Heinkel He 280

Heinkel

Industry	Aerospace, Defense
Founded	1922
Founder	Ernst Heinkel
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Aircraft, jet fighters

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Initially designated as the He 180, the Heinkel He 280 represented one of the earliest attempts at a turbojet-powered fighter aircraft developed by the German firm Heinkel. It holds the distinction of being the world's first jet fighter to achieve flight.Template:Fix/category

Building upon innovations in gas turbine technology pioneered by Hans von Ohain and drawing from Ernst Heinkel’s earlier success with the He 178—the first jet aircraft globally—the company prioritized advancements in high-speed aviation and jet propulsion. Following limited enthusiasm from the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) regarding the He 178, Heinkel initiated development of a jet fighter in late 1939. The design featured twin turbojet engines mounted mid-wing to enhance thrust, complemented by a relatively conventional fuselage and an uncommon for its time tricycle landing gear configuration.

By summer 1940, the initial prototype airframe was completed; however, it could not undertake powered flights immediately due to delays in producing the intended HeS 8 engines. Consequently, the prototype was first tested as a glider until suitable engines became available approximately six months later. The absence of robust governmental backing slowed engine progress, delaying the overall program. Despite this, it is generally believed that the He 280 might have reached operational capability ahead of the competing Messerschmitt Me 262, offering certain performance benefits. On 22 December 1942, during a demonstration before RLM officials, a simulated dogfight showcased the He 280’s significantly higher speed compared to the piston-driven Focke-Wulf Fw 190, leading to an order for twenty pre-production aircraft followed by plans for three hundred production units.

Nevertheless, persistent engine development challenges continued to impede progress. In 1942, the RLM directed Heinkel to cease work on both the HeS 8 and HeS 30 engines to concentrate efforts on the HeS 011. Since this engine was not anticipated to be ready soon, Heinkel opted to utilize the competing BMW 003 engine, which also faced delays. As a result, the second prototype was fitted with Junkers Jumo 004 engines instead. On 27 March 1943, Luftwaffe Inspector-General Erhard Milch commanded Heinkel to terminate development of the He 280 and redirect resources elsewhere. This cancellation stemmed from a mix of technical difficulties and political considerations, with the overlapping role of the Me 262 playing a key part in this decision. Ultimately, only nine prototypes were constructed, and none reached operational deployment or combat service.

Background

In the late 1930s, Heinkel pioneered the creation of the He 178, recognized as the first aircraft powered by a turbojet engine, which achieved its maiden flight on 27 August 1939. Despite this milestone, a public demonstration failed to capture the interest of representatives from the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM), who showed little enthusiasm for both the aircraft and jet propulsion technology overall. Unbeknownst to Heinkel, the Reich Air Ministry had already initiated its own covert program to develop jet engines independently of Heinkel's efforts.

Although state support for further development was not forthcoming, Heinkel remained confident in the turbojet's potential. Consequently, late in 1939, the company began an internal initiative to create what would become the He 280. Originally designated as the He 180, this jet fighter project was led by German aircraft designer Robert Lusser. The earlier He 178 program provided crucial data and demonstrated jet propulsion viability, yet its design was considered unsuitable for advancement—particularly due to impractical engine placement within the fuselage.

The He 280 incorporated two turbojet engines mounted mid-wing, a configuration regarded as simpler and more practical. While featuring innovative propulsion, many conventional design elements were retained, including a typical Heinkel fighter fuselage, semi-elliptical wings, and a dihedralled tailplane outfitted with twin vertical fins and rudders. The aircraft was equipped with a tricycle landing gear that offered minimal ground clearance; although some officials deemed this setup too delicate for contemporary grass or dirt runways, the tricycle configuration eventually gained widespread acceptance. A particularly notable innovation was its ejection seat, powered by compressed air—the first aircraft ever to be fitted with such a system and the first to successfully deploy it during an emergency. Compared to the Messerschmitt Me 262, another German jet fighter of the period, the He 280 had a smaller overall size and was reportedly easier to maintain.

Test flying

In the summer of 1940, the initial prototype airframe reached completion; however, the intended Heinkel HeS 8 turbojet engines faced significant manufacturing challenges. While engine development persisted, the first prototype began glide testing on 22 September 1940. It had been equipped with weighted pods instead of engines and was towed aloft by a He 111. It took another six months before Fritz Schäfer piloted the second prototype powered by its own engines, achieving this milestone on 30 March 1941. After landing, Schäfer conveyed to Heinkel that, despite some difficulty in controlling turns, a skilled pilot would find the He 280 manageable to fly.

File:Ohain USAF He 280 page66.jpg

Illustration of the He 280

On 5 April 1941, Paul Bader conducted a demonstration flight in front of several Nazi dignitaries, including Ernst Udet, General-Ingenieur Lucht, Reidenbach, Eisenlohr, among others. Nevertheless, the RLM ultimately prioritized the development of the Me 262, a competing jet fighter. Despite this, Heinkel retained Hirth Motoren for ongoing turbine engine advancement. One notable advantage of the He 280 that appealed to Germany’s political leadership was its jet engines’ ability to operate on kerosene, a fuel considerably cheaper and less complex to refine compared to the high-octane gasoline required by piston-driven aircraft. Yet, during this crucial early phase, government financing was insufficient; aviation historian Robert Dorr largely attributes this shortfall to Udet’s personal opposition.

Throughout the following year, engine difficulties continued to hamper progress. Concurrently, a second engine model—the HeS 30—was in development both as an innovative design and a potential substitute for the HeS 8. Meanwhile, alternative propulsion options were explored, including the Argus As 014 pulsejet used in the V-1 flying bomb. Proposals even suggested employing as many as eight of these pulsejets.

By late 1942, the third prototype had been outfitted with improved variants of the HeS 8 engines and was prepared for another public demonstration. On 22 December, RLM officials witnessed a simulated dogfight pitting the He 280 against a piston-engine Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter. The jet clearly outpaced its opponent, completing four laps around an oval track before the Fw 190 managed three. Following this display, the RLM expressed renewed interest and placed an order for twenty pre-production test aircraft, with plans for a subsequent production run of three hundred units.

Engine difficulties and project termination

Persistent engine issues continued to hinder progress. In 1942, the RLM directed Heinkel to cease development of both the HeS 8 and HeS 30 engines, redirecting all efforts toward a successor engine, the HeS 011, which represented a more advanced yet complex design. During this period, the initial He 280 prototype was modified with pulsejets and was towed aloft for testing purposes. However, adverse weather conditions caused icing on the aircraft before the pulsejets could be evaluated, prompting pilot Helmut Schenk to become the first individual to utilize an ejection seat in an emergency. Although the ejection system functioned flawlessly, the aircraft was lost and never recovered.

Since the HeS 011 engine was not anticipated to be ready soon, Heinkel opted for the competing BMW 003 engine; nevertheless, this powerplant also encountered significant setbacks and delays. Consequently, the second He 280 prototype was outfitted with Junkers Jumo 004 engines. The subsequent three airframes were planned to use the BMW motors, which ultimately never materialized. The Jumo engines were substantially larger and heavier than the originally intended HeS 8 units, and while the aircraft managed to fly adequately during its initial powered flights starting on 16 March 1943, it became evident that these engines were ill-suited for the design. The aircraft's performance lagged behind that of the Me 262 in terms of speed and overall efficiency.

On 27 March, less than two weeks after these developments, Erhard Milch, serving as Luftwaffe Inspector-General, instructed Heinkel to discontinue work on the He 280 and instead concentrate resources on bomber development and production. Several factors contributed to this decision. A significant reason was competition from the Me 262 powered by Jumo 004 engines, which offered many of the He 280's intended capabilities but benefited from better engine integration. Despite this, some believed that the He 280 might have entered service earlier and served as a useful interim solution before the Me 262 became operational. Aviation historians Tim Heath and Robert Dorr point out that political dynamics also influenced the cancellation; Heinkel had fallen out of favor with key Nazi figures while Willy Messerschmitt maintained strong support. Following this setback, Heinkel remained committed to jet propulsion technology and pursued further projects involving such engines, culminating in the single-engine Heinkel He 162, which was chosen as the victor of the Emergency Fighter Program in October 1944.

Prototypes

He 280 V1

• Stammkennzeichen designation: "DL+AS".
• Maiden flight: 22 September 1940.
• Crashed on 13 January 1942 due to control malfunction; pilot ejected safely.

He 280 V2

• Identification code: "GJ+CA".
• First flight: 30 March 1941.
• Destroyed on 26 June 1943 following engine failure.

He 280 V3

• Marked as "GJ+CB".
• Initial flight: 5 July 1942.
• By May 1945, only the tail section was recovered at the Heinkel-Sud facility near Wien-Schwechat, Austria.

He 280 V4

• Bearing code "GJ+CC".
• Took off first on 31 August 1943.
• Removed from service in October 1944 at Hörsching, Austria.

He 280 V5

• Registered as "GJ+CD".
• First airborne on 26 July 1943.
• Never equipped with jet engines.

He 280 V6

• Code designation: "NU+EA".
• Maiden flight occurred on 26 July 1943.
• Powered by Junkers Jumo 109-004A engines.

He 280 V7

• Identified as "NU+EB" and "D-IEXM".
• First flight took place on 19 April 1943.
• Completed a total of 115 towed flights; flew under power using Heinkel-Hirth 109-001 engines until an engine failure forced it to revert to gliding.

He 280 V8

• Marked with code "NU+EC".
• First flown on 19 July 1943.

He 280 V9

• Bearing code "NU+ED".
• Maiden flight dated to 31 August 1943.

Specifications (He 280 V6)

File:Heinkel He 280 3-view.svg

External links

• He 280 video footage (YouTube, uploaded 13 November 2016)