Heinkel He 280

The Heinkel He 280 was the first turbojet-powered fighter aircraft in the world. It was inspired by Ernst Heinkel's emphasis on research into high-speed flight and built on the company's experience with the He 178 jet prototype. A combination of technical and political factors led to it being passed over in favor of the Messerschmitt Me 262. Only nine were built and none reached operational status.

Over the next year, progress was slow due to the ongoing engine problems. A second engine design, the HeS 30 was also undergoing development, both as an interesting engine in its own right, as well as a potential replacement for the HeS 8. In the meantime, alternative powerplants were considered, including the Argus As 014 pulsejet that famously powered the V-1 flying bomb. (Using as many as eight was proposed.)

By the end of 1943, however, the third prototype was fitted with refined versions of the HeS 8 engine and was ready for its next demonstration. On 22 December, a mock dogfight was staged for RLM officials in which the He 280 was matched against an Fw 190. Here, the jet demonstrated its vastly superior speed. Finally, at this point the RLM became interested and placed an order for 20 pre-production test aircraft, to be followed by 300 production machines.

Engine problems continued to plague the project. In 1942, the RLM had ordered Heinkel to abandon the HeS 8 and HeS 30 to focus all development on a follow-on engine, the HeS 011, a much more advanced (and therefore problematic) design. Meanwhile, the first He 280 prototype had been re-equipped with pulsejets and was towed aloft to test them. Bad weather caused the aircraft to ice up, however, and before the jets could be tested, pilot Helmut Schenk became the first person to put an ejection seat to use. The seat worked perfectly, but the aircraft was lost, and never found.

With the HeS 011 not expected for some time, Heinkel was forced to accept that it would have to use a competitor's engines, and selected the BMW 003. Unfortunately, this engine was also experiencing problems and delays, and in the meantime, the second He 280 prototype was re-engined with Junkers Jumo 004s while the next three airframes were earmarked for the BMW motor (which, in the end, would never be ready before the end of the He 280 project). The Jumo engines were much larger and heavier than the HeS 8 that the plane had been designed for, and while it flew well enough (for the first time on 16 March 1943), it was immediately obvious that this engine would be unsuitable in the long term. The aircraft was slower and generally less efficient than the Me 262.

Less than two weeks later, on 27 March, Erhard Milch cancelled the project. The Jumo 004 that powered Me 262 appeared to have most of the qualities of the He 280, but was better matched to its engine. Heinkel was ordered to abandon the He 280 and focus attention on bomber development and construction, something he remained bitter about until his death.

Specifications (He 280 V3)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1, pilot
• Length: 10.40 m (34 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 12.20 m (40 ft)
• Height: 3.06 m (10 ft)
• Wing area: 21.5 m² (233 ft²)
• Empty weight: 3,215 kg (7,073 lb)
• Loaded weight: 4,280 kg (9,416 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 4,300 kg (9,470 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Heinkel HeS.8 turbojet, 5.9 kN (1,320 lbf) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 820 km/h (512 mph)
• Range: 370 km (230 mi)
• Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 1,145 m/min (3,756 ft/min)

Armament

• 3 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons

See also

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of Germany -
• List of World War II jet aircraft

References

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Heinkel He 280".