He 74
Role Light fighter and advanced trainer
Manufacturer Heinkel
Designer Günter brothers
First flight 1933
Number built 3

The Heinkel He 74 was a light fighter aircraft developed in Germany in the early 1930s. It was a conventional, single-bay biplane with staggered, unequal-span wings braced with an I-type interplane strut. The pilot sat in an open cockpit, and the undercarriage was of the fixed, tailskid type.

It was designed in response to a RLM requirement for a Heimatschutzjäger - a light fighter aircraft suitable for purely defensive duties and which would have a secondary role as an advanced trainer for fighter pilots. Although it was not strictly a requirement of the specification, firms submitting designs were urged to use a monoplane layout.

During trials in 1934, the He 74 outperformed its competitors, but in the end, the RLM awarded it third place, behind the Focke-Wulf Fw 56 and Arado Ar 76, believing that since the fighters then being developed were all monoplanes, this configuration was essential for an advanced trainer as well.

Specifications

Data from Warplanes of the Third Reich[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One pilot
  • Length: 6.45 m (21 ft 2 in)
  • Wingspan: 8.15 m (26 ft 8.75 in)
  • Height: 2.20 m (7 ft 2.5 in)
  • Wing area: 14.9 m2 (160.6 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 771 kg (1,697 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,019 kg (2,242 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Argus As 10C , 180 kW (240 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 280 km/h (174 mph, 151 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 235 km/h (146 mph, 127 kn)
  • Range: 370 km (230 mi, 200 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 4,800 m (15,750 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 6.4 m/s (1,262 ft/min) [2]

Armament

References

  1. ↑ Green 1972, p. 286.
  2. ↑ Climb to 1,000 m (3,280 ft): 2.6 min
  • Green, William (1972). Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-05782-2.
  • Nowarra, Heinz J. (1977). Die deutsche Luftrüstung 1933-1945. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. pp. Teil 2, p.184.
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 502.
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