Heinkel HD 26

HD 26

National origin: Germany
Manufacturer: Heinkel, Aichi
First flight: 1928
Primary user: Imperial Japanese Navy
Number built: 2

The Heinkel HD 26 was a reconnaissance seaplane developed in Germany during the 1920s for production in Japan. It was intended as a smaller, single-seat counterpart to the HD 25, to provide a spotter aircraft for warships, to take off from a short ramp since shipboard catapults had not yet been invented. The HD 26 was a conventional biplane with staggered wings, twin pontoon undercarriage, and an open cockpit.

The pattern aircraft supplied by Heinkel was powered by a Hispano-Suiza engine, but the single example built by Aichi based upon it had a radial engine instead. Launching ramps were built on the battleship Nagato and the cruiser Furutaka for trials, but the advent of the catapult made the HD 25 and HD 26 obsolete.

Specifications (Aichi-built)

General characteristics

Crew: Two, pilot and observer
Length: 8.44 m (27 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 11.80 m (38 ft 9 in)
Height: 3.59 m (11 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 37.8 m² (407 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,150 kg (2,540 lb)
Gross weight: 1,500 kg (3,310 lb)
Powerplant: 1 x— Aichi-built Bristol Jupiter VI, 420 kW (310 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 211 km/h (132 mph)
Rate of climb: 6.7 m/s (1,310 ft/min)

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 499.

Heinkel HD 26 Pictures and Heinkel HD 26 for Sale.

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Source: WikiPedia