Heinkel He 60

infobox Aircraft
name = He 60
type = Reconnaissance Seaplane
manufacturer = Heinkel


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designer =
first flight = Early 1933
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retired =
status =
primary user = Luftwaffe
more users = Kriegsmarine
produced =
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variants with their own articles =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 the 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 Heinkel 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

;flag|Germany|Nazi
*"Luftwaffe";flagicon|Spain|1939 Spanish State
*Spanish Air Force

pecifications (He 60)

aircraft specifications/switch
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
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crew=two (pilot and observer)
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 37 ft 8.75 in
length alt= 11.5 m
span main= 44 ft 3.75 in
span alt= 13.5 m
height main= 17 ft 4.75 in
height alt= 5.30 m
area main= 620 ft²
area alt= 56.2 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 6,019 lb
empty weight alt= 2730 kg
loaded weight main= 7,840 lb
loaded weight alt= 3556 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= BMW VI 6.0
type of prop= water-cooled V12 engine
number of props=1
power main= 660 hp
power alt= 492 kW
power original=
max speed main=149 mph
max speed alt= 240 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
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never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 513 miles
range alt=825 km
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
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loading main=
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armament=
* 1 × forward-firing MG 17 machine gun
* 1 × 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun in flexible mount for observer
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
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similar aircraft=

lists=
* List of World War II military aircraft of Germany
* List of military aircraft of Germany
see also=
* Heinkel