The Heinkel He 45 was a light bomber produced in Germany in the early 1930s, one of the first aircraft adopted by the newly formed Luftwaffe. Its appearance was that of a conventional biplane and included seating for pilot and gunner in tandem, open cockpits. Developed in parallel with the He 46, it appeared in 1931 as a general-purpose biplane and was employed mainly as a trainer, but was also used by the Luftwaffe for reconnaissance and light bombing duties. Production of this plane totalled 512 aircraft, including those built under licence by Gotha, Focke-Wulf, and BFW.
== Variants == He 45a First prototype, powered by a BMW VI 7,3Z piston engine. He 45b Second prototype, fitted with four-blade propeller. He 45c Third prototype, armed with one 7.92 mm (.312 in) forward-firing MG 17 machine gun, and one 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun in the rear cockpit. He 45A Initial production version. He 45A-1 Training version. He 45A-2 Reconnaissance version. He 45B Improved production version. He 45B-1 Reconnaissance version, armed with a 7.92 mm (0.312 in) machine gun. He 45B-2 Able to carry a 100 kg (220 lb) bombload. He 45C Production version of the He 45c. He 45D Slightly improved version. Similar to the He 45C. HD 61a Reconnaissance export version of He 45B intended for China, powered by a 492 kW (660 hp) BMW VI piston engine. B.Kh.8 (Thai: บ.ข.๘) Royal Siamese Air Service designation for the He 45. A.2 Spanish Air Force designation for the He 45C.
== Operators == Bulgaria Bulgarian Air Force China One HD 61a tested and crashed during a demonstration on 22 August 1931. Germany Luftwaffe Hungary Royal Hungarian Air Force operated a single He 45C. Spanish State Spanish Air Force Thailand Royal Siamese Air Service and Royal Thai Air Force
== Specifications (He 45C) == Data from Warplanes of the Third Reich General characteristics Crew: 2 Length: 10.6 m (34 ft 9 in) Wingspan: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in) Height: 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) Wing area: 34.6 m2 (372 sq ft) Empty weight: 2,110 kg (4,652 lb) Gross weight: 2,751 kg (6,065 lb) Powerplant: 1 × BMW VI 7.3 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 560 kW (750 hp) Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller Performance
Maximum speed: 290 km/h (180 mph, 160 kn) Cruise speed: 221 km/h (137 mph, 119 kn) Range: 1,200 km (750 mi, 650 nmi) Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft) Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 2 minutes 24seconds Armament
Guns: 1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) forward firing MG 17 machine gun and one MG 15 machine gun in rear cockpit Bombs: 300 kg (660 lb) bombs
See also
Related lists
List of aircraft of World War II List of military aircraft of Germany
References
Notes
Bibliography Green, William (1972). Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-05782-2. Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 499. World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. File 896 Sheet 24.