World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe He 115 aircraft were three-seat seaplanes that entered German military service in 1939. At the start of the European War, they served mainly as minelayers that dropped parachuted naval mines in British waters. After Germany occupied Norway, they effectively operated off the Norwegian coast as torpedo bombers against Allied shipping until British carriers increasingly sailed with the convoys. Additionally, He 115 seaplanes also served as reconnaissance aircraft. Interestingly, seven of them were sold to Norway before the war, and they operated against the invading German forces in 1940. Four of the Norwegian He 115 seaplanes survived the invasion and withdrew to Britain; three of them subsequently served with the British Air Ministry. The military forces of Sweden, Bulgaria, and Finland all operated some of these seaplanes.

ww2dbaseDuring the design's production life, 138 aircraft were built.

SPECIFICATIONS

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Machinery	Two BMW 132K 9-cylinder radial engines rated at 845hp each
Armament	1x7.92mm fixed MG 17 machine gun, 1x7.92mm flexible MG 15 machine gun, one torpedo or 1,000kg of bombs
Crew	3
Span	22.28 m
Length	17.30 m
Height	6.60 m
Wing Area	87.50 m²
Weight, Empty	5,290 kg
Weight, Loaded	9,080 kg
Speed, Maximum	349 km/h
Service Ceiling	6,520 m
Range, Normal	2,100 km

Photographs