What happened to the He 100 ?

[Andy Mac]

This aircraft, a He 100, looks as business-like, if not more, than the Me 109 ! I cannot find any real operational info on it. Why didn't it feature as much as the 109 in WW2, or was it a lemon??

Any info would be appreciated.

[Ruy Horta]

It was basically a lemon.

Others may disagree or fill in the details, but one extra sidenote I'd like to add.

The Soviets choose to take with them a number of He 100 when they were offered a technology exchange by the Germans, and Yakovlev in his final analysis of that deal was that they had basically opted the wrong a/c, with too many teething problems, spending too much effort - a sidetrack.

Besides not only did the Heinkel He 100 have compete with the Bf 109E and even upcoming F-model, it also had to face the promising newcomer Fw 190A (if we look at 1939/40 development).

We might even say that between the Bf 109 and He 100 the Luftwaffe opted for the Fw 190A, offering less disruption of production and equal or superior promise for future development.

[Graham Boak]

I think that calling it a lemon is perhaps a bit unfair, though there are legitimate doubts about its combat or development potential. It is perhaps nearer to say that it was too late: the 109 was already in service and in mass production: the Heinkel offered little potential benefit for the necessary disruption in other programmes needed to get it into service. As Ruy suggested, the superior Fw190 was already coming along, the 109 was quite good enough to cope until then. As was proven.

[Andy Mac]

Thankyou chaps. It does look very fast and efficient, all curves and war-like.

I like it.

Isn't it interesting how 5 years of war really brought on aircraft developement?

[Dénes Bernád]

Originally Posted by Andy Mac

Thankyou chaps. It does look very fast and efficient

Indeed. The He 100 V-8, D-IDGH, established the absolute speed record of 746.606 km/h (463.92 mph) on March 30, 1939, with test pilot Hans Dieterle at the controls.
The record lasted only 27 days...

Dénes

[George Hopp]

Andy, which aircraft is it you are interested in? You asked about the He 100 but the pictured aircraft are He 112s. A few He 112s were built, but the decision had already been made to build the Bf 109, so it was never really developed. Interestingly enough, when Wolfgang Falck's Zerstorer gruppe, I./ZG 76, was converted to the He 112B for the period of the Czech crisis, he found the He 112 to be a better aircraft than the 109, and noted that "we regretted that the He 112 had not been chosen over the Me 109."

Naturally, this is only the word of one person. But, this person was a fighter pilot flying operational versions of both aircraft. If anyone can find contrary comments by someone else with the same experience, I would be happy to hear of it.

[Kutscha]

He 100D



He 112B



Notice in the opening post the u/c retracts inward while in the pic of the He 112 the u/c retracts outward. Also the 2 different postions of the radiator.

[Primoz]

The He 100 was simply a record-breaking aircraft - not a fighter. The few He 100s were later camouflaged and carried some spurious unit emblems and called "He 113" in German puiblications etc. to make believe they had a new fighter in service. So the a/c in the original post are such "He 113"s. The He 112 was a fighter of which only a small series was built - mainly for export to Spain and Romania. D-IGSY was the He 112 V-9.

[O.Menu]

George, indeed Andy's photo show He 100...

(look for the main gear for example)

[George Hopp]

O.Menu,

You're absolutely right.