Heinkel HeS 30

Heinkel Strahltriebwerke (HeS 30)

Company type	Jet engine project
Industry	Aerospace engineering
Founded	1936 (engine development began at Junkers)
Founder	Adolf Müller
Fate	Project discontinued by Reichluftfahrtministerium (RLM)
Headquarters	Rostock-Schmarl , Germany
Key people	Adolf Müller, Ernst Heinkel, Hans von Ohain, Helmut Schelp
Products	HeS 30 jet engine

Template:Infobox aero engine The HeS 30 (abbreviated from Heinkel Strahltriebwerke) was an early jet propulsion unit initially conceptualized by Adolf Müller during his time at Junkers. Ultimately, the engine was constructed and tested under Heinkel's auspices. Among the "Class I" jet engines—which also included the more renowned BMW 003 and Junkers Jumo 004—the HeS 30 is often regarded as potentially the most advanced. Since its development commenced later than these counterparts, leading to a projected delayed entry into operational service, the Reichluftfahrtministerium (RLM) directed Heinkel to discontinue this project and focus on more progressive engine designs.

Before the RLM standardized their engine designation system, the HeS 30 was developed and later assigned the official code 109-006, occasionally shortened to HeS 006. However, because development ceased around the time these designations were introduced, the designation "HeS 30" remains more commonly used.

Relocation and leadership changes

Engine development at Junkers began in 1936 under the supervision of Herbert Wagner, who appointed Adolf Müller as project lead. In 1938, Junkers acquired Junkers Motoren (Jumo), previously an independent entity. By October 1939, responding to RLM directives, Junkers consolidated all engine activities at Jumo's facilities in Dessau, relocating from their primary plants in Magdeburg. Facing a demotion to a subordinate role following this move, Müller chose to resign. Subsequently, he and approximately half of the original Junkers engineering team were recruited by Ernst Heinkel and transferred to Heinkel’s main Heinkel-Nord site in Rostock-Schmarl, where Hans von Ohain was engaged with the Heinkel HeS 3 engine project.

Among Müller's designs brought to Heinkel, the HeS 30 stood out as the most straightforward and manufacturable. While still at Junkers, Müller had constructed a prototype test engine; however, it operated at only about half of its intended rotational speed. This limitation reduced compression efficiency and necessitated a continuous external compressed air supply. After Müller's departure, Junkers abandoned this design in favor of developing simpler concepts from the Jumo team. Müller assured Heinkel that he would have a test-ready engine within one year of relocating, although this target was ultimately not met.

Central to the HeS 30’s operation was an axial compressor featuring an innovative configuration for its time. Unlike most contemporary German engines where stators carried out all compression while rotors merely accelerated airflow for them, this design split compression duties roughly equally between rotors and stators—a concept originally devised by Rudolph Friedrich of Junkers. The compressor consisted of five stages generating a compression ratio of approximately 3:1, delivering air to ten flame cans that powered a single-stage turbine. The turbine itself was distinctive for incorporating adjustable guide vanes tailored for varying operational speeds. Consistent with other German axial-flow engines of that period, it incorporated a variable-geometry exhaust cone to reduce back pressure during startup; however, instead of utilizing the Riedel piston starter engine found in both BMW 003 and Jumo 004 units, it employed an electric starter motor.

Dispute and departure

The relocation caused significant delays before the team could resume development on the design. Although three prototype engines were commissioned under the designation 109-006 in 1939, the initial engine did not become operational until May 1942. Beyond the challenges posed by the move, it was discovered that the compressor delivered a higher mass flow than originally anticipated, necessitating a turbine redesign. Compounding these difficulties, a disagreement arose between Müller and Heinkel in May, which ultimately resulted in Müller stepping down.

Development persisted, and by October the engine was operating at full capacity. Among the early jet engines, the HeS 30 stood out as the superior design. It generated a thrust of 860 kg (1,895 lb), positioning it between the BMW 003's 800 kg (1,780 lb) and the Jumo 004's stronger 900 kg (1,980 lb). However, it weighed only 390 kg (860 lb), offering a substantially improved power-to-weight ratio compared to the dry weights of the 003 at 562 kg (1,240 lb) and the 004 at 720 kg (1,585 lb). The HeS 30 also featured superior fuel efficiency and had a smaller cross-sectional area. Some have notedTemplate:Who that its overall capabilities were unmatched until 1947.

Termination

Helmut Schelp, responsible for engine development at the RLM, declined to award Heinkel a production contract—a decision Hans von Ohain recounts as nearly bringing Ernst Heinkel to tears. Schelp acknowledged the design's excellence but pointed out that BMW and Jumo were already so advanced that an additional "Class I" engine was unnecessary—a judgment that proved ironic two years later when both engines remained non-operational. There are indications he harbored reservations about the compressor design, although no official statement confirmed this. Concurrently, he also terminated von Ohain's Heinkel HeS 8 program.

Rather than pursuing another Class I engine, Schelp directed Heinkel to focus on developing a Class II engine with approximately 1,300 kg thrust, suitable for moderately sized single-engine fighters and as a valuable component for twin-engine bombers. Consequently, work on both the HeS 30 and HeS 8 ceased, and Heinkel reluctantly shifted attention to the Heinkel HeS 011, which would not reach production before World War II concluded. Müller's remaining team members were reassigned to the Heinkel-Hirth facilities to contribute to this new project.

Beginning around 1940 or 1941, the core mechanical design of the HeS 30 served as the foundation for an experimental constant-volume engine called the Heinkel HeS 40.

Notes

Bibliography

• Christopher, John. The Race for Hitler's X-Planes: Britain's 1945 Mission to Capture Secret Luftwaffe Technology. Stroud, UK: History Press, 2013. ISBN 978-0-7524-6457-2.
• Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines: From the Pioneers to the Present Day. 5th ed. Stroud, UK: Sutton, 2006. ISBN 0-7509-4479-X.
• Kay, Anthony L. German Jet Engine and Gas Turbine Development 1930–1945. The Crowood Press, 2002. ISBN 1-84037-294-X.
• Kay, Anthony L. Turbojet History and Development 1930–1960. Vol. 1. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press, 2007. ISBN 978-1-86126-912-6.

External links

• Spanish-language resource detailing the HeS 30 engine