts.

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