[Lone Sentry: Heinkel HE-177 Long Range Bomber, WWII Tactical and Technical Trends]
©2008
  [Lone Sentry: Photographs, Documents and Research on World War II]
Home Page | Site Map | What's New | Intel Articles by Subject

"Heinkel HE-177 Long Range Bomber" from Tactical and Technical Trends

The following article on the German Heinkel HE-177 Greif long-range bomber is taken from Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 6, August 27, 1942.

[DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department publication Tactical and Technical Trends. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]
 

HEINKEL HE-177 LONG RANGE BOMBER

One of the latest additions to the German Air Force is the Heinkel HE-177, a few of which have been seen in recent operations.

From available information, the HE-177 appears to be an anti-blockade, sub-stratospheric bomber that could also be used for dive bombing. Some types have pressure cabins appropriate for extremely high altitude reconnaissance.

Photographs seem to show that it is an all-metal, 4- to 6-place, midwing, single rudder, land monoplane with dorsal and tail turrets. The unusually thick wing, equipped with Fowler-type flaps, appear almost to enclose the engines. The double-wheel undercarriage has one set of wheels folding inward and the other outward.

The power plant is reported to consist of two 24-cylinder Daimler-Benz, (DB 606) "double engines" each with two 12-cylinder DB 601 units, giving the appearance, when viewed end on, of an inverted twin Vee. For economy in long-range cruising, one unit of each double engine may be disengaged from the common propeller shaft by means of a clutch arrangement.

High speed is estimated at 310 m.p.h. and the service ceiling at 26,000 feet. Cruising speed is about 210 to 220 m.p.h.

Cruising at 20,000 feet with a load of 13,200 pounds, the range is believed to be 1,000 miles, while with a 2,200-pound load it would be about 3,200 miles. As a reconnaissance plane without bombs, but with their equivalent in fuel, a range of 4,600 to 5,000 miles at approximately 30,000 or more feet is possible.

The large bomb compartment is said to be capable of taking two 5,500-pound bombs or their equivalent in smaller bombs or fuel, and is considered large enough to accommodate a light 3-ton tank.

The armament apparently consists of 1 fixed cannon and probably 5 machine guns.

 
 


[Back] Back to Articles by Subject | Intel Bulletin by Issue | T&TT by Issue | Home Page
 
Advertisement

    
Google
Web LoneSentry.com