The slightly less well known

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Gotha Go 244

The Gotha Go 244 was a transport aircraft used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

The Go 244 was the powered version of the Gotha Go 242 military glider transport. Three Go 242s were modified as prototypes of the powered Go 244, fitted with varying surplus radial engines. The first prototype, the Go 244 V1 was powered by two 660 hp BMW 132, while the second prototype had 700 hp Gnome-Rhône 14Ms — and the third 750 hp Shvetsov M-25 A engines,which was a Soviet-built Wright Cyclone American-based nine-cylinder radial. Although only the third prototype offered adequate engine out performance, the Luftwaffe had large stocks of captured Gnome engines, so this was chosen as the basis for the production conversion — usually fitted in counter-rotating pairs in production.

The B series was the main production model, based on the Go 242B with a wheeled tricycle undercarriage and with fuel and oil carried in the tailbooms.133 were converted from Go 242 Bs,while a further 41 were built from new before production ended.
The first examples were delivered to operational units in Greece, based in Crete in March 1942. Some were also assigned to transport Geschwader in North Africa and the Eastern Front but they proved vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire and were withdrawn, being replaced by other types.

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Gyroflug Speed Canard

The Gyroflug SC 01 Speed Canard is an unconventional layout sports plane produced in Germany in the 1980s and 1990s.

It was inspired by the Rutan VariEze, although the Speed Canard was an all-new design created without any input from Rutan. Like the VariEze, the Speed Canard is a canard-configured mid-wing monoplane with wingtip fins that incorporate rudders. The two-seat tandem cockpit and canopy design were derived from Grob Twin Astir sailplane, and the nosewheel of the tricycle undercarriage is retractable. Construction throughout is of composite materials, the design attained German certification in 1983, making it the first composite canard design to achieve certification anywhere in the world.

An interesting feature is that the twin rudders operate independently, allowing both rudders to be deflected outwards simultaneously, cancelling each other's yaw, but acting as airbrakes. The aircraft is powered by a 160hp Lycoming O-320-D1A air-cooled flat-four piston engine, giving a max speed of 183 mph and a cruise of 170mph. As of 1995 62 aircraft had been completed.

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Halberstadt C.V

The Halberstadt C.V was a German single-engined reconnaissance biplane of World War I.

The C.V was developed from the Halberstadt C.III, with a more powerful supercharged 220 hp Benz Bz.IVü engine, it saw service only in the final months of the war. Cameras were mounted in the observer's cockpit floor.
The aircraft had very good flight characteristics, manoeuvrability and rate of climb, and was among best German World War I aircraft in its class. The first aircraft appeared in front in late June 1918.
Armament consisted of a 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 Spandau machine gun mounted in the forward fuselage, a 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Parabellum machine gun on a mounting in the rear cockpit, plus a small amount of bombs could also be carried.

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Halberstadt CL.IV

The Halberstadt CL.IV was a German ground attack aircraft of World War I.

The CL.IV featured a shorter, strengthened fuselage and a larger horizontal stabilizer that of the earlier CL.II. These changes, along with a one-piece, horn-balanced elevator, gave the CL.IV much greater manoeuverability than its predecessor. After tests were completed of the prototype in April 1918, at least 450 were ordered from Halberstadt, and an additional 250 aircraft from a subcontractor, LFG (Roland), as Halberstadt CL.IV(Rol).The aircraft were powered by a 160hp Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine.

The Halberstadt CL.IV was one of the most effective ground attack aircraft of World War I, relying on its excellent handling to avoid ground fire. It appeared on the Western Front towards the end of the German offensives in 1918. Flights of up to six aircraft flew close support missions, at very low altitude, suppressing enemy infantry and artillery fire just ahead of the advancing German troops.

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Halberstadt D.II

The Halberstadt D.II was a biplane fighter aircraft from WW1.

The D.II was the production version of the experimental D.I. The main differences between the D.I and D.II included a major effort to lighten the aircraft to improve its performance; the latter also featured staggered wings and the adoption of a more powerful 120 hp Mercedes D.II engine. The radiators that had been tried in the D.I were replaced by a wing mounted radiator. In the D.I, the pilot sat higher in his cockpit, to improve his view over the top wing. This required a dorsal turtleback fairing over the rear fuselage, to improve its lines.

The D.II was considered to be very manoeuvrable in particular it could reputedly be dived safely at high speed. A single synchronised lMG 08 "Spandau" machine gun fired through the propeller arc. It earned the respect of Allied fighter pilots and was a preferred mount of pilots, until the Albatros D.I became available. Halberstadts were actually retained, or even returned to service by some pilots during the early weeks of 1917. The Halberstadt-built D-series fighters bore no marked IdFlieg-issued military serial numbers anywhere on their exteriors. The licence-built Aviatik and Hannover-constructed examples of the Halberstadt D-series fighters usually had IdFlieg-issued serial numbers on their rear fuselage sides.

Manfred von Richthofen flew a red Halberstadt D.II for a few weeks in February and March 1917, after the spar of the lower wing of his Albatros D.III cracked in combat. As the new Albatros fighters came into service the Halberstadts were quickly replaced, although a few survived into early 1917.

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Hannover C.IV

The Hannover C.IV was a prototype escort fighter.

It was based on the earlier Hannover CL.II, the C.IV shared the same basic conventional biplane configuration with the unusual biplane tail of that aircraft, but incorporated the overhanging, aerodynamically-balanced ailerons developed for the Hannover CL.III.
The aircraft was intended for high-altitude operations, and was equipped with a far more powerful engine than its predecessors, a 300hp Maybach. Another important difference was the unusual interplane strut arrangement. The wings were braced with two struts that converged from two points on the upper wing to a single point on the lower, creating a V shape when viewed from the front or rear of the aircraft.

Just five machines were completed.

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Hansa-Brandenburg B.I

The Hansa-Brandenburg B.I was an unarmed military trainer and reconnaissance biplane of World War I.

It was mainly operated by the Austro-Hungarian Air Service. Early models were known internally to the Hansa-Brandenburg firm as the type D, while later models with a more powerful 160hp Benz Bz.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine were designated FD.
This aircraft was one of the earliest designs of Ernst Heinkel, who was working for Hansa-Brandenburg at the time. It was an entirely conventional two-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span. The pilot and observer sat in tandem in a long open cockpit.

The aircraft was produced under license by Aero, both during the war and afterwards (when it became known as the Aero Ae 01), and also by Letov, as the Š10.[1] Experience gained with this design would provide Aero with the basis for a number of derivative civil and military designs throughout the 1920s. It was also operated by the airforces in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia.

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Hansa-Brandenburg CC

The Hansa-Brandenburg CC was a single-seat German fighter flying boat of World War I.

It was designed by Ernst Heinkel during 1916 for use by the Austro-Hungarian Navy. It was a single engined, single seater flying boat, with a pusher engine mounted between the single bay wings. These had the unusual "Star-Strutter" arrangement of bracing struts (where four Vee struts joined in the centre of the wing bay to result in a "star" arrangement) shared with the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I and the KDW.

The CC was ordered by both by Austro-Hungary and the Imperial German Navy. The Austro-Hungarian aircraft were powered by 160 hp Austro-Daimler or 180 hp Hiero engines and armed by a single 8 mm (.315 in) Schwarzlose machine gun. The German aircraft were powered by 150 hp Benz Bz.III engines and armed with one or two lMG 08/15 machine guns.One example was modified as a triplane, while a second aircraft was modified with sponsons replacing the outrigger floats in support of the development process for the Zeppelin-Lindau (Dornier) Rs.IV.

Austro-Hungary received 37 Hansa Brandenburg CCs, using them to provide air defence for ports and naval bases along the Adriatic sea coast.
Germany received 36 aircraft from February 1917. They were temporarily grounded in July of that year because of severe vibration, and were modified with additional interplane bracing struts.

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Hansa-Brandenburg G.I

The Hansa-Brandenburg G.I was a bomber aircraft from early 1916.

It was used to equip the Austro-Hungarian aviation corps in World War I, it was a conventional large, three-bay biplane with staggered wings of slightly unequal span. Pilot and bombardier sat in a large open cockpit at the nose of the aircraft, with another open cockpit for a gunner in a dorsal position.
An unusual feature was the location of the twin tractor engines, a pair of  Austro-Daimler 6 cyl. water-cooled inline piston engines of 160 hp each Usually they would be mounted to the wings, either directly or on struts, the G.I had the engines mounted to the sides of the fuselage on lattices of steel struts. This arrangement added considerable weight to the aircraft and vibration to the airframe.

The aircraft first flew in 1916 and a small initial production batch of six aircraft was delivered by March 1917, but were grounded soon thereafter and put into storage due to a contractual dispute.
Once this was resolved, deliveries recommenced, but the size of the order was reduced, and the bombers were modified before being sent to the Italian Front. Twelve aircraft were built by UFAG and differed slightly from the German-built machines.The G.I eventually equipped three squadrons plus a replacement unit, but reports from pilots were disappointing, so the Hansa-Brandenburg machine was therefore quickly relegated to training duties, and as a testbed in mounting large-caliber cannon on aircraft.

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Hansa-Brandenburg W.19

The Hansa-Brandenburg W.19 was a German fighter-reconnaissance aircraft of World War I.

It was a single-engined two-crew biplane floatplane, and was a larger development of the successful W.12. It served with the Imperial German Navy during 1918.
The W.12 showed it was an extremely successful design with excellent performance, but there was a requirement for a floatplane fighter with greater endurance.The W.19 was of similar layout to the W.12, but considerably larger (8.5 ft greater wingspan and a 3.3 ft greater length) It was a single-engined tractor biplane, with two bay wings.

The aircraft was fitted with a similar inverted tailplane to the W.12 in order to give unobstructed fields of fire to the observer, who was seated in a rear cockpit, immediately behind the pilot. To compensate for the increased size and weight over the W.12, the W.19 was fitted with a more powerful 250hp Maybach Mb.IV engine. Production aircraft were armed with one or two synchronised 7.92 mm (.312 in) LMG 08/15 machine guns firing forward and a single 7.92 mm (.312) LMG 08/15 machine gun for the observer.Deliveries began in January 1918 and the aircraft continued in service until the Armistice, with 55 being produced.

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Heinkel HD 17

The Heinkel HD 17 was a military reconnaissance aircraft produced in the mid 1920s.

The Heinkel HD 17 was a conventional single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span braced with N-type struts. The pilot and observer sat in tandem in open cockpits, and the main units of the fixed, tailskid undercarriage were linked by a cross-axle. It  first flew in 1924, two were evaluated in 1924 by the US Army Air Service, modified to use a Napier Lion and Liberty 12 respectively. Designated by Cox-Klemin as CO-1 and CO-2 respectively. These versions had no provisions for military equipment during evaluation tests, but were rejected by the USAAS and returned to Cox-Klemin. In 1926, it was evaluated to equip the secret aviation training school at Lipetsk, and was selected in favour of the competing Albatros L 65. Seven aircraft were purchased and used briefly for training until replaced by more modern designs.

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Heinkel HD 24

The Heinkel HD 24 was a training seaplane from the late 1920s.

It was a conventional single-bay biplane with equal-span, staggered wings. The fuselage was braced to the upper and lower wings with a number of struts on its sides, in addition to the normal cabane struts. The pilot and instructor sat in tandem, open cockpits, and the undercarriage consisted of twin pontoons, although this could be changed to operate with wheels or skis.
The aircraft was powered by a 315 hp BMW IV 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine, which gave a max speed of around 110 mph.

Heinkel entered two HD 24s in the German seaplane competition of 1926. One of the HD.24 was the third placed - only three aircraft completed the course and completed all the tests in the 11-day competition- leading to orders by the DVS (for 23 aircraft) and the Swedish Navy. The latter aircraft were to be built in Sweden by Svenska Aero based on two aircraft provided by Heinkel. Before the Swedish examples could be delivered, the Swedish Air Force had took responsibility for Swedish naval aviation, and so took delivery of the six domestically produced machines, designating them Sk 4. In total around 35 aircraft were completed.

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Heinkel HD 37

The Heinkel HD 37 was a fighter aircraft from the late 1920s

It was a compact, single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span, braced by N-type struts. The pilot sat in an open cockpit, and the main units of the tailskid undercarriage were linked by a cross-axle. It had been designed for the clandestine air force that the Reichswehr was training at Lipetsk, but had been rejected by German officials, who purchased the Fokker D.XIII.
The Soviet Air Force was looking to replace it`s obsolete main fighter, the Polikarpov I-5, with no replacement apparently forthcoming from domestic manufacturers, Heinkel was approached to provide an alternative, the firm was able to offer the HD 37, and the two prototypes were flown to Moscow in early 1928.

Flight testing produced mixed results,the basic design was apparently sound, but Soviet test pilots reported many problems in handling, and Heinkel was presented with a long list of complex changes to be made. Heinkel responded with the HD 43, and when the same Soviet test pilots found that they liked it even less than the HD 37, so attention shifted once again to the previous design by the end of 1929. Early the following year, the Soviet government bought a licence to manufacture the type for the next three years. Manufacturing was carried out by TsKB (Tsentrahl'noye konstrooktorskoye byuro - central construction bureau) and Polikarpov, it was given the designation I-7.

Many of the improvements that had been made in the creation of the HD 43 were implemented in the I-7 as well, along with other modifications, by the time the first examples flew in summer 1931, flight test results were more positive. Despite on-going difficulties in obtaining materials, 131 examples were produced by 1934. Most of these served briefly with units in Belarus, but by the time the last examples were leaving the factory, the type was already obsolete.

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Heinkel He 42

The Heinkel HD 42 50, later designated the Heinkel He 42 was a two-seat biplane seaplane.

In 1929, Heinkel developed a biplane, the HD 42, for use with the covert military-training organization (DVS). Its fuselage was constructed out of a welded steel tube truss and had a rectangular cross-section with a rounded top. The engine covers were made out of light-weight metal, while the rest of the fuselage was covered in fabric. The aircraft was equipped with floats.
The HD 42 model received good feedback from the Swedish Navy, who had purchased the aircraft. The prototype was equipped with a BMW Va engine, but the later versions came with a 370hp Junkers L5G engine.

Ten aircraft had been manufactured by 1932, when a new version, the He 42C was rolled out. Series production began with the He 42D model (14 manufactured) which were intended for the German Air Force, which at the time was illegal. A further 189 He 42Es were built in 1934 and these aircraft were used by various flying schools until the end of World War II.

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Heinkel HE 8

The Heinkel HE 8 was a reconnaissance floatplane built in Germany in the late 1920s.

It was developed at the request of the Danish Navy, which had noted the success of the HE 5 in Swedish service, and wished to purchase a similar aircraft as well as licensed production as the Orlogsvaerftet HM.II. Apart from its new 430 hp Armstrong Siddeley engine, the HE 8 also differed from the HE 5 and previous members of the HE 1 family in having a conventional tail assembly.
22 aircraft were operated until the German invasion in 1940, after which one example was impressed into Luftwaffe service and the remainder placed in storage.
The aircraft could be armed with 1 × fixed, forward-firing 8 mm (0.315 in) Madsen machine gun, and a similar trainable, rearward-firing gun.

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Heinkel He 50

The Heinkel He 50 was a German World War II-era dive bomber,designed in 1931.

In 1931, the Japanese Navy placed an order with Heinkel for a two-seat dive bomber, capable of carrying 250 kg (550 lb) of bombs, stressed for catapult launches, and capable of using either wheeled or float undercarriages.
Heinkel came up with a prototype, the Heinkel He 50aW,which was completed in the summer of 1931. It was a biplane of mixed construction. The aircraft had twin floats and was powered by a Junkers L5 inline engine, however the engine was found to be underpowered. A second prototype, the He 50aL, was built, powered by an uprated Siemens Jupiter VI radial engine, having a wheeled undercarriage. A second He 50aL was built and redesignated He 50b. Based on the He 50b, a third prototype designated Heinkel He 66 was completed for the Japanese Navy, and was used as the basis of the Aichi D1A.

The He 50aL was redesignated He 50 V1 and demonstrated to the German Defence Ministry in 1932 who placed an order for three development aircraft, and a production batch of 60 He 50A-1 aircraft, which were built during the summer of 1933. China placed an order for 12 He 50As, but modified with an engine cowling added and designated He 66b. These aircraft were commandeered by the Luftwaffe and redesignated He 50B. In 1935, the He 50 was delivered to the Luftwaffe's first dive bomber unit, and later partially equipped nine other dive bombing units. The He 50, however, was steadily replaced by other types, after which He 50s were transferred to dive bomber training units.

In spring 1943, surviving He 50s were gathered from training schools and delivered to night ground attack units operating on the Eastern Front. The He 50 was used to conduct night harassment sorties on the Eastern Front until September 1944, when the units were disbanded.

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Heinkel He 100

The Heinkel He 100 was a German pre-World War II fighter aircraft.

He 100 should have been designated He 113, but since the number "13" was unlucky,so it was dropped. Ernst Heinkel lobbied for this simple number in the hope that it would improve the design's chances for production. In order to get the promised performance out of the aircraft, the design included a number of drag-reducing features. On the simple end was a well-faired cockpit, the absence of struts and other drag-inducing supports on the tail. The landing gear including the tailwheel was retractable and completely enclosed in flight.

The He 100 used the same Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Bf 110, and there was insufficient capacity to support another aircraft using the same engine. The only available alternative engine was the Junkers Jumo 211, and Heinkel was encouraged to consider its use in the He 100. However, the early Jumo 211 available did not use a pressurized cooling system, and it was therefore not suitable for the He 100's evaporative cooling system. Furthermore, a Jumo 211-powered He 100 would not have been able to outperform the 601-powered Bf 109 because the supercharger on the early Jumo 211 was not suitable.

The first prototype He 100 V1 flew on 22 January 1938, just a week after its promised delivery date. The aircraft proved to be outstandingly fast. However, it continued to share a number of problems with the earlier He 112, notably a lack of directional stability. Luftwaffe test pilots disliked the high wing loading, which resulted in high landing speeds,heavy braking was needed to stop the aircraft. Ground crews also disliked the design, complaining about the tight cowling which made servicing the engine difficult. But the big problem turned out to be the cooling system, largely to no one's surprise. After a series of test flights V1 was sent to Rechlin in March 1938.

The second prototype He 100 V2 solved the stability problems by changing the vertical stabilizer to a larger and more rectangular form. The oil-cooling system was removed and replaced with a small semi retractable radiator below the wing. It also received the still-experimental DB 601M engine which the aircraft was originally designed for. The M version was modified to run on "C3" fuel at 100 octane, which would allow it to run at higher power ratings in the future.
Ernst Udet asked to fly V2, after pointing out he had flown the V1 at Rechlin. He flew the V2 to a new world 100 km (62 mi) closed-circuit record on 5 June 1938, at 634.73 km/h (394.40 mph). Several of the cooling pumps failed on this flight as well, but Udet wasn't sure what the lights meant and simply ignored them.

The Luftwaffe did not order production of the Heinkel although the company decided to build a total of 25 of the aircraft anyway, there were another 15 of the latest model to go.
In keeping with general practice, any series production is started with a limited run of "zero series", resulting in the He 100 D-0.
The reason for the He 100 failing to reach production status is mostly unknown. Officially, the Luftwaffe rejected the He 100 to concentrate single-seat fighter development on the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Following the adoption of the Bf 109 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 as the Luftwaffe's standard fighter types, the Ministry of Aviation announced a policy that placed fighter development at Messerschmitt and bomber development at Heinkel.

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Heinkel He 116.

The Heinkel He 116 was a long-range mail plane designed to deliver airmail between Germany and Japan.

The design started in response to a 1936 request by Lufthansa, which had planned a route over the Pamir Mountains in Afghanistan. This was the main problem in producing an aircraft able to meet the range requirements, because the aircraft would have to lift its large fuel load to 7,600 m (24,900 ft) to clear the mountains. At the time there were no engines available with that sort of altitude performance, although Hirth was working on one in the 500 hp class. The Günter brothers proposed to adapt their basic He 70 Blitz airframe to carry four of these engines to provide enough power for the massive fuel load.

The He 116 would use a modified version of the He 70's two-spar elliptical planform, skinned with plywood. The fuselage was all-new, consisting of a semi-monocoque duralumin body with watertight bulkheads in case the aircraft were forced down over water. The design shared enough construction with the He 70 that the first prototype He 116 V1 was completed in early 1937. The new engines were not ready at this point, so the prototype was instead fitted with the much smaller Hirth HM 508C of just 240 hp.

14 aircraft were built in total in 3 main versions

He116A High-speed long-range Mail-plane / courier aircraft: eight aircraft built (V1 to V8)
He116B Modified for the long-range reconnaissance role with a fully glazed un-stepped nose similar to the Heinkel He 111.
He116R V3 was removed from the line to be converted into a record-breaking prototype.Modifications included a larger 75.6 m2 (814 sq ft) wing with a 25 m (82 ft) span, and increased fuel tankage in the fuselage.A second attempt was made on 30 June 1938, (the first failed due to a RATO damaging a wing) successfully covering 9,942 km (6,178 mi; 5,368 nmi) unrefueled, at an average speed of 214 km/h (133 mph; 116 kn).

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Heinkel He 280

The Heinkel He 280 was the first turbojet-powered fighter aircraft in the world.

The Heinkel company began the He 280 project on its own initiative after the He 178 had been met with indifference from the RLM. The head designer was Robert Lusser, who began the project under the designation He 180 in late 1939.It had a typical Heinkel fighter fuselage, elliptical wings and a dihedralled tailplane with twin fins and rudders. It had a tricycle undercarriage landing gear with very little ground clearance.This arrangement was considered unsuitable for the grass or dirt airfields of the era; however, the tricycle layout eventually gained approval. The He 280 was equipped with a compressed-air powered ejection seat, the first aircraft to carry one and the first aircraft to successfully employ one in an emergency.

The first prototype was completed in the summer of 1940, it was another six months before Fritz Schäfer flew the second prototype under its own power, on 30 March 1941.Progress was slow due to 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 powered the V-1 flying bomb.

By the end of 1943, however, the third prototype was fitted with refined versions of the HeS 8 engine. On 22 December, a demonstration was staged for RLM officials in which the He 280 was matched against an Fw 190, in which the jet demonstrated its vastly superior speed, completing four laps of an oval course before the Fw 190 could complete three. 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.

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 more advanced and problematic design. Meanwhile, the first He 280 prototype was re-equipped with pulsejets and towed aloft to test them. Bad weather caused the aircraft to ice up, 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.On 27 March, Erhard Milch cancelled the project as the Jumo 004-powered Me 262 was better matched to its engine and Heinkel was ordered to abandon the He 280 with just nine aircraft completed.

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Henschel Hs 122

The Henschel Hs 122 was a German army cooperation/reconnaissance aircraft of the mid-1930s.

The Hs 122 was the Henschel company's second aircraft, it was designed in response to a Reich Air Ministry call for a multi-role army co-operation aircraft to replace the ageing Heinkel He 46.
The design was a single-engine two-seat parasol wing machine with a fixed undercarriage. The wing centre section was carried above the fuselage on a series of short struts and the swept outer sections were braced to the lower fuselage with V struts. The wings were built around two metal spars and had metal-covered leading edges and upper surfaces with fabric elsewhere.

The fuselage was an elliptical metal monocoque, with a metal-structured tail also metal covered apart from fabric control surfaces. The tailplane was mounted about halfway up the fin, supported by a parallel pair of struts. The spatted mainwheels were each mounted on V struts to the fuselage. The cockpits were open, with the pilot sitting below a cut-out in the wing trailing edge and the second crew member in a separate cockpit to the rear.
The aircraft was powered by a 610hp Siemens-Halske Sh 22B 9-cylinder supercharged radial engine.

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Henschel Hs 130

The Henschel Hs 130 was a German high-altitude reconnaissance and bomber aircraft.

Development of the Hs 130 began with two Hs 128 prototypes, which first flew on 11 April 1939, with the second flying on 20 February 1940. Both were research aircraft, used for testing pressurized cabins, engine superchargers, and cantilever wings. Different engines powered the two prototypes; the V1 by Daimler-Benz DB 601s and the V2 by Junkers Jumo 210s.
Trials of the two prototypes were not successful, however the potential of a high altitude aircraft caught the attention of Theodor Rowehl, commander of the Luftwaffe's special reconnaissance unit. His interest in the Hs 128's for high-altitude reconnaissance missions led Reich Air Ministry to instruct Henschel to continue development of the Hs 128 as a reconnaissance aircraft under the designation Hs 130A.

Three prototype aircraft Hs 130 As were built, the first flying on 23 May 1940.Five pre-production Hs 130A-0's followed, being delivered in early 1941, and featured DB 601R engines – each with a single-stage supercharger, retractable landing gear, and a bay in the rear to house two Rb75/30 cameras. The five Hs 130A-0s underwent testing, which revealed significant problems with the aircraft performance, and reliability problems which prevented operational use.

The Hs 130C was built for the "Bomber B" project, and was very different from the Hs 130A, featuring a shorter wing span, remotely controlled defensive armament, a larger glazed (but still pressurized) cabin and up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of bombs. Three prototypes, V1, V2, and V3 were built, with V1 and V2 were powered by BMW 801 radials, and V3, featuring full armament, was powered with a pair of Germany's largest displacement — at 44.5 litres apiece — inline inverted V-12s, the Daimler-Benz DB 603A engine. Further development of the Hs 130 as a reconnaissance aircraft continued with the Hs 130D, which was planned to have DB 605 engines and a complex two-stage supercharger, but was not completed.

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Junkers J 2

The Junkers J 2 was the first all-metal aircraft intended as a dedicated military aircraft design.

The J 2 differed from the earlier J 1 in having a cowling that almost entirely enclosed the engine, a rounded fuselage section instead of the rectangular section of the J 1., and a narrower and deeper ventral radiator enclosure, and had a horizontal stabilizer planform shape that would become familiar on later, all-duralumin Junkers monoplane designs to be built during 1917-18. The "all-moving" rudder still possessed no fixed fin, like the J 1.

The first production example of the J.2, was delivered to Adlershof on 2 July 1916, Leutnant Theodor Mallinckrodt, flew the type's maiden flight on 11 July 1916. Mallinckrodt gave the aircraft a good overall evaluation, judging it as "very manoeuverable", with good turning qualities and safe aerodynamic behaviour. A short time later, IdFlieg test pilots Unteroffiziers Wendeler and Max Schade, began performing full flight evaluation tests on the six examples of the J 2 as they arrived at Adlershof . Although it received good flying reviews, the J 2 test aircraft still seemed to come up short in climbing performance tests when evaluated against wood structure designs.

The steel structure of the J 2 made it too heavy to be able to compete in air combat over the Front. Despite the attempts to improve the J 2's performance and handling, by late in the summer of 1916, Hugo Junkers had come to the realization that the use of sheet electrical steel was no longer practical for aircraft construction. Governmental support was withdrawn after six aircraft had been completed, effectively ending the J 2's contract for the Junkers firm's advanced monoplane designs until a lighter metal, such as duralumin, was selected for such designs.

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Junkers D.I

The Junkers D.I (J 9) was a monoplane fighter aircraft produced in Germany late in World War I.

The aircraft was significant for becoming the first all-metal fighter to enter service. The prototype was a private venture by Junkers named the J 7, first flew on 17 September 1917, going through several detail changes in its design during its testing. When it was demonstrated to the Idflieg early the following year it proved impressive enough to result in an order for three additional aircraft for testing and flight trials. The changes made by Junkers were significant enough for the firm to rename the next example the J 9, which was supplied to the Idflieg instead of the three J 7s ordered.

The aircraft was powered by a 185hp BMW IIIa water-cooled 6-cylinder inline engine which gave it a max speed of around 110 mph.During tests, the J 9 lacked the manoeuvrability necessary for a front-line fighter, but was found to be suitable as a naval fighter and a batch of 12 was ordered. These were supplied to a naval unit by September 1918, which then moved to the Eastern Front after the Armistice.
Forty aircraft were completed, one example survives and is on display in the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, at the Paris–Le Bourget Airport.

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[Angry Turnip]

Junkers G 31

The Junkers G 31 was an advanced tri-motor airliner produced in small numbers in Germany in the 1920s.

Junkers wanted to follow up on the commercial success of the earlier tri-motor G 24 with a new design that would be larger, more comfortable for passengers, and simpler to operate and maintain.
The G 31 was the first Luft Hansa airliner to feature a flight attendant, this earned the G 31 the nickname 'flying dining car'. Because of its large fuselage it was also called the flying moving van. Behind the cockpit were compartments for a radio operator, baggage and an APU that provided compressed air for main engine starting and drove a generator for electric power.
The cabin was divided into three compartments that held eleven regular passenger seats, four jumpseats for passengers, a jumpseat for the steward, and an enclosed lavatory. Instead of the seats, ten beds could be made up for night flying. There was a baggage and freight hold under the cabin. The wings had trailing edge flaps that reduced landing speeds significantly.

The powerplant was to be three Junkers L5 engine, but these proved unsuitable.Most G 31s flew with foreign air-cooled radial engines in the 500 hp range, which were licence-built in Germany, such as the 525hp BMW-built Pratt & Whitney Hornet.
The G 31 had been intended to equip Junkers' own airline, Junkers Luftverkehr, but this venture was merged into Deutsche Luft Hansa in 1926, and the new airline purchased only eight G 31s, beginning operations in May 1928. They were used on the long-range routes of Luft Hansa, particularly to Scandinavia. They continued in this role until 1935, when replaced by the Junkers Ju 52.

The G 31 was not a commercial success, only 13 being sold, as opposed to 54 civilian G 24s (+30 military derivatives).Compared to the more usual biplane airliners of the 1920s, the G 31 was faster, and its all-metal construction made it safer. However the purchase price and operating costs were high compared to other similar types.

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[Angry Turnip]

Junkers G.38

The Junkers G.38 was a large four-engined transport aircraft.

The first Junkers prototype marked as D-2000—first flew on 6 November 1929 with four diesel engines: two Junkers L55 V-12 engines and two L8 inline-6 engines,with a total power rating of 1971 hp.
The Reich Air Ministry purchased the D-2000 for demonstration flights, and took delivery on 27 March 1930. In flight tests, the G.38 set four world records including speed, distance and duration for airplanes lifting a 5000 kg payload. On 2 May 1930 Luft Hansa put the D-2000 into commercial service for both scheduled and chartered flights.

Structurally the G.38 conformed to standard Junkers' practice, with a multi-tubular spar cantilever wing covered (like the rest of the aircraft) in stressed, corrugated duraluminium. The biplane tail, was intended to reduce rudder forces; initially there were three rudders with only a central fixed fin. The undercarriage was fixed, with double tandem main wheels that were initially enclosed in large spats. The wing had the usual Junkers "double wing" form, the name referring to the full span movable flaps which served also as ailerons in the outer part.
On 2 February 1931 the Leipzig-based Junkers' yard re-engined the D-2000 with two Junkers L8 and two L88 engines, giving a total power rating of 1764 kW (2366 hp) and increasing passenger capacity from 13 to 19.

During its early life the G.38 was the largest landplane in the world.Accommodation was sumptuous by today's standards and was to rival that found on the competing Zeppelin service offered by DELAG. The plane was unique in that passengers were seated in the wings, which were 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) thick at the root. There were also two seats in the extreme nose. The leading edge of each wing was fitted with sloping windscreens giving these passengers the forward-facing view usually available only to pilots. There were three 11-seat cabins, plus smoking cabins and washrooms.

A second G.38 c/n D-2500, later changed to D-APIS—was, built with a double deck fuselage and capacity for 34 passengers. Six passengers were carried three per wing in each leading edge, the remaining 22 on two levels in the fuselage. Luft Hansa used D-APIS on a scheduled service covering the cities Berlin, Hanover, Amsterdam, and London. This aircraft was named General Feldmarschall von Hindenburg.
The design was licensed to Mitsubishi, which constructed and flew a total of six aircraft, in a military bomber/transport configuration, designated Ki-20.
At the outbreak of World War II the D-2500/D-APIS was pressed into military service as a transport craft by the Luftwaffe. It was destroyed on the ground during an RAF air raid on Athens on 17 May 1941.

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