GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
On 24 August 1939, a small jet aircraft rose above a German forest with Captain Erich Warsitz at the controls.
Again, on 27 August, Captain Warsitz once again took to the skies, testing the perfomance of the tiny HeS3 that pushed the small aircraft through the skies.
With barely 900 pounds of thrust pushing the small aircraft, the Heinkel He178 reached speeds of 375 miles an hour during it's flight, faster than many current piston powered aircraft possesed by the world's airforces at that time. Designed under the watchful eye of Ernst Heinkel and powered by Hans Von Ohain's engine, the He178 performed beyond everyone's expectations.
At the news of the jet's successes, the German Airforce showed little interest. During the Fall of that year, the He178 performed before an audience of Luftwaffe officials, once again showing it's huge potential. Both Erhard Milch and Ernst Udet showed little interest, perhaps echoing Herman Goering's faith in piston engined aircraft.
Despite it's weaknesses, it's design, while being crude by today's standards, offered features that were adopted years later on many jets of the modern age such as the nose intake and tail design.
Ernst Heinkel, building on the information learned by the He178, went on to build and fly the world's first armed combat jet, the He280, just barely two years after the He178 first took to the skies. Once again, the German high command showed little interest and it wasn't until 1944 that they realized the tremendous potential that jet aircraft offered.
But that realization came much too late.
At 4,400 pounds, with a wingspan of 23 1/2 feet and a fuselage length of 24 1/2, the He178 quietly ushered in the Jet Age one week before World War II broke out.
Again, on 27 August, Captain Warsitz once again took to the skies, testing the perfomance of the tiny HeS3 that pushed the small aircraft through the skies.
With barely 900 pounds of thrust pushing the small aircraft, the Heinkel He178 reached speeds of 375 miles an hour during it's flight, faster than many current piston powered aircraft possesed by the world's airforces at that time. Designed under the watchful eye of Ernst Heinkel and powered by Hans Von Ohain's engine, the He178 performed beyond everyone's expectations.
At the news of the jet's successes, the German Airforce showed little interest. During the Fall of that year, the He178 performed before an audience of Luftwaffe officials, once again showing it's huge potential. Both Erhard Milch and Ernst Udet showed little interest, perhaps echoing Herman Goering's faith in piston engined aircraft.
Despite it's weaknesses, it's design, while being crude by today's standards, offered features that were adopted years later on many jets of the modern age such as the nose intake and tail design.
Ernst Heinkel, building on the information learned by the He178, went on to build and fly the world's first armed combat jet, the He280, just barely two years after the He178 first took to the skies. Once again, the German high command showed little interest and it wasn't until 1944 that they realized the tremendous potential that jet aircraft offered.
But that realization came much too late.
At 4,400 pounds, with a wingspan of 23 1/2 feet and a fuselage length of 24 1/2, the He178 quietly ushered in the Jet Age one week before World War II broke out.
Excellent information.
