Heinkel He 60

File:Koln h98268.jpg

Light cruiser Köln and Heinkel He 60

The Heinkel He 60 was a German biplane reconnaissance seaplane designed to be catapulted from Kriegsmarine (German Navy) warships of the 1930s. It was designed by Heinkel engineer Reinhold Mewes, the designer of the He 59. It first flew in 1933 and its original powerplant proved inadequate. The upgrading of its engine only marginally improved its performance. However, instead of shipboard duties, He 60s began to be deployed to Kriegsmarine training units in the late 1930s. Its water handling qualities bested its air handling. However, the machine equipped several Staffeln (squadrons) when World War II began. The He 60, despite being vulnerable to enemy fighter attack because of its modest performance, continued to serve in coastal patrol work in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas during the early months of the war. It also saw action with Spanish Nationalist forces during the Civil War.

Of conventional configuration, the He 60 was a sturdy aircraft, designed (as the specification required) to be capable of operating on the open sea. As a result, it was always somewhat underpowered for its weight, which made handling sluggish and the aircraft vulnerable to enemy fire. As the aircraft developed, more powerful engine variants were fitted, and the structure lightened somewhat, but performance would always remain rather poor. The aircraft was replaced first by the He 114 in service, then soon after by the Arado Ar 196. Apart from action in Spain, a few He 60s were brought back into service briefly to act as coastal scouts during Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. All He 60s were removed from service by October 1943.

Variants

He 60a

First prototype.

He 60b

Second prototype.

He 60c

Third prototype.

He 60A

14 pre-production aircraft.

He 60B

Initial production version.

He 60B-3

One aircraft fitted with a 671 kW (900 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 600 engine.

He 60C

Improved version.

He 60D

Unarmed trainer version.

Operators

Template:Country data Germany

• Luftwaffe *Kriegsmarine

Template:Country data Spain Spanish State

• Spanish Air Force