NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
The Heinkel He-162 was a low cost
fighter jet aircraft with only one engine. It was designed to be produced in
large quantities. Although a single engine design, it was slightly faster in
level flight than twin engine jets.
On September 8, 1944 the Luftwaffe
requested an inexpensive jet powered fighter aircraft be developed to intercept
Allied bombers. Only a little over three months later, on Dec. 6, 1944, the
first Heinkel He-162 flew.
To keep costs down, the aircraft's fuselage
was constructed of light metal alloy, while the nose of the aircraft and wing
was made of plywood.
The engine of the Heinkel He-162 was mounted on top
of the fuselage. This saved cost and construction time of not having to build an
aircraft fuselage around the engine.
There are conflicting stories about
the handling of the aircraft. While most agree that the position of the engine
did not affect aerodynamics, some say that it made the aircraft top heavy, and
unstable during flight. Other accounts are that it handled comparable to other
fighters while having a higher top speed.
A number of problems were
encountered with the first few He-162's produced. This was largely a result of
the demands to go into production quickly. The adhesive bonding the plywood was
found to contain an acid that ate into it.
Although production aircraft were
manufactured with a different adhesive, prototypes were not. This resulted in
the loss of a prototype during a test flight on December 10, 1944 when the wing
disintegrated.
By February of 1945 about 120 He-162's had started
replacing piston engine aircraft. However, none ever saw combat due to the war
ending.
At one time the Luftwaffe considered having the Hitler Youth fly
the jet fighter due to a lack of experienced pilots. After some experimenting,
the idea was dropped. A jet aircraft was beyond the capabilities of all but the
very best pilots.
A test variant of the Heinkel He-162 was designed to
operate using low octane lawn mower type fuel to ease Germany's fuel shortage.
Another had forward swept wings. Experimental aircraft were tried with twin
engines for interception missions.
When the Allies moved into Germany,
they found about 800 Heinkel He-162 aircraft in various stages of construction
at a number of underground facilities.
Eventually the British Royal Air
Force acquired eleven of the aircraft for testing. We do not know the results of
those tests.
Pictured above and immediately below is the rc Heinkel He-162 EDF for sale from Kavan. It has a 36" wingspan and is 29” long. Motors can be a Power 330, Hacker B20-12L, or equivalent, driving a Micro Fan unit.
Nitro Planes has a rc Heinkel He-162 ARF for sale with a brushless motor drivng a fan unit, however we do
not know if they still stock it.
In the second picture below is the rc Heinkel He-162 for sale from EAM USA
built by Heiner Skroblin. Wingspan is 39” and length is 31”. Power comes from a
speed 480 motor driving a WeMoTec mini fan.
Century Jet Models has a rc Heinkel He-162 radio control
airplane kit for sale shown in the third picture below. It features an epoxy fuselage
and sheeted foam wings. Dimensions of the 1/5 scale model are 57” wingspan,
73” length and an all up weight from 14 to 16 lbs. It can be powered by a .91 engine driving a 5” fan unit.
Century Jet Models sells a version just for turbine power.
The last picture is of a rc Heinkel He-162 built from a Midwest kit by Ken Lapointe. Its wingspan and length are both 55". Powering
the model is a Medusa motor turning a 88 mm fan unit. Weight is around 8.5 lbs.
Free Air has a Heinkel He-162 foamy rc for sale.
The wingspan is 23” and length is 22”. Recommended power is a GWS 40 motor, or
for more power a Feigao 4200 motor.
Hobby-Lobby has a rc Heinkel He-162 for sale as a ARF or RTF. It has a 30 1/2" wingspan, a length of 39 1/2", and weighs about 22 oz.
Included is a brushless motor turning a 64 mm EDF unit.
Starmax Technology Industry Ltd., China has a rc Heinkel He-162 foamy for sale. It has a 31" wingspan and is 39" long. Weight is about 21 oz.
It comes as a ARF and RTF. The RTF version includes a radio, receiver, servos, motor, controller, 64 mm fan unit, flight battery and charger.
Heinkel He-162
