Heinkel He 51

[Seaplanes]

Thank you Lennart. I have only two more questions. First, if the 12 He 51 exported to Bulgaria was a commercial export directly by Heinkel, or was it aircraft taken from RLM contracts. Secondly, do you have any links between the W.Nr. batches mentioned in my posting of 13.11. and the various factories involved.

[Lennart Andersson]

Hello again!

I think that the Bulgarian aircraft might have been new, and not from RLM stocks, because I have a note that they were from Fireseler production (and not mixed from different factories). If so, what were the other 17 "civil+ export"? Perhaps Spain? Legion Condor and Spain is a "black hole" in the history of German aircraft. As far as I know, no one has found any archive material that lists aircraft sent to Spain in detail.

C/ns. As this is a vast subject I do not think that it is useful to discuss it in this context. I have collected a lot of data and one day perhaps I will realise a project that I have had on the backburner for several years: a book on German military aircraft and aviation during the period 1919-1935, based on research in German archives.

Lennart A

[gogh]

I have on my HD of my computer 4 different verband kennzeichen (vkz) showing both land ans see versions 60+A41 60+B41 60+G41 60+I41 Are these converted aircraft or are these vkz used twice?

Peter van Gogh

[Tony Jones]

Hi

These vkz were used several times for varying a/c types , typically a serial used say firstly on a Do 23 then Ju 52 and then Ju 86 s the Unit upgraded its aircraft

The c/n range 25-132 were Erla production

Tony

[gogh]

Hi Tony
I understand I have many double verbandkennzeichen
But 4 He51 in these markings as land version and also see versions is a bit strange I think.
Regards
Peter van Gogh

[Lennart Andersson]

I have not studied the technical details of the He 51, but Volker Koos writes in his Heinkel book that the He 51D could be converted to landplane.

Lennart A

[gogh]

thanks Lennart

If so, it is very difficult to see the original version from pictures.

Peter van Gogh

[fran]

One of the few known Wnr. of a Legion Condor He-51. Plates recovered in Spanish crash site. Hope could be of interest to determine posible batches involved in the export to this country.

Best
Fran

[Tom Willis]

Posts 28 & 29

Hi Fran - No known export W/Nr batches but I have this W/Nr within the Arado W/Nr sequence of 1767 to 1783. Known losses used by the Lw are
1774 - 1776 1779 & 1780.
Does anybody hve anymore?

Regards
Tom Willis

[Seaplanes]

Thanks for sharing this info. The number plate indicate that W.Nr. 1772 was built in 1936 by Arado Brandenburg and it was a land-plane (Ld=Land).
My listing for this small batch runs from 1767 through to 1780, all He 51C aircraft. My opinion is that all He 51's used by the Legion Condor was planes
from Luftwaffe contracts. Apparently no commercial export of these aircraft to the Spanish National Forces took place.