Heinkel He 60

Heinkel He 60

Company type	Military reconnaissance seaplane
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1933 (1933)
Founder	Reinhold Mewes (designer)
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Reconnaissance seaplanes

The Heinkel He 60 was a German single-engine biplane reconnaissance seaplane developed during the 1930s to be launched via catapult from Kriegsmarine warships.

Development and design

Engineered by Reinhold Mewes of Heinkel, who also designed the He 59, the He 60 emerged as a single-engine biplane constructed from a combination of wood and metal, with fabric-covered surfaces. Its wings featured equal spans with a pronounced stagger and were arranged in a single-bay configuration.

The initial prototype took flight in early 1933 but was hampered by insufficient power from its 492 kW (660 hp) BMW VI engine. A second prototype incorporated an enhanced BMW engine variant, which only slightly boosted performance and suffered from reliability issues; consequently, production models reverted to the original engine specification. Designed to meet requirements for open-sea operation, the He 60 followed a conventional layout and was robustly built. However, its relatively low power-to-weight ratio resulted in sluggish handling and increased vulnerability during combat. An experimental version fitted with a Daimler-Benz DB 600 engine sought to address power deficiencies, but lack of available engines prevented its adoption in production. Approximately 200 units of the He 60C and D variants were manufactured by Arado and Weser.

Operational history

A Heinkel He 60 flying over the German light cruiser Köln

Deliveries of the He 60 commenced in June 1933, initially equipping Kriegsmarine training units. Starting in 1934, the principal production model, the He 60C, was supplied to shipboard observation seaplane units within the Kriegsmarine, operating from catapults on all German cruisers. The aircraft also participated in combat operations with Spanish Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War.

By 1939, the He 60 was superseded aboard ships first by the He 114, followed shortly thereafter by the Arado Ar 196. Nonetheless, it continued to serve with several coastal reconnaissance Staffeln (squadrons) at the outbreak of World War II. Withdrawn from frontline roles by 1940, it was reintroduced after Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 for maritime patrol duties conducted by various SAGr (Seeaufklärungsgruppe/Maritime reconnaissance groups) across the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas. All remaining He 60s were retired from operational use by October 1943.

Variants

He 60a

The initial prototype that began its flight trials in early 1933.

He 60b

The second prototype tested a more powerful engine, but since it showed no improvement, the design reverted to that of the 60a.

He 60c

The third prototype, which successfully underwent catapult testing in early 1933 and was subsequently accepted into naval service.

He 60A

An order for 14 pre-production units was placed, with a total of 81 aircraft produced in this variant.

He 60B

The first production model that entered manufacturing in 1934.

He 60B-3

In 1933, one aircraft was equipped with a 671 kW (900 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 600 engine to enhance performance, but this development was discontinued.

He 60C

Production of the improved C-model started in late summer of 1934, with initial deliveries occurring in autumn of the same year.

He 60D

Similar to the He 60C but featured a fixed MG-17 machine gun and upgraded radio systems. Production began in June 1936.

He 60E

Spain ordered six aircraft based on the D-variant, designated as the 60E. Deliveries ended in April 1937. These aircraft performed coastal patrols during the Spanish Civil War and remained in service until their retirement in 1948.

Operators

Template:BUL

• Bulgarian Navy – operated five units from 1942 to 1944

Germany

• Luftwaffe
• Kriegsmarine

Template:Country data Spanish State

• Spanish Air Force

References

Bibliography

• Donald, David (editor). Warplanes of the Luftwaffe. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-874023-56-5.
• Fernandez, José (June 1994). "Le Heinkel He 60 (1ère partie)". Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in français). No. 16. pp. 8–17. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Fernandez, José (August 1994). "Le Heinkel He 60 (3ème partie)" [The Heinkel He 60, Part 3]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in français) (18): 44–48. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Gerdessen, Frederik. "Estonian Air Power 1918 – 1945". Air Enthusiast, No. 18, April – July 1982. pp. 61–76. Template:ISSN.
• Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Six Floatplanes. London: Macdonald 1962.
• Lang, Gerhard. The Heinkel HE 60 (Luftwaffe Profile). Schiffer Publishing, 2004. ISBN 0-88740-922-9
• Munson, Kenneth (1978). German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour. Poole, Dorsett, UK: Blandford Press. ISBN 0-7137-0860-3.
• Smith, J.R. and Kay, Antony L. German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam, 1972. ISBN 0-85177-920-4.