Heinkel / Aichi HD 23

Shipborne Biplane Fighter Prototype [ 1926 ]

The Japanese were not impressed with the Heinkel HD 23 shipborne biplane fighter of Germany - leading to just four examples being built in total.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/03/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

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Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke (Heinkel) of Germany began operations in the aviation business during December of 1922. From a Japanese Empire government request, their first single-seat, single-engine fighter became the "HD 23", a traditionally-arranged biplane intended for shipborne (catapult-launched, crane-recovered) operations. Following a first-flight in 1925-1926 and delivery of two prototypes from Germany in 1927, Aichi of Japan made some local modifications to the aircraft and built a further two more examples. Beyond these offerings, the GD 23 - known to the Japanese as the "Type H Carrier Fighter" - was not adopted for service after being evaluated at length by Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) authorities.

As built, the HD 23 seated one pilot in an open-air cockpit positioned high over the nose section. The wing mainplanes were of equal span and included an upper and lower wing section joined by a network of support struts (N-style) and cabling. The lower fuselage incorporated a boat-like hull and held flotation bags for on-water landings in case of emergency. The undercarriage was wheeled at the two main leg members and fixed during flight. Dimensions included a length of 24.8 feet, a wingspan of 35.4 feet and a height of 12.4 feet. Empty weight was 3,240lb against an MTOW of 4,560lb.

The original German prototype (HD 23a) was powered by the BMW VIa 12-cylinder, water-cooled engine delivering 600 horsepower and the second followed with a Hispano-Suiza 12Ha engine of 450 horsepower. In-service aircraft were to carry 2 x 7.92mm machine guns synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.

Once available to Aichi engineers in Japan, workers installed a jettisonable undercarriage for on-water operations (landing and take-off) as well as wing-based slats for better control. In testing the aircraft was found to possess poor qualities for a shipborne fighter - it was underpowered and heavy and exhibited inadequate control. In testing the HD 23a reached a speed of 160mph and a service ceiling of 26,000 feet.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1926

Origin

Germany

Crew

1

Production

4
UNITS

Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke (Heinkel) - Germany / Aichi - Imperial Japan

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Imperial Japan (cancelled)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.

✓ Maritime / Navy
Land-based or shipborne capability for operating over-water in various maritime-related roles while supported by allied naval surface elements.

✓ X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.

Length

24.8 ft
(7.55 m)

Width/Span

35.4 ft
(10.80 m)

Height

12.5 ft
(3.80 m)

Empty Wgt

3,241 lb
(1,470 kg)

MTOW

4,564 lb
(2,070 kg)

Wgt Diff

+1,323 lb
(+600 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Heinkel HD 23a production variant)

Installed: 1 x BMW VIa 12-cylinder water-cooled inline piston engine developing 660 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller at the nose.

Max Speed

155 mph
(250 kph | 135 kts)

Ceiling

25,919 ft
(7,900 m | 5 mi)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Heinkel HD 23a production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

PROPOSED:
2 x 7.92mm machine guns mounted over the nose, synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 0

HD 23 - Base Series Designation

HD 23a - Initial prototype form; two completed in Germany, two completed in Japan.

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