HEINKEL HE 119A

The Heinkel He 119 was an experimental bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of German production in the low wing configuration and with a classic tail. The drive was provided by doubled Daimler-Benz DB603 piston engines with 1,250 HP each. The prototype flight took place in 1937. In total, only 8 aircraft of this type were produced, including prototypes. The He 119 was created as an internal initiative of the Heinkel plants, which wanted to create a very fast reconnaissance plane or bomber that, due to its speed, would not have to be armed. The project focuses primarily on the excellent aerodynamic properties, which resulted in, among others: a very unusual use of the glass nose of the fuselage in which there was a crew cabin and ... elements of the propulsion system! In addition, very strong at that time DB603 engines were used. In the end, a very fast machine was actually created, which in November 1937 even set the world record for airspeed! However, the He 119 did not go into series production. The failure of the project was mainly due to very large problems with the drive and high operating costs.