The Heinkel HE 3 was a sports aircraft built in Germany in the early 1920s. It was a conventional, low-wing monoplane with seating for three people in two tandem cockpits. The wing was a cantilever design, an unusual and advanced feature for the day. The fixed undercarriage was designed to be quickly changed from wheeled tailskid type to twin pontoons for operation as a seaplane. A HE 3 won first prize in its class at the 1923 aero meet at Gothenburg, and was subsequently selected as a trainer by the Swedish Navy, which bought two examples. In Swedish service, the aircraft gained the nickname Paddan ("Toad").

HE 3
Role Sports plane
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Heinkel
First flight 1923

The HE 3 had fabric-covered wooden wings, and a plywood-covered wooden fuselage.

Operators

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  Sweden

Specifications (HE 3)

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General characteristics

  • Crew: One pilot
  • Capacity: 2 passengers
  • Length: 7.20 m (23 ft 8 in)
  • Wingspan: 12.10 m (39 ft 8 in)
  • Gross weight: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Siemens-Halske Sh 6 , 105 kW (140 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 150 km/h (94 mph, 82 kn)

References

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  • Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 498. ISBN 0-7106-0710-5.
  • "Gothenburg International Aero Exhibition". Flight: 430. 26 July 1923. Retrieved 2008-04-23.