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Heinkel He 111 — History, Specs & Stories

Heinkel He 111 German medium bomber in flight
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Heinkel He 111

One of the most recognisable aircraft of the Second World War — a medium bomber with a fully-glazed “greenhouse” nose that began life disguised as an airliner, formed the backbone of the Luftwaffe’s bomber arm, and was still being built under licence in Spain decades after 1945.

1935First flight · Rostock-Marienehe
~6,500Aircraft built · all variants
~440 km/hMax speed · He 111H
5Typical crew
Photo: German wartime photograph · Public domain
RoleMedium bomber · later torpedo bomber, transport, glider tugEraWorld War II · 1935–1945מָנוֹעַ2 × Junkers Jumo 211OriginGermany · HeinkelStatusRetired (museum survivors)Want to fly a military jet yourself?
הסיפור

The Heinkel He 111: the airliner that was always a bomber

When the Heinkel He 111 was unveiled in 1935, Germany presented it to the world as a fast ten-passenger airliner for the state airline Lufthansa. It was nothing of the sort. Designed by the brothers Siegfried and Walter Günter at Ernst Heinkel’s works at Rostock-Marienehe, the aircraft was conceived from the start with a bomber in mind — a way to build combat aircraft while the Treaty of Versailles still formally barred Germany from having an air force. A handful did fly brief commercial routes; the great majority became bombers as soon as the Luftwaffe was openly rearming.

The type was blooded in the Spanish Civil War, where He 111B bombers of the German Condor Legion flew for the Nationalist side from 1937. They were fast enough that opposing fighters rarely caught them, and losses were low — a result that led German planners to a conclusion that would later prove costly: that a fast bomber needed little defensive armament. The definitive versions that followed — the He 111P and the mass-produced He 111H — adopted the aircraft’s signature feature: a smoothly rounded, fully-glazed and slightly asymmetric nose in place of the earlier stepped cockpit, giving the bombardier and pilot an almost uninterrupted forward view.

By 1939 the He 111 was the mainstay of the Luftwaffe bomber force, leading the air campaigns over Poland, France and the Low Countries. Then came the Battle of Britain וה- Blitz. Against Spitfires and Hurricanes the earlier lesson was exposed as an illusion: the He 111 carried a modest bomb load of around two tonnes, cruised slower than the fighters hunting it, and defended itself with hand-aimed rifle-calibre machine guns. Daylight losses mounted until the type was pushed largely into night bombing. Yet the airframe proved endlessly adaptable — serving as a torpedo bomber against Arctic convoys, a transport during the Stalingrad airlift, a tug for heavy gliders (the twin-fuselage He 111Z), and even an airborne launch platform for V-1 flying bombs. Around 6,500 were built before production ended in 1944, and the story did not end there: Spain built the type under licence as the CASA 2.111, some flying into the 1970s and later standing in for their German ancestors on film.

A bomber sold to the world as an airliner — and still flying, Spanish-built, a generation after the war it was made for.The He 111 — disguise, service and long afterlife
01The He 111’s “greenhouse” nose: why the Heinkel bomber looked the way it did

Early He 111 variants (the B and E models used in Spain) had a conventional stepped cockpit with a separate windscreen. From the He 111P of 1938–39, Heinkel replaced it with a fully-glazed, aerodynamically smooth nose that blended straight into the fuselage — the feature that makes the aircraft instantly recognisable. To give the pilot a forward view over the glazing, the design was slightly asymmetric: the pilot sat offset to port, and for take-off and landing he could raise his seat so his head projected through a sliding hatch in the roof. The bombardier lay prone in the nose, and a chin-mounted gondola beneath carried a rearward-firing gun. It was elegant, but it also concentrated the crew in a fragile glass shell — and did little to solve the aircraft’s real weakness, its light defensive armament.

Design & Engineering

What makes the He 111 special

01

The fully-glazed asymmetric nose

From the He 111P onward the aircraft wore a smooth, fully-glazed “greenhouse” nose with no separate windscreen step. The layout was deliberately asymmetric — the pilot sat offset to port and could raise his seat to see over the glazing on take-off and landing. The clean nose improved the airflow and gave the bombardier an exceptional view, at the cost of housing the crew in an exposed glass shell.

02

Twin Jumo power — and a bomber’s hard limits

The definitive He 111H was carried by two Junkers Jumo 211 inverted-V12 engines of around 1,300–1,350 hp each, for roughly 440 km/h. Bombs were stowed nose-up in internal vertical cells or on external racks, to about 2,000 kg. Speed and load were only ever moderate, and the type’s hand-aimed, rifle-calibre defensive guns left it dangerously exposed to modern fighters in daylight.

03

Longevity and the CASA 2.111 licence

Obsolescent by 1943, the He 111 nonetheless outlived the Third Reich. Spain built it under licence as the CASA 2.111, initially with Jumo engines and later re-engined with British Rolls-Royce Merlin units. Spanish examples flew on into the early 1970s, and several later appeared on screen — most famously standing in for Luftwaffe He 111s in the 1969 film Battle of Britain.

02The He 111 in the Battle of Britain: why the Heinkel bomber was so vulnerable

The He 111’s combat record in Spain had convinced the Luftwaffe that a fast bomber needed only light defensive armament. Over Britain in 1940 that judgement failed. The Heinkel was slower than the RAF fighters intercepting it, its bomb load of roughly two tonnes was modest for a strategic campaign, and its defence rested on a handful of hand-aimed 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns that could not hold off eight-gun Spitfires and Hurricanes. Crews welded on extra guns and up-gunned later variants with 13 mm weapons, but the fundamental problem remained. Daylight losses grew heavy enough that the He 111 — like much of the German bomber arm — was shifted to the night raids of the Blitz, where darkness, not armament, was its protection.

03The He 111’s second life: torpedoes, transports, gliders and the He 111Z Zwilling

As a front-line bomber the He 111 was fading by 1943, but the airframe was endlessly reworked. The He 111H-6 carried two torpedoes and attacked Allied shipping, including the Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union. During the encirclement at Stalingrad in the winter of 1942–43 He 111s were pressed into service as transports, suffering heavy losses. The strangest offshoot was the He 111Z “Zwilling” (“Twin”): two He 111H-6 fuselages joined by a new centre wing carrying a fifth engine, built as a tug for the enormous Me 321 Gigant glider. Twelve were made. Late in the war, He 111H-22s even air-launched V-1 flying bombs against England.

Technical Data

Full He 111 specifications

Figures are for the mass-produced He 111H-6; values varied across the many variants.

Airframe & Performance

צוות
5 (pilot, bombardier, gunners, radio operator)
מֶשֶׁך
~16.4 m
מוּטַת כְּנָפַים
~22.6 m
גוֹבַה
~4.0 m
Max takeoff weight
~14,000 kg
Max speed
~440 km/h at altitude
מהירות שיוט
~370 km/h
תקרת השירות
~6,500 m
לָנוּעַ
~2,300 km with bomb load
Bomb load
up to ~2,000 kg

Propulsion & Systems

Engines
2 × Junkers Jumo 211 (inverted V-12)
Power (each)
~1,300–1,350 hp
Defensive armament
up to ~7 × MG 15 (7.92 mm) / later MG 131 (13 mm)
Offensive load
bombs in vertical cells or external racks; torpedoes on H-6
First flight
24 February 1935
Built
~6,500 (all variants, to 1944)
Unit cost
No reliable public figure
Cost per flight hour
No reliable public figure
04The He 111’s cost: why no reliable price figure exists

The He 111 was a state-directed wartime product, built in the tens of thousands of man-hours by a war economy rather than sold on an open market, so a firm flyaway unit price and a credible cost-per-flight-hour simply do not exist in the public record. Any precise figure attached to it should be treated as an estimate. What is well documented is the scale: around 6,500 aircraft across a decade of production, and, remarkably, a licence-built afterlife in Spain (the CASA 2.111) that kept the design in service and in the air long after the German original had been retired.

Timeline

From airliner disguise to Spanish afterlife

1935

First flight

The He 111 V1 prototype flies on 24 February at Rostock-Marienehe, publicly presented as a fast airliner while designed for bombing.

1937

Combat debut in Spain

He 111B bombers of the Condor Legion fly for the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War; low losses wrongly reassure planners about defensive armament.

1939

Invasion of Poland

The He 111 spearheads the Luftwaffe bombing campaign as the opening act of the Second World War in Europe.

1940

Battle of Britain & the Blitz

A mainstay of the bomber force, the He 111 suffers heavy daylight losses to RAF fighters and is switched to night raids on British cities.

1941–42

New roles at sea and in the air

The He 111H-6 attacks Allied shipping as a torpedo bomber, while the twin-fuselage He 111Z is built to tow the Me 321 Gigant glider.

1942–43

The Stalingrad airlift

He 111s are pressed into service as transports to supply the encircled Sixth Army, taking severe losses in the winter skies.

1944

Air-launched V-1s · production ends

He 111H-22s launch V-1 flying bombs at England; German production of the type winds down after roughly 6,500 built.

1950s–73

The CASA 2.111 in Spain

Spain builds the He 111 under licence, later re-engined with Rolls-Royce Merlins; examples fly on until 1973 and appear in the 1969 film Battle of Britain.

Stories & Eyewitnesses

From history: twelve He 111 stories

Origins

An airliner that was really a bomber

Germany unveiled the He 111 as a Lufthansa airliner while designing it for war.

Read the full story
When the He 111 first flew in 1935, Nazi Germany presented it publicly as a fast ten-passenger airliner for the state airline Lufthansa. In reality the Gunter brothers had designed it with a bomber in mind — a way to develop military aircraft while the Treaty of Versailles still formally barred a German air force. A few examples did fly short commercial and mail routes, but the design was always dual-purpose, and the great majority became bombers the moment the Luftwaffe was openly rearming.
Spain · 1937

The false lesson of the Condor Legion

In Spain the He 111 outran enemy fighters — teaching the wrong lesson about defence.

Read the full story
He 111B bombers served the German Condor Legion on the Nationalist side of the Spanish Civil War from 1937. They were fast enough that Republican fighters rarely caught them, and losses were low. German planners drew a comfortable conclusion — that a fast bomber needed only light defensive armament. It was a judgement that would be brutally overturned three years later in the skies over Britain.
Engineering

The greenhouse nose

The He 111’s smoothly glazed, asymmetric nose is one of aviation’s most recognisable shapes.

Read the full story
From the He 111P of 1938–39, Heinkel dropped the earlier stepped cockpit for a fully-glazed nose that blended straight into the fuselage. To let the pilot see forward over the glass, the layout was slightly asymmetric: he sat offset to port and could raise his seat so his head emerged through a roof hatch for take-off and landing. The bombardier lay prone in the nose. It gave a superb view — but wrapped the crew in a fragile glass shell.
Poland · 1939

The opening campaign

The He 111 led the Luftwaffe bombing that opened the Second World War in Europe.

Read the full story
On 1 September 1939 the He 111 was the backbone of the German bomber force as Germany invaded Poland. Operating with near-total air superiority, the type struck airfields, railways and cities. The campaign confirmed the He 111 as the Luftwaffe’s standard medium bomber — and set the pattern for the fast-moving air support that would define the early German offensives.
Britain · 1940

Exposed in daylight

Over Britain the Heinkel met fighters it could neither outrun nor fight off.

Read the full story
In the Battle of Britain the He 111 met modern eight-gun fighters for the first time. It was slower than the Spitfires and Hurricanes hunting it, carried a modest bomb load, and defended itself with hand-aimed rifle-calibre machine guns. Crews improvised extra weapons, but the losses were unsustainable in daylight. The aircraft that had seemed almost untouchable over Spain was suddenly one of the most vulnerable machines in the sky.
The Blitz

Retreat into the dark

Unable to survive by day, the He 111 became a night bomber over British cities.

Read the full story
As daylight losses mounted, the He 111 — like much of the German bomber arm — was shifted to night operations. Through the winter of 1940–41 it was one of the principal aircraft of the Blitz, bombing London and industrial cities after dark. Some were fitted with early radio-navigation aids to find targets at night. Darkness, rather than speed or guns, had become the He 111’s main protection.
At sea · 1942

Torpedoes against the convoys

The He 111H-6 became a torpedo bomber, striking Allied shipping in the Arctic and Mediterranean.

Read the full story
Fitted to carry two torpedoes, the He 111H-6 attacked Allied merchant convoys, including the Arctic runs carrying supplies to the Soviet Union. In the destruction of convoy PQ-17 in 1942, torpedo-carrying Heinkels were among the aircraft harrying the scattered ships. It was another example of how a fading bomber was continually adapted to new tasks as the war turned against Germany.
Engineering

The He 111Z Zwilling

Two He 111 fuselages were joined into one five-engined aircraft to tow a giant glider.

Read the full story
The He 111Z “Zwilling” (“Twin”) was among the war’s oddest aircraft: two He 111H-6 fuselages joined by a new centre wing section carrying a fifth engine, for five in all. It was built to tow the massive Me 321 Gigant transport glider, and could reportedly fly on as few as two engines if they were symmetrically placed. Just twelve were made — two prototypes and ten production aircraft — and none survived the war.
Stalingrad · 1942

Bomber turned transport

At Stalingrad the He 111 flew supply missions into an encircled army, at heavy cost.

Read the full story
When the German Sixth Army was surrounded at Stalingrad in the winter of 1942–43, the Luftwaffe promised to supply it by air. He 111s, alongside Ju 52 transports, flew cargo and evacuated wounded into and out of the pocket. The airlift never came close to the tonnage needed, and the Heinkel units suffered severely in the freezing, fighter-patrolled skies — one of the bomber’s grimmest chapters.
1944–45

Launching the V-1

Late in the war He 111s carried V-1 flying bombs aloft and launched them at England.

Read the full story
With ground launch sites in France overrun, the Luftwaffe turned to air-launching the V-1 flying bomb. Specially equipped He 111H-22s of bomber wings including KG 3 and KG 53 carried the pulse-jet weapons out over the North Sea at night and released them toward England. It was an improvised, dangerous role for an obsolescent bomber, and one of the last operational uses of the type by Germany.
Spain

The CASA 2.111

Spain built the He 111 under licence and flew it, Merlin-engined, into the 1970s.

Read the full story
After the war Spain continued the design as the CASA 2.111, built by Construcciones Aeronauticas SA. Early examples kept Junkers Jumo engines; later ones were re-engined with British Rolls-Royce Merlins, giving the odd sight of a German bomber powered by the same engine family as the Spitfire. Spanish 2.111s served in bomber, transport and training roles until 1973 — nearly three decades after Germany stopped flying them.
On screen

A second career in film

Spanish-built He 111s stood in for Luftwaffe bombers in the 1969 film Battle of Britain.

Read the full story
Because so many airworthy CASA 2.111s survived in Spain into the late 1960s, film-makers were able to use them to portray Luftwaffe He 111s in the 1969 epic Battle of Britain. Fitted with mock defensive guns and German markings, the Spanish aircraft gave the film its fleets of “Heinkels.” It is why, for many viewers, the enduring on-screen image of the He 111 is really a post-war Spanish machine.
Gallery

The He 111 in pictures

A Heinkel He 111 in flight the fully-glazed nose clearly visible.
A Heinkel He 111 in flight — the fully-glazed nose clearly visible.Photo: German wartime photograph · Public domain
A He 111 over the Thames at Wapping on 7 September 1940, the first day of the Blitz.
A He 111 over the Thames at Wapping on 7 September 1940, the first day of the Blitz.Photo: German Air Force photographer · Public domain
He 111 bombers over Warsaw, 1939 the glazed nose seen from above during the invasion of Poland.
He 111 bombers over Warsaw, 1939 — the glazed nose seen from above during the invasion of Poland.Photo: German wartime photograph · Public domain
A He 111 H-2 of 9./KG 53 over Belgium and France, 1940.
A He 111 H-2 of 9./KG 53 over Belgium and France, 1940.Photo: Bundesarchiv, Schödl · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
A CASA 2.111 in flight the He 111 built under licence in Spain and flown into the 1970s.
A CASA 2.111 in flight — the He 111 built under licence in Spain and flown into the 1970s.Photo: Umeyou · CC BY-SA 3.0
A preserved CASA 2.111, showing the classic He 111 lines up close.
A preserved CASA 2.111, showing the classic He 111 lines up close.Photo: Ducatipierre · CC BY-SA 4.0
Watch

The He 111 in motion

Video coming soon — a curated documentary on the Heinkel He 111 will be added to this exhibit shortly.

Operations

Where the He 111 flew and served

Combat Record

The record that defines the He 111

The He 111 was a workhorse, not a world-beater. Its story is one of early dominance followed by growing vulnerability — effective while it faced weak opposition or flew by night, but exposed and out-classed against modern fighters in daylight. Its true legacy is its extraordinary adaptability and its remarkable longevity.

~6,500Built across a decade — a Luftwaffe mainstay
~50%Of some He 111 units’ strength lost in the Battle of Britain
1973Last CASA 2.111s retired — ~38 years after first flight

Compare the combat record of other military aircraft. Figures as of July 2026 and, where contested, hedged.

Questions & Answers

Everything people ask about the He 111

Can I fly in a He 111?
No — the He 111 is a retired Second World War bomber and there are no airworthy examples offering rides today; only a handful survive in museums. You can, however, fly in a range of genuine military jets right now — see migflug.com/flights-prices/ for current fighter-jet experiences.
Why does the He 111 have that glass “greenhouse” nose?
From the He 111P onward, Heinkel replaced the earlier stepped cockpit with a fully-glazed, aerodynamically smooth nose. It gave the bombardier and pilot an excellent forward view. The layout was slightly asymmetric so the pilot, seated offset to port, could raise his seat and see over the glazing during take-off and landing.
Was the He 111 a good bomber?
It was a solid, adaptable medium bomber for its time, but never a heavy hitter. Its bomb load (around 2,000 kg) was modest, it was relatively slow, and its hand-aimed defensive guns left it vulnerable to modern fighters — painfully clear during the Battle of Britain. Its strengths were reliability, versatility and sheer numbers.
How many He 111 were built?
Around 6,500 in Germany across all variants, with production ending in 1944. Estimates vary somewhat between sources, and the figure does not include the later Spanish licence-built CASA 2.111s.
What is the CASA 2.111?
The CASA 2.111 was the He 111 built under licence in Spain after the war by Construcciones Aeronauticas SA. Early aircraft used Junkers Jumo engines; later ones were re-engined with Rolls-Royce Merlins. Spanish examples flew until 1973 and appeared in the 1969 film Battle of Britain.
Did the He 111 fight in the Battle of Britain?
Yes — it was one of the principal Luftwaffe bombers of the campaign. Heavy daylight losses to RAF fighters forced it, and much of the bomber force, into the night raids of the Blitz.
Are any He 111 still flying?
Essentially no. A number of original He 111s and Spanish CASA 2.111s survive in museums, and airworthy examples have flown at times in the past, but there is no regular flying He 111 available to the public today.
What was the He 111Z?
The He 111Z “Zwilling” (“Twin”) joined two He 111H-6 fuselages with a new centre wing and a fifth engine, built to tow the huge Me 321 Gigant glider. Only twelve were made.
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Related Aircraft

Continue the tour

Luftwaffe PartnerJunkers Ju 87 StukaThe screaming dive-bomber that flew alongside the He 111 in the same early campaigns — and shared its daylight vulnerability over Britain.Read the Ju 87 storyThe AnswerAvro LancasterThe RAF’s four-engined heavy bomber — the kind of long-range striking power the medium He 111 was never designed to deliver.Read the Lancaster storyThe ContrastB-17 Flying FortressAmerica’s heavily-armed daylight bomber — built around the defensive firepower the He 111 so badly lacked.Read the B-17 story
Sources & Further Reading

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