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The Heinkel He 49 was the designation given to the first three prototypes of the aircraft that entered service as the Heinkel He 51, the first fighter aircraft to be used by the Luftwaffe after its official formation in April 1935.
Officially the He 49 was designed as civilian advanced trainer, but unofficially it was always intended to be the prototype for a new fighter aircraft. It was designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel's Rostock factory, and was a much more aerodynamic version of the earlier Heinkel HD 43.
The first prototype, the He 49a, made its maiden flight in November 1932, and was evaluated in December. It was powered by a BMW VI engine, and had a top speed of 199mph, far faster than any training aircraft of the period.
The second prototype, the He 49b, had a longer fuselage (by 1ft 3 3/4in), and was armed with two MG 17 machine guns mounted in the forward fuselage. It made its maiden flight in February 1933. The third prototype, the He 49c, had faired landing gear, but soon after being built was redesignated as the He 51a.
Aircraft of the Luftwaffe 1935-1945, Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage.
Combines a good background history of the Luftwaffe with a comprehensive examination of its aircraft, from the biplanes of the mid 1930s to the main wartime aircraft and on to the seemingly unending range of experimental designs that wasted so much effort towards the end of the war. A useful general guide that provides an impressively wide range of information on almost every element of the Luftwaffe
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