Heinkel He 72

He 72 Kadett

Role: Military basic trainer
Manufacturer: Heinkel Flugzeugwerke
First flight: 1933
Status: out of service
Primary users: Luftwaffe National Socialist Flyers Corps Slovenské vzdušné zbrane
Number built: Several thousand

The Heinkel He 72 Kadett ("Cadet") was a German single-engine biplane trainer of the 1930s.

Development

The Kadett was designed in 1933 to meet an official requirement for a basic trainer. It was a single-bay biplane of fabric-covered, metal construction with open cockpits, a staggered wing, a strut-braced tail unit, and fixed tailskid undercarriage. The prototype was powered by a 104 kW (139 hp) Argus As 8B air-cooled inline engine.

The first production model, the He 72A retained the As 8B engine in early batches, but later production aircraft had a 112 kW (150 hp) As 8R. The He 72A was superseded by the He 72B, which was the major production version. This was powered by a 120 kW (160 bhp) Siemens-Halske Sh 14A radial. The He 72B was produced as the He 72B-1 landplane and He 72BW Seekadett ("Sea Cadet") twin-float seaplane. The civil development was the He 72B-3 Edelkadett ("Noble Cadet").

Operational history

The Kadett entered service with National Socialist Flyers Corps before the formation of the Luftwaffe. Later, it became a standard basic trainer with the Luftwaffe. Slovak forces used it in the attack role.

Variants

He 72A Kadett : Initial production version.
He 72B :
He 72B-1 :
He 72B-3 Edelkadett : Civil adaptation of He 72B-1. 30 built.
He 72BW Seekadett : Twin-float seaplane. Prototype only.
He 172 - He 72B with NACA cowling. Prototype only in 1934.

Operators

Germany

National Socialist Flyers Corps
Luftwaffe

Slovakia

Slovenské vzdušné zbrane

Specifications (He 72B-1)

Data from "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft"

General characteristics

Crew: Two
Length: 7.50 m (24 ft 7Ľ in)
Wingspan: 9.00 m (29 ft 6Ľ in)
Height: 2.70 m (8 ft 10Ľ in)
Wing area: 20.70 m˛ (222.82 ft˛)
Empty weight: 540 kg (1,191 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 865 kg (1,907 lb)
Powerplant: 1x— BMW-Bramo Siemens-Halske Sh 14A 7-cylinder radial engine, 119 kW (160 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 185 km/h (100 kn, 115 mph)
Cruise speed: 170 km/h (92 kn, 106 mph)
Range: 475 km (256 nmi, 295 mi)
Service ceiling: 3,500 m (11,485 ft)
Rate of climb: 3 m/s (591 ft/min)

Comparable aircraft

BxĽcker BxĽ 131 Jungmann
de Havilland DH82 Tiger Moth
Tachikawa Ki-17

Wood, Tony and Bill Gunston. Hitler's Luftwaffe: A Pictorial History and Technical Encyclopedia of Hitler's Air Power in World War II. London:Salamander books,1977. ISBN 0-86101-005-1.

Heinkel He 72 Pictures and Heinkel He 72 for Sale.

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Source: WikiPedia