Kiwikid
Airman 1st Class
The Hienkel He-343 evolved from the 1942 RLM specifications which gave birth to the Ju-287. Heinkel embarked upon responding to the RLM specification without being invited. Later in 1943 RLM issued new specifications for a bomber with two crew in a pressurised cockpit with a 2000kg bomb load, speed of 430 knots and a range of 2500km.
Originally the P.1068 was intended to use six He S 011 turbine engines on a straight wing. The aircraft had Fowler flaps which as they extended increased the wing area as well. Wind tunnel testing proved the clustering of so many engines had disastrous effect on the aerodynamics.
In January 1944, RLM funded 20 aircraft including a series of 4 prototypes The eventual He-343 A1 bomber was operated by 1/KG76 at Burg near Magdeburg. No unclassified records survive about the aircraft's operational career.
An airframe production facility commenced work near Gardermoen airport near Oslo. The aircraft was manufactured largely from wood for cheap and simple construction.
On 28 April 1944 an air strike by 51 Lancasters of RAF 5 Group and some Mosquitos destroyed the facility. RLM would not renew funding to rebuild the production facility. Instead RLM favoured stretching the Arado Ar234 for the same specification, resulting however in an inferior 4 engined compromise airframe.
The He-343 story however did not end there. In August 1944, Himmler took a passionate interest in developing nuclear weapons and Kammler took charge of all jet fighter production. The He-343 was re-christened as a fighter project and work resumed at Reisenbirge near Schweidnitz (Swidnica) where it was referred to as the Vergeltungswaffe V-7 and also as the Reisenbomber.
After the war at least one copy appears to have been test flown at Dryden Test Centre in USA
Originally the P.1068 was intended to use six He S 011 turbine engines on a straight wing. The aircraft had Fowler flaps which as they extended increased the wing area as well. Wind tunnel testing proved the clustering of so many engines had disastrous effect on the aerodynamics.
In January 1944, RLM funded 20 aircraft including a series of 4 prototypes The eventual He-343 A1 bomber was operated by 1/KG76 at Burg near Magdeburg. No unclassified records survive about the aircraft's operational career.
An airframe production facility commenced work near Gardermoen airport near Oslo. The aircraft was manufactured largely from wood for cheap and simple construction.
On 28 April 1944 an air strike by 51 Lancasters of RAF 5 Group and some Mosquitos destroyed the facility. RLM would not renew funding to rebuild the production facility. Instead RLM favoured stretching the Arado Ar234 for the same specification, resulting however in an inferior 4 engined compromise airframe.
The He-343 story however did not end there. In August 1944, Himmler took a passionate interest in developing nuclear weapons and Kammler took charge of all jet fighter production. The He-343 was re-christened as a fighter project and work resumed at Reisenbirge near Schweidnitz (Swidnica) where it was referred to as the Vergeltungswaffe V-7 and also as the Reisenbomber.
After the war at least one copy appears to have been test flown at Dryden Test Centre in USA
