Time Period: World War II
Country of Origin: Germany
Type: Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Heinkel Flugzeugwerke
Heinkel He 280 Aircraft Overview
The Heinkel He 280 was a German fighter jet developed by the Heinkel company in the 1930s. It was one of the earliest jet-powered aircraft to be developed, and it had its first flight on April 30, 1941.
The He 280 was designed as a single-seat, low-wing monoplane with two turbojet engines mounted under the wings. It had a top speed of around 520 mph (840 km/h) and a range of approximately 400 miles (640 km). It was armed with three 20mm cannon mounted in the nose.
Despite its advanced design, the He 280 was not put into production due to a combination of technical problems and political considerations. The German Air Ministry ultimately decided to focus on the Messerschmitt Me 262, another jet-powered fighter, and the He 280 project was abandoned in 1943.
Heinkel He 280 V6 Specifications
- Crew: 1
- Length: 10.198 m (33 ft 5.5 in)
- Wingspan: 11.99726 m (39 ft 4.333 in)
- Height: 3.1941 m (10 ft 5.75 in)
- Wing area: 21.51 m2 (231.5 sq ft)
- Airfoil: root: 13%; tip: 9%
- Gross weight: 5,205 kg (11,475 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Junkers Jumo 109-004A Orkan axial-flow turbojet engines, 8.24 kN (1,852 lbf) thrust each
Heinkel He 280 V6 Performance
- Maximum speed: 751.5 km/h (467.0 mph, 405.8 kn) at sea level. 817.5 km/h (508.0 mph; 441.4 kn) at 6,000 m (19,685 ft). 809.5 km/h (503.0 mph; 437.1 kn) at 8,501 m (27,890 ft)
- Range: 615 km (382 mi, 332 nmi) at 9,010 m (29,560 ft). 314 km (195 mi; 170 nmi) at sea level
- Service ceiling: 11,400 m (37,390 ft)
- Rate of climb: 21.2 m/s (4,170 ft/min)
- Thrust/weight: 0.32
Heinkel He 280 V6 Armament
- Guns: 3 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon.
