Personally, I reckon the stepped cockpit is a better looking machine. The glasshouse style is most likely preferable re all-round vision, but for mine,the stepped cockpit is much more aesthetically pleasing. Practicality is always preferable in military equipment. Even if such an approach isn't always adopted!
imagine having one as a private aircraft…put in additional fuel tanks instead of bombs, away with the guns and you would have a great aircraft for your yearly trip to mallorca…
I was actually inside an ex-Spanish He-111 at an airshow in Mesa Arizona in the 1990s. They were allowing visitors to get inside the aircraft and have a look around. It was a much smaller aircraft in person than it looks like in the pictures. Sadly, this aircraft was lost, along with the lives of two pilots, in a catastrophic crash several years later.
I had an encounter with an ex-Spanish He-111, possibly the same one as the above poster. It was in the late 1970's or early 80's when I was flight instructing at UND in Grand Forks, ND. I was up with an instrument student in a C172 when on the tower frequency, this aircraft who called itself "Bomber 1" (or something like that) was requesting runway 35 for landing. That runway was closed due to maintenance, but the crew of the aircraft said runway 8/26 was too short for them due to their brakes being weak. I was naturally curious as to what this aircraft could be. As we entered the pattern for landing, the bomber was circling above waiting for the main runway to be cleared. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the aircraft - it was a Heinkel 111! After it landed, I was able to get inside it and look around the aircraft. Yes, a lot smaller than it looks in the pictures, but a wonderful piece of history.
Most probably the reason why the Luftwaffe soldiered on that long with relatively old material was the fact that Hitler believed that his war would be a short one, hence no immediate need to develop new aircraft.
Fun Fact: The Spanish built Version served as a transport and air sea rescue aircraft until the late 60's and early 70's. Some were used in the 1968 Battle of Britain movie along with Spanish built Me 109's with Merlin engines. Go figure.
Not a state of the art plane by wars end , but had that 'trusty workhorse feel about it' and something not mentioned in this video, it was relatively tough , could stand up relatively well to rifle caliber punishment,i think the large thick wings played a role in that.The Boeing B- 17 as a comparison was also conceived at roundabout the same time,perhaps a tad later,could also soak up quite a bit of punishment and also had large thick wings, the consolidated Liberator that was conceived later had certain performance advantages over the 17(range and speed) but wasn't quite as tough!
The was a beaut movie for sure, and thankfully the crew could utilise the Spanish aircraft to mimic the WWII German machines. Said machines,to my eye, were just "not right". The He111s and Bf109s just don't look right with the upright RR Merlin V12s. Thankfully though, such aircraft were available to make the movie and to help memorialise this very important part of the dreadful conflict called WWII.
At the outset of the war, the A6M2 Zero was the only effective single engined escort fighter, with experience in China that developed their equipment and tactics. You might want to do a video of the Sino-Japanese air war. Great video. Mahalo and Aloha!
@@johnstirling6597 that's true, the gun wasn't much cop in the 1936/7 trials either but the potential was seen over 0.5in and 0.303 in machine guns. But in the run up to the war it was accepted tgatbit was better to have a barely adequate gun today over something perfect too late. Plus the idea of putting protective armour on aircraft was a fairly new, coming out of the Spanish Civil War (excluding some specialised ground attack aircraft from WW1). Even in 1940 were Spitfires being delivered without armoured windscreens.
It was a problem for the Luftwaffe across the board, having to maintain increasingly obsolescent aircraft in combat that had peaked out in 1941 because Germany failed in their efforts to replace them. Bf 110/Bf 109/He-111/Ju-87...even slightly later aircraft, the Fw-190 and Ju-88 found themselves forced to serve with increasing ineffectiveness overall.
So what was in tbe allied lineup that remained cutting edge throughout the war,the B- 17 was also a 1930's design, the B-24 that had to augment it was in many ways less effective! The Mustang had great range and goid speed,but could not outclimb or outdive a 109 , it was way heavier,having to carry so much fuel,but in it's design concept it suceeded brilliantly,but was definitly not a better dogfighter than a 109,esp when it lost it's initial speed and altitude advantage, that where the name runstang comes from , they engaged and then used their slightly superior speed to run away!, and only until the mw 109's came on the scene and the later K - model, then the speed advantage was gone!
Something about the HE 111 always appealed to me. It was such a beautiful airplane. Watching this video makes me want to dig into my collection of models and build one.
5:12 Unfortunately conducting a bombing run test with passengers turned out to be a bit controversial and Heinkel faced a couple of lawsuits from disgruntled customers.
He111F with bigger wings some 84 was build of which 24 was sold to Turkey. He111G a civilian version with new engines of which 8 was build and upgraded from He111C. He111J was a torpedo bomber of which 60-90 was build for the Kriegsmarine.
You could have also mentioned that the Czech Avia S-199 used the Jumo 211 engines from the Heinkel license built Avia, they were a pretty bad aircraft, but Israel bought a bunch of them. You should do a segment on the Junkers Ju-86.
At 27:13 , cue up “Ride of the Valkyries” (“Ritt der Walküren”) by Wagner when the pulse jet fires while still attached to the 111, squashing you into your seat.
It is fashionable to regard the Versailles Treaty as provocatively harsh. This overlooks the context. Germany’s industrial base was untouched while the war had been fought through the primary industrial areas of France and Belgium, while Poland was a nation in the process of resisting a Soviet invasion. The participants in the Treaty had every reason to ensure that Germany could not resume fighting.
Cooool new video to watch tonight… I don’t want it to sound bad but I loooove watching your videos to sleep Ps. You are the reason I started to get more interested in ww2 aircraft (says the tank enthusiast) God speed and wish you good health, from Poland
Your "Luftwaffe" pronunciation sounds a little off. The vowel sound in the first syllable should sound like "goof" or maybe even "hoof", but not like "buff". Thanks for the enjoyable video. 👍
You see, this is when you need an engineering or physics degree when you talk about this stuff. Irrespective of weight (bomb load etc) a certain amount of power with an unchanged aerodynamic profile will give you the same top speed. The only thing that changes is the ability to accelerate that mass. When you fill up your car with passengers and luggage the top speed is unchanged from empty. It just takes you longer to reach it.
Regardless of what it was used for, the HE-111 was a very attractive aircraft. Once it got he glazed nose.
Like having a plane with it's own glass-house . You could put plants or critters in it. :D
@@RemusKingOfRome I'd grow some weed in that bad boy, lol...
@@chonqmonkyou’d be quite literally flyin’ high, brother man…😂
Personally, I reckon the stepped cockpit is a better looking machine. The glasshouse style is most likely preferable re all-round vision, but for mine,the stepped cockpit is much more aesthetically pleasing. Practicality is always preferable in military equipment. Even if such an approach isn't always adopted!
imagine having one as a private aircraft…put in additional fuel tanks instead of bombs, away with the guns and you would have a great aircraft for your yearly trip to mallorca…
I was actually inside an ex-Spanish He-111 at an airshow in Mesa Arizona in the 1990s. They were allowing visitors to get inside the aircraft and have a look around. It was a much smaller aircraft in person than it looks like in the pictures. Sadly, this aircraft was lost, along with the lives of two pilots, in a catastrophic crash several years later.
I had an encounter with an ex-Spanish He-111, possibly the same one as the above poster. It was in the late 1970's or early 80's when I was flight instructing at UND in Grand Forks, ND. I was up with an instrument student in a C172 when on the tower frequency, this aircraft who called itself "Bomber 1" (or something like that) was requesting runway 35 for landing. That runway was closed due to maintenance, but the crew of the aircraft said runway 8/26 was too short for them due to their brakes being weak. I was naturally curious as to what this aircraft could be. As we entered the pattern for landing, the bomber was circling above waiting for the main runway to be cleared. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the aircraft - it was a Heinkel 111! After it landed, I was able to get inside it and look around the aircraft. Yes, a lot smaller than it looks in the pictures, but a wonderful piece of history.
Most probably the reason why the Luftwaffe soldiered on that long with relatively old material was the fact that Hitler believed that his war would be a short one, hence no immediate need to develop new aircraft.
Or simply that they didn't have the capability to replace it
No Plan "B", although the HE-177 should have replaced it but it had it's own problems (self inflicted)
Always knew of this planes importance in WWII but never heard of its development. Awesome video I learned much!
The He 111's only problem is it stayed in front line service too long , probably needed to be replaced by 1942
The he 111 also bombed Rotterdam, leading to the surrender of the Netherlands because there was no more air defence.
Fun Fact: The Spanish built Version served as a transport and air sea rescue aircraft until the late 60's and early 70's. Some were used in the 1968 Battle of Britain movie along with Spanish built Me 109's with Merlin engines. Go figure.
Franco didn't have much use for them, anymore. Why not lend them?
@@moblinmajorgeneral
That film was definitely made at the right moment.
Not a state of the art plane by wars end , but had that 'trusty workhorse feel about it' and something not mentioned in this video, it was relatively tough , could stand up relatively well to rifle caliber punishment,i think the large thick wings played a role in that.The Boeing B- 17 as a comparison was also conceived at roundabout the same time,perhaps a tad later,could also soak up quite a bit of punishment and also had large thick wings, the consolidated Liberator that was conceived later had certain performance advantages over the 17(range and speed) but wasn't quite as tough!
The was a beaut movie for sure, and thankfully the crew could utilise the Spanish aircraft to mimic the WWII German machines.
Said machines,to my eye, were just "not right". The He111s and Bf109s just don't look right with the upright RR Merlin V12s. Thankfully though, such aircraft were available to make the movie and to help memorialise this very important part of the dreadful conflict called WWII.
Just found your channel. Great content, instantly subscribed
I love this plane it's always been one of my favorite bombers. Thanks for giving it some coverage!
0:01 if you squint real hard looks like you're looking at an retrofuturistic locomotive
Like something from Fallout
@@CaptainJohn read my mind
At the outset of the war, the A6M2 Zero was the only effective single engined escort fighter, with experience in China that developed their equipment and tactics.
You might want to do a video of the Sino-Japanese air war.
Great video. Mahalo and Aloha!
The last models of the HE 111 reverted back to the start. They were fast transport planes and paratrooper drop planes.
The Air Ministry knew in.the mid-1930s that the 0.303in machine guns were obsolete and selected the 20mm cannon as it's replacement.
But could not apparently get it to work properly in an aircraft until late 1940/41.
@@johnstirling6597 that's true, the gun wasn't much cop in the 1936/7 trials either but the potential was seen over 0.5in and 0.303 in machine guns. But in the run up to the war it was accepted tgatbit was better to have a barely adequate gun today over something perfect too late. Plus the idea of putting protective armour on aircraft was a fairly new, coming out of the Spanish Civil War (excluding some specialised ground attack aircraft from WW1). Even in 1940 were Spitfires being delivered without armoured windscreens.
@@neiloflongbeck5705 Much thanks to Dowding/Park........."If Chicago gangsters can have bullet proof windscreens, then so can my pilots".
@@johnstirling6597Hispano moment
It was a problem for the Luftwaffe across the board, having to maintain increasingly obsolescent aircraft in combat that had peaked out in 1941 because Germany failed in their efforts to replace them. Bf 110/Bf 109/He-111/Ju-87...even slightly later aircraft, the Fw-190 and Ju-88 found themselves forced to serve with increasing ineffectiveness overall.
So what was in tbe allied lineup that remained cutting edge throughout the war,the B- 17 was also a 1930's design, the B-24 that had to augment it was in many ways less effective! The Mustang had great range and goid speed,but could not outclimb or outdive a 109 , it was way heavier,having to carry so much fuel,but in it's design concept it suceeded brilliantly,but was definitly not a better dogfighter than a 109,esp when it lost it's initial speed and altitude advantage, that where the name runstang comes from , they engaged and then used their slightly superior speed to run away!, and only until the mw 109's came on the scene and the later K - model, then the speed advantage was gone!
Something about the HE 111 always appealed to me. It was such a beautiful airplane. Watching this video makes me want to dig into my collection of models and build one.
5:12 Unfortunately conducting a bombing run test with passengers turned out to be a bit controversial and Heinkel faced a couple of lawsuits from disgruntled customers.
"No word on the rain..." Clever! 😉
I am intrigued as to why you give plane dimensions in metric, but all other numbers in imperial.
Wasn't it used fairly actively as a torpedo bomber against the Arctic convoys and as a transport as its utility as a bomber declined?
Yes! 😁
@@chonqmonk Having seen photos of it carrying TWO torpedoes, it had to be a terrifying sight for Allied sailors.
HE 111c is quite a handsome plane. In a stout matronly way.
Another Great video. Yes, it was an inter-war plane, needed to be replaced by the HE-177 "Oh Good Grief!" - please put 4 engines , one per narcel !
In spite of the "hot" mess He-177, Heinkel built some amazing aircraft.
Thanks for the excellent video of the Heinkel He 111......
Old F-4 Shoe🇺🇸
He111F with bigger wings some 84 was build of which 24 was sold to Turkey. He111G a civilian version with new engines of which 8 was build and upgraded from He111C. He111J was a torpedo bomber of which 60-90 was build for the Kriegsmarine.
Excellent
Great documentary! But what about post war built in Spain with merlin engines like at 22:18 (BoB movie I guess)?
You could have also mentioned that the Czech Avia S-199 used the Jumo 211 engines from the Heinkel license built Avia, they were a pretty bad aircraft, but Israel bought a bunch of them. You should do a segment on the Junkers Ju-86.
Nice
At 27:13 , cue up “Ride of the Valkyries” (“Ritt der Walküren”) by Wagner when the pulse jet fires while still attached to the 111, squashing you into your seat.
Thanks
good vid keep it up
The He 111 was a workhorse like the British Wellington 'wimpy' not spectacular but they got the job done!
It is fashionable to regard the Versailles Treaty as provocatively harsh. This overlooks the context. Germany’s industrial base was untouched while the war had been fought through the primary industrial areas of France and Belgium, while Poland was a nation in the process of resisting a Soviet invasion.
The participants in the Treaty had every reason to ensure that Germany could not resume fighting.
Damn! I hadn’t thought about that
And it was considerably less harsh than the treaty imposed on France after 1870.
@@郑颍yeah but nobody likes the French
Cooool new video to watch tonight… I don’t want it to sound bad but I loooove watching your videos to sleep
Ps. You are the reason I started to get more interested in ww2 aircraft (says the tank enthusiast)
God speed and wish you good health, from Poland
Bomb Bay
Smoking Room
Same thing ?
The 1935 Anglo -German Naval Agreement killed off Versailles and led onto Munich Sep 1938.
Your "Luftwaffe" pronunciation sounds a little off. The vowel sound in the first syllable should sound like "goof" or maybe even "hoof", but not like "buff". Thanks for the enjoyable video. 👍
He does better with Lufthansa.
You see, this is when you need an engineering or physics degree when you talk about this stuff. Irrespective of weight (bomb load etc) a certain amount of power with an unchanged aerodynamic profile will give you the same top speed. The only thing that changes is the ability to accelerate that mass. When you fill up your car with passengers and luggage the top speed is unchanged from empty. It just takes you longer to reach it.
People can be secretive. Secrets, like bombers pretending to be airliners, are, well, secret, not secretive.
🤫🧏
111th
No inline 6 it was a inline V-12