Heinkel HE 2

He 2
2 Swedish navy HE 2s alongside canvas hangars
Role Reconnaissance floatplane
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Svenska
Designer Heinkel Flugzeugwerke
First flight 1923
Primary user Swedish Navy
Number built 5

The Heinkel He 2, produced in Sweden as the Svenska S 3 and nicknamed the "Hansa", was a reconnaissance floatplane built in small numbers to equip the Swedish Navy in the 1920s. It was a refinement of the HE 1, sharing its same basic configuration as a low-wing, strut-braced monoplane with no tail fin and a rudder that barely protruded above and below the line of the fuselage.

Originally, three were purchased, with another one built by Svenska Aero some time later, and a fifth and final aircraft built by the Navy itself. The type remained in service for over 10 years, finally being retired in 1935.

Specifications

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Svenska S.II 3-view drawing from Le Document aéronautique October,1926

General characteristics

  • Crew: Two, pilot and observer
  • Length: 12.66 m (41 ft 6 in)
  • Wingspan: 17.48 m (57 ft 4 in)
  • Height: 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
  • Wing area: 53.6 m2 (577 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 1,863 kg (4,107 lb)
  • Gross weight: 2,475 kg (5,456 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Eagle IX , 270 kW (360 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 183 km/h (114 mph, 99 kn)
  • Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 3.3 m/s (650 ft/min)

Armament

References

[edit]
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 498.