Heinkel He 280

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The Heinkel He 280 was the first turbojet-powered fighter aircraft in the world. It was inspired by Ernst Heinkel's emphasis on research into high-speed flight and built on the company's experience with the He 178 jet prototype. A combination of technical and political factors led to it being passed over in favor of the Messerschmitt Me 262.^{[citation needed]} Only nine were built and none reached operational status.^{[citation needed]}

Development

The Heinkel company began the He 280 project on its own initiative after the He 178 had been met with indifference from the Reichsluftfahrtministerium ("RLM") (Ger. "Reich Aviation Ministry"). The head designer was Robert Lusser, who began the project under the designation He 180 in late 1939. It had a typical Heinkel fighter fuselage, elliptically-shaped wings and a dihedralled tailplane with twin fins and rudders. The landing gear was of the retractable tricycle type with very little ground clearance.^[1] This arrangement was considered too frail for the grass or dirt airfields of the era; however, the tricycle layout eventually gained acceptance. The Me 262 was originally designed as a tail-dragger, but this configuration makes it difficult for a jet to become airborne, and the Me 262 entered production with a redesigned tricycle landing gear. Internally, the He 280 was equipped with a compressed-air powered ejection seat, the first aircraft to carry one.

The first prototype was completed in the summer of 1940, but the HeS 8 intended to power it was running into difficulties. On 22 September 1940, while work on the engine continued, the first prototype started glide tests with ballast hung in place of its engines.^[1] It would be another six months before Fritz Schäfer would take the second prototype into the air under its own power, on 30 March 1941. The type was then demonstrated to Ernst Udet, head of RLM's development wing, on 5 April, but like its predecessor, it apparently failed to make an impression.^{[citation needed]} One benefit of the He 280 which did impress the political leadership was the fact that the jet engines could burn kerosene, which requires much less expense and refining than the high-octane fuel used by piston-engine aircraft. However, government funding was lacking at the critical stage of initial development.

Over the next year, progress was slow due to the ongoing engine problems. A second engine design, the HeS 30 was also undergoing development, both as an interesting engine in its own right, as well as a potential replacement for the HeS 8. In the meantime, alternative powerplants were considered, including the Argus As 014 pulsejet that famously powered the V-1 flying bomb.^[2] (Using as many as eight was proposed.)^[3]

By the end of 1943, however, the third prototype was fitted with refined versions of the HeS 8 engine and was ready for its next demonstration. On 22 December, a mock dogfight was staged for RLM officials in which the He 280 was matched against an Fw 190. Here, the jet demonstrated its vastly superior speed, completing four laps of an oval course before the Fw 190 could complete three.^{[citation needed]} Finally, at this point the RLM became interested and placed an order for 20 pre-production test aircraft, to be followed by 300 production machines.

Engine problems continued to plague the project. In 1942, the RLM had ordered Heinkel to abandon the HeS 8 and HeS 30 to focus all development on a follow-on engine, the HeS 011, a much more advanced (and therefore problematic) design.^{[citation needed]} Meanwhile, the first He 280 prototype had been re-equipped with pulsejets^[3] and was towed aloft to test them. Bad weather caused the aircraft to ice up, however, and before the jets could be tested, pilot Helmut Schenk became the first person to put an ejection seat to use. The seat worked perfectly, but the aircraft was lost, and never found.

With the HeS 011 not expected for some time, Heinkel was forced to accept that it would have to use a competitor's engines, and selected the BMW 003. Unfortunately, this engine was also experiencing problems and delays, and in the meantime, the second He 280 prototype was re-engined with Junkers Jumo 004s while the next three airframes were earmarked for the BMW motor (which, in the end, would never be ready before the end of the He 280 project). The Jumo engines were much larger and heavier than the HeS 8 that the plane had been designed for, and while it flew well enough (for the first time on 16 March 1943), it was immediately obvious that this engine would be unsuitable in the long term.^{[citation needed]} The aircraft was slower and generally less efficient than the Me 262.^[1]

Less than two weeks later, on 27 March, Erhard Milch cancelled the project. The Jumo 004-powered Me 262 appeared to have most of the qualities of the He 280, but was better matched to its engine. Heinkel was ordered to abandon the He 280 and focus attention on bomber development and construction, something he remained bitter about until his death.^{[citation needed]}

Prototypes

Prototype #1 (He 280 V1)

Coded as "DL+AS".
9/22/1940: First flight.
1/13/1942: Crashed due to control failure. Pilot ejected safely.

He 280 V2

Coded as "GJ+CA".
3/30/1941: First flight.
6/26/1943: Crashed due to engine failure.

He 280 V3

Coded as "GJ+CB".
7/5/1942: First flight.
5/1945: Captured at Wien-Schwechat, Austria.

He 280 V4

Coded as "GJ+CC".
8/31/1943: First flight.
10/1944: Struck off charge at Hörsching, Austria.

He 280 V5

Coded as "GJ+CD".
7/26/1943: First flight.
Did not receive any jet engines.

He 280 V6

Coded as "NU+EA".
7/26/1943: First flight.
Did not receive any jet engines.

He 280 V7

Coded as "NU+EB" and "D-IEXM".
4/19/1943: First flight.
Flew a total of 115 towed flights.

He 280 V8

Coded as "NU+EC".
7/19/1943: First flight.

He 280 V9

Coded as "NU+ED".
8/31/1943: First flight.

Specifications (He 280 V3)

General characteristics

Crew: 1, pilot
Length: 10.40 m (34 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 12.20 m (40 ft)
Height: 3.06 m (10 ft)
Wing area: 21.5 m² (233 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,215 kg (7,073 lb)
Loaded weight: 4,280 kg (9,416 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 4,300 kg (9,470 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Heinkel HeS 8 turbojet, 5.9 kN (1,320 lbf) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 820 km/h (512 mph)
Range: 370 km (230 mi)
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 1,145 m/min (3,756 ft/min)

Armament

3 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heinkel He 280.

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Janes Fighting Aircraft of World War II" (Random House Group Ltd. 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA, 1989, ISBN 1-85170-493-0), 318 pp.
↑ Dressel, Joachim, Griehl, Manfred, & Menke, Jochen, eds; translated by Dr. Ed Force. Heinkel He 280 (West Chester, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1991), p.15.
↑ 3.0 3.1 Dressel, et al., p. 15.

"Harbinger of an Era...The Heinkel He 280". Air International, November 1989, Vol 37 No 6. ISSN 0306-5634. pp. 233–241, 260.

v t e Aircraft produced by Heinkel

Company designations pre-1933	HE 1 HE 2 HE 3 HE 4 HE 5 HE 6 HE 7 HE 8 HE 9 HE 10 HE 12 HE 14 HD 15 HD 16 HD 17 HE 18 HD 19 HD 20 HD 21 HD 22 HD 23 HD 24 HD 25 HD 26 HD 27 HD 28 HD 29 HD 30 HE 31 HD 32 HD 33 HD 34 HD 35 HD 36 HD 37 HD 38 HD 39 HD 40 HD 41 HD 42 HD 43 HD 44 HD 45 HD 46 HD 49 HD 50 HD 55 HD 56 HE 57 HE 58 HD 59 HD 60 HD 61 HD 62 HD 63 HE 64 HD 66

RLM designations 1933-1945	He 45 He 46 He 47 He 49 He 50 He 51 He 58 He 59 He 60 He 61 He 62 He 63 He 64 He 65 He 66 He 70 He 71 He 72 He 74 He 100 He 111 He 112 He 113 He 114 He 115 He 116 He 118 He 119 He 120 He 162 He 170 He 172 He 176 He 177 He 178 He 219 He 220 He 270 He 274 He 275 He 277 He 278 He 280 He 319 He 343 He 419 He 519 P.1041 P.1054 P.1060 P.1062 P.1063 P.1064 P.1065 P.1066 P.1068 P.1069 P.1070 P.1071 P.1072 P.1073 P.1074 P.1075 P.1076 P.1077 P.1078 P.1079 P.1080 Strabo 16 Wespe Lerche

Foreign designations or built under license	Svenska S 5 (HE 5) Orlogsvaerftet HM.II. (HE 8) Aichi Type H Carrier Fighter (HD 23) Type 2 Two-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane (HD 25) Type 2 Single-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane (HD 26) Heinkel Three-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane (HD 28) Aichi E3A (HD 56) Aichi AB-5 (HD 62) Hitachi AXHei (He 100) Heinkel A7He (He 112) Yokosuka DXHe (He 118)

v t e Reich Air Ministry aircraft designations

1 to 100	B 9 Gö 9 Do 10 Do 11 Wn 11 Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Wn 15 Do 16 Wn 16 Do 17 Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Kl 25 Do 26 Kl 26 M 27 Do 29 Kl 31 Kl 32 W 33 L 33 W 34 Kl 35 Kl 36 HD 37 HD 38 G 38 DFS 39 BV 40 DFS 40 A 40 Fw 42 He 42 Fw 43 HD 43 Fw 44 He 45 He 46 Ju 46 Fw 47 He 47 K 47 A 48 He 49 Ju 49 He 50 A 50 He 51 K 51 Ju 52 K 53 NR 54 Fw 55 NR 55 Fw 56 Fw 57 Fw 58 He 58 He 59 He 60 Ju 60 Fw 61 He 61 Fw 62 He 62 He 63 Ar 64 He 64 Ar 65 He 65 Ar 66 He 66 Ar 67 Ar 68 Ar 69 He 70 He 71 He 72 He 74 Ar 76 Ar 77 Ar 79 Ar 80 Ar 81 Ju 85 Ju 86 Ju 87 Ju 88 Ju 89 Ju 90 Ar 95 Ar 96 Fi 97 Fi 98 Fi 99 He 100

101 to 200	Al 101 Al 102 Al 103 Fi 103 Fh 104 Kl 105 Kl 106 Kl 107 Bf 108 Bf 109 Bf 110 He 111 He 112 He 113 He 114 He 115 He 116 Hs 117 He 118 He 119 He 120 Hs 121 Hs 122 Hs 123 Hs 124 Hs 125 Hs 126 Hs 127 Hs 128 Hs 129 Hs 130 Bü 131 Hs 132 Bü 133 Bü 134 Ha 135 Ha 136 Hü 136 Ha 137 BV 138 Ha 139 Ha 140 BV 141 BV 142 BV 143 BV 144 Go 145 Go 146 Go 147 Ju 147 Go 149 Go 150 Kl 151 Ta 152 Kl 152 Ta 153 Ta 154 BV 155 Fi 156 Fi 157 Fi 158 Fw 159 Ju 160 Bf 161 He 162 Bf 162 Bf 163 Me 163 Me 164 Fi 166 FK 166 Fi 167 Fi 168 He 170 He 172 He 176 He 177 He 178 Bü 180 Bü 181 Bü 182 Ta 183 Fl 184 Fl 185 Fw 186 Ju 186 Fw 187 Ju 187 Ju 188 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 191 Ao 192 DFS 193 DFS 194 Ar 195 Ar 196 Ar 197 Ar 198 Ar 199 Fw 200

201 to 300	Si 201 Si 202 DFS 203 Si 204 Fw 206 Me 208 Me 209 Me 209 (1943) Me 210 Hü 211 Do 212 Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217 Hs 217 He 219 He 220 BV 222 Fa 223 Fa 224 Ao 225 Fa 225 BV 226 Ho 226 FGP 227 DFS 228 Ho 229 DFS 230 Ar 231 Ar 232 Ar 233 Ar 234 Do 235 BV 237 BV 238 Fw 238 Ar 239 Ar 240 Go 241 Go 242 Go 244 BV 246 Ju 248 BV 250 Fw 250 Ho 250 Ho 251 Ho 252 Ju 252 Fi 253 Ho 253 Ta 254 Ho 254 Fi 256 Sk 257 Fw 261 Me 261 Me 262 Me 263 Me 264 Fl 265 Me 265 Fa 266 Ho 267 Ju 268 Fa 269 He 270 We 271 Fw 272 He 274 He 275 He 277 He 278 He 280 Fl 282 Fa 283 Ta 283 Fa 284 Fl 285 Ju 286 Ju 287 Ju 288 Ju 290 Me 290 As 292 Hs 293 Hs 294 Hs 295 Ar 296 Hs 296 Hs 297 Hs 298 Fw 300

301-	Me 309 Me 310 Do 317 Do 318 He 319 Me 321 Ju 322 Me 323 Me 328 Me 329 Fa 330 DFS 331 DFS 332 Fi 333 Me 334 Do 335 Fa 336 Fl 339 E.340 WNF 342 He 343 Rk 344 So 344 Go 345 DFS 346 Rk 347 Ba 349 Ju 352 Me 362 Me 364 Ju 388 Ju 390 Fw 391 Ar 396 Ta 400 Me 409 Me 410 Do 417 He 419 ZMe 423 Ar 430 Ka 430 Ar 432 Do 435 Ar 440 Ju 452 Me 462 Ju 488 Fw 491 Me 509 Me 510 He 519 ZSO 523 Ar 532 Do 535 E.555 Me 609 Ar 632 Do 635

v t e Lists relating to aviation

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Records	Airspeed Altitude Distance Endurance Firsts Large Most-produced aircraft Most-produced rotorcraft

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Heinkel He 280

Development

Prototypes

Specifications (He 280 V3)

See also

References