Time Period: Interwar Period
Country of Origin: Germany
Type: Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Heinkel Flugzeugwerke
Heinkel He 100 Aircraft Overview
The Heinkel He 100 was a German fighter aircraft developed by the Heinkel company in the late 1930s. It was designed to be a high-speed interceptor, capable of reaching speeds of up to 400 mph (640 km/h).
The He 100 was a single-seat, low-wing monoplane with a retractable undercarriage. It was powered by a liquid-cooled Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, which provided the aircraft with exceptional speed and climb performance. The He 100 was armed with two 7.92 mm machine guns mounted in the engine cowling and two 20mm cannon in the wings.
The He 100 set several speed records in the late 1930s, and it was considered to be one of the fastest aircraft of its time. However, despite its impressive performance, the He 100 was not selected for production by the German Air Ministry. Instead, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 was chosen as the standard fighter for the Luftwaffe.
A small number of He 100s were produced for export to Japan, where they were used in combat during the Second Sino-Japanese War. However, the aircraft was not used extensively, and it was eventually replaced by other aircraft designs.
Heinkel He 100 Specifications
- Crew: One
- Length: 8.20 m (26 ft 11 in)
- Wingspan: 9.40 m (30 ft 10 in)
- Height: 3.60 m (11 ft 10 in) (tail up)
- Wing area: 14.60 m2 (157.2 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 1,810 kg (3,990 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 2,500 kg (5,512 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 300 kg (660 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Daimler-Benz DB 601M liquid-cooled V12 piston engine, 876 kW (1,175 hp) (takeoff power)
- Propellers: 3-bladed VDM constant-speed propeller, 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in) diameter
Heinkel He 100 Performance
- Maximum speed: 670 km/h (420 mph, 360 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)
- Cruise speed: 552 km/h (343 mph, 298 kn) at 2,000 m (6,600 ft) (80% power)
- Range: 1,010 km (630 mi, 550 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
- Time to altitude:
- 2.2 minutes to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft),
- 7.8 minutes to 6,000 metres (20,000 ft)
Heinkel He 100 Armament
- Guns: 1 × 20mm MG FF cannon firing through propeller hub and 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine guns in wing root (intended)
- 1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 firing through propeller hub and 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine guns in wing root (actual)
