Heinkel HD 43

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HD-43
Role Fighter aircraft
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Heinkel
First flight 1931
Status Prototype
Number built 1

The Heinkel Doppeldecker 43 was a prototype German fighter aircraft of the 1930s. A single-engined, single-seat biplane, the HD 43 was designed to meet a secret German Reichswehr requirement for a single-seat fighter. It had two-bay wooden wings with a steel-tube fuselage, and was powered by a 750 hp (600 kW) BMW VI engine. The single prototype flew in 1931.[1]

It was evaluated against the Arado Ar 65, with the Arado being selected and no production of the Heinkel followed.[1]

Specifications

Data from The Complete Book of Fighters [1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 7.1 m (23 ft 4 in)
  • Wingspan: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)
  • Height: 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in)
  • Wing area: 26.56 m2 (285.9 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 1,280 kg (2,822 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,700 kg (3,748 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × BMW VI 7.3 Z V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 559 kW (750 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 322 km/h (200 mph, 174 kn)
  • Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 4 minutes 54 seconds

Armament

  • Guns: provision for two machine guns

References

  1. ^ a b c Green and Swanborough 1994, p.294.

Further reading

  • Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. London: Salamander. p. 294. ISBN 1-85833-777-1.