FD Aircraft 16

Sheepster

Posted: June 12th, 2020, 9:15 am

Posts: 707
Joined: December 23rd, 2016, 12:28 pm
Location: Darwin, Australia

Heinkel He 59

The He 59 was the largest aircraft built by Heinkel at the time, and one of the models designed for the clandestine rearmament of Germany. With the length of time since their construction there are several inconsistencies and questions as to their history as can only be expected. I have tried to illustrate all the obvious variants and colour-schemes, hopefully a reasonably accurate collection.

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What should have been the second, wheeled, prototype got to fly first. Although some sources state that a handful of He.59's were fitted with wheels others state none, and I have found no other photos of a wheeled He.59. originally fitted with a straight nose, it was later refitted with a B1-style open nose. The aircraft was sent to the USSR for trials.
The second prototype was used for water trials in Germany.
Although some sources give a pre-production A series, this does not appear correct, and the first aircraft were the B1 series. These aircraft were officially used for airline pilot training while Germany kept up the fiction of not having an air force.
Once the Luftwaffe became acknowledged, the definitive B2 version was created with a recontoured nose and gun fitment. They were first used in combat in Spain with the Condor Legion, and performed the first torpedo attack since the First World War. These aircraft were later passed on to the Spanish Air Force. German B2's were instrumental in action in Norway and in the attacks on the Low Countries, but were already outdated and were removed from frontline duties. The B3 version was built with reduced armament and increased fuel capacity, and the C1 version was further unarmed - but both these models were externally identical to the B2's, and with the necessity to increase defensive armament as the war progressed they ended being modified to B2 status.
The C2 was the main SAR variant. Fitted with SAR equipment and an external folding ladder, the aircraft were initially painted in high-visibility colours and semi-civil "WL-" (Wehrmacht Luft) registrations, eventually becoming full "D-" registrations. Britain refused to acknowledge the neutrality of the aircraft, shooing down several - leading to the forced adoption of B2-style armament, camouflage and military serials.
The D model adopted a more rounded aerodynamic nose, and also initially operated as unarmed SAR aircraft, before they also were armed and camouflaged.
E and N models were modifications already built aircraft, but without significant external modifications.
Four aircraft were loaned to Finland, with 2 remaining in Luftwaffe markings and 2 gaining Finnish markings.
By 1944 all aircraft had been retired and scrapped.

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