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| Heinkel He 178 |
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| Role | Experimental prototype |
| Crew | one, pilot |
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| Length | 7.48 m | 24 ft 6 in |
| Wingspan | 7.20 m | 23 ft 3 in |
| Height | 2.10 m | 6 ft 10 in |
| Wing area | 9.1 m&2 | 98 ft&2 |
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| Empty | 1,620 kg | 3,572 lb |
| Loaded | 1,998 kg | 4,405 lb |
| Maximum take-off | | |
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| Engine | HeS.3B Turbojet |
Power
''as first flown'' | 4.4 kN | 992 lb |
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| Maximum speed | 700 km/h | 435 mph |
Range
''theoretical'' | 200 km | 125 miles |
Endurance
''attained'' | 8 minutes |
Ceiling
''theoretical'' | | |
| Rate of Climb | | |
The was the world's first
Aircraft to fly under
Turbojet power, and the first practical jet plane. It was a private venture by the
German Heinkel company in accordance with director
Ernst Heinkel 's emphasis on developing technology for high-speed flight and first flew on
August 27 1939 piloted by
Erich Warsitz . This had been preceded by a short hop three days earlier.
In
1936 , a young engineer named
Hans Von Ohain had taken out a
Patent on using the exhaust from a
Gas Turbine as a means of propulsion. He presented his idea to Heinkel, who agreed to help develop the concept. Von Ohain successfully demonstrated his first engine in
1937 , and plans were quickly put in place to test a similar engine in an aircraft. The He 178 was designed around von Ohain's third engine design, which burned
Diesel fuel. The result was a small aircraft of conventional configuration and construction, with a metal fuselage and high-mounted wooden wings. The jet intake was in the nose, and the plane was fitted with
Taildragger -style
Undercarriage . On the first flight, the main gear was fixed, but was later made retractable.
The aircraft was an outstanding success — although just a flying testbed, it was faster than the fastest
Piston Engine d aircraft of the day having reached a maximum speed of 403 mph and a cruising speed of 363 mph. Projected maximum speed for a production aircraft was to be 435 mph, a speed not reached in combat until 1944. On
November 1 1939 , Heinkel arranged a demonstration of the jet for the ''
Reichsluftfahrtministerium '' ("Reich Aviation Ministry", RLM), where both
Ernst Udet and
Erhard Milch watched the aircraft perform. However, due to the conservative approach to aircraft design then favoured by both men, no official interest in the concept was shown. Nevertheless, Heinkel was undeterred, and decided to embark on the development of a jet fighter, the
Heinkel He 280 as a private venture using what had been learned from the He 178.
The He 178 was placed in the ''
Deutsches Technikmuseum '' ("German Technical Museum") in
Berlin , where it was destroyed in an
Air Raid in 1943.
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