The Heinkel He-111 was a German twin-engined, all-metal, semi-hulled low-wing aircraft of World War II. The prototype first flew on 17 November 1934. Three prototypes, designated V1, V2 and V3, were built for the Luftwaffe between 1934 and 1935, the last of which was the basis for the pre-production He-111A-0, but it was a failure due to its underpowered engines. This led to further research and experimentation with other engines, ultimately leading to the development of the He-111H, which was mass-produced from 1940. It was powered by two Junkers Jumo 211 engines, each producing 1,100 hp (from the H-3). It was this version that saw extensive use during the Battle of Britain in 1940. During World War II, about a dozen versions of the He-111 were built, each with its own upgrades. The most important, apart from the aforementioned "H", which also served as a torpedo bomber (He-111H-6) and, for example, as a target marking aircraft for other bombers (He-111 H-18), is the "P" version, which uses two Daimler-Benz DB 601A-1 engines and was used at least during the September campaign. On the other hand, the most original version is the He-111Z "Zwilling" (German: twins), which is an example of an unusual "combination" of two He111 bombers. The task of this unusual machine was to tow a giant Me 321 glider or three Go-242 gliders. There was also a version of the He-111Z2, which was supposed to carry 4 Henschel Hs-293 missiles, but it was not used in combat. In total, approximately 6,500 of all versions of the He-111 were produced. Technical data (version He-111H-6): length: 16.4 m, wingspan: 22.6 m, height: 4 m, maximum speed: 440 km/h, rate of climb: 4.3 m/s, maximum flight range: 2,300 km, maximum ceiling 6,500 m, armament: 7.92 mm MG15 or MG81 machine guns, one 20 mm MG FF cannon and one 13 mm MG131 cannon, hanging - up to 2,000 kg of bombs.
