The Heinkel HE 3 was a sports aircraft built in Germany in the early 1920s. It was a conventional, low-wing monoplane with seating for three people in two tandem cockpits. The wing was a cantilever design, an unusual and advanced feature for the day. The fixed undercarriage was designed to be quickly changed from wheeled tailskid type to twin pontoons for operation as a seaplane. A HE 3 won first prize in its class at the 1923 aero meet at Gothenburg, and was subsequently selected as a trainer by the Swedish Navy, which bought two examples. In Swedish service, the aircraft gained the nickname Paddan ("Toad").

The HE 3 had fabric-covered wooden wings, and a plywood-covered wooden fuselage.

Operators

 Sweden

• Swedish Navy
• Swedish Air Force

Specifications (HE 3)

General characteristics

• Crew: One pilot
• Capacity: 2 passengers
• Length: 7.20 m (23 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 12.10 m (39 ft 8 in)
• Gross weight: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Siemens-Halske Sh 6 , 105 kW (140 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 150 km/h (94 mph, 82 kn)

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 498. ISBN 0-7106-0710-5.
• "Gothenburg International Aero Exhibition". Flight: 430. 26 July 1923. Retrieved 2008-04-23.