Heinkel He 74
| Company type | Lightweight fighter aircraft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1933 |
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Products | Fighter aircraft |
The Heinkel He 74 was a lightweight fighter aircraft developed in early 1930s Germany. It featured a traditional, single-bay biplane design with staggered wings of unequal span supported by an I-shaped interplane strut. The cockpit was open, accommodating the pilot, while the undercarriage was fixed with a tailskid configuration.
This aircraft was created to meet a requirement from the RLM for a Heimatschutzjäger—a light fighter intended primarily for defensive operations, with an additional role as an advanced trainer for fighter pilots. Although the specification did not mandate it, manufacturers were encouraged to consider a monoplane design.
During evaluation flights in 1934, the He 74 demonstrated superior performance compared to its rivals. Nevertheless, the RLM ranked it third behind the Focke-Wulf Fw 56 and the Arado Ar 76, reasoning that since contemporary fighters under development were monoplanes, an advanced trainer should also adopt that configuration.
Specifications
References
- Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Doubleday, 1972. ISBN 0-385-05782-2.
- Nowarra, Heinz J. Die deutsche Luftrüstung 1933-1945, Teil 2, p.184. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe, 1977.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989, p.502.
External links
- Luftwaffe Resource Centre
- He.74 (in Russian)