Initially pegged as a run-of-the-mill mail carrier, the Heinkel He 70 Blitz was miles away from the high-stakes world of aerial dogfights and bombing runs.
However, not long after its debut in the early 1930s, this unassuming aircraft caught the eagle eye of the German military brass. Tucked within its sleek frame was cutting-edge tech from Heinkel Flugzeugwerke, turning it into a marvel of untapped potential.
Ripping through the heavens at a blistering 224 miles per hour, the Heinkel He 70 Blitz outpaced every other civilian and cargo flier of its era, making even the Junkers Ju 86 bomber seem like molasses flowing uphill.
With its all-metal construction, sturdy retractable landing gear, and reliable flight performance, this one-time mail plane was primed to morph into a state-of-the-art Luftwaffe bomber, ready to unleash havoc on the Reich’s foes.
It wasn’t long before the Blitz was thundering across the war-scarred skies of Spain, where its astonishing speed and destructive firepower dubbed it “rayo”—Spanish for lightning. The Blitz stood on the cusp of redefining German air power. Yet, lurking within its streamlined hull was a critical flaw, The warplane relied on a material called Elektron, a ticking time bomb that threatened to ground this high-flier for good…
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I read an article from a retired Spanish military aeronautical engineer where he aknoweldged that at least in 1951 a He.70 was still flying. It was in Tetouan, then Spanish Morocco, where they had a handful of Civil War relics, including a lone He.70 that was deemed as air unworthy.
A new colonel arrived to command the Tetouan base in 1950, and when he found out that there was a He.70 he ordered to restore the plane to flying condition. He had flown the model in the Civil War and required to use it as his personal liaison plane.
The aforementioned engineer was dispatched from Seville to have a look and he found out that the plane was in quite good condition except for the wheel brakes, that were elastic tubes that operated under compressed air action and they were long gone and replaced by some rigid tubes that did not work at all. Then he started to look for spares in all Spanish bases and he found out that at León there were original brake spares, so they could fix the plane and put to fly again.
When the engineer was moved to another destination in 1951-1952 the He.70 was still flying regularly, but he did not know when it was the last time.
A copy of the Spitfire.
Rolls Royce obtained one, Messerschmitt's first 109 prototype was powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI. This engine was obtained by trading Rolls-Royce a Heinkel He 70 for use as a test platform. It was used to test Merlin, the irony associated with these events is breathtaking given subsequent events. Though the head of engine production for the ministry of aircraft production Major G P Bulman and the head of engine production of the RLM at the time were great friends. Wilhelm Schaaf left the RLM, to become Director in Chief for BMW.
I agree with @jonhowe8768, no music
Why did you continuously show an obvious jet aircraft with swept wings?
It reminds me of a faster, more manoeuvrable version of the Fairy Battle.
Beyond the use of magnesium, the He70 also had issues with carbon monoxide poisoning, unprotected fuel tanks, and a lack of armor. The last two are attributable to its origin as a high-speed mailplane.
Nice find!
Rolls Royce purchased a Heinkel He70 in 1935
Far too much dreadful schoolboyish flowery language and too light on facts. Unsubscribing, as I've heard enough of this nonsense.
PLEASE learn how to pronounce simple German names!
It’s “HĪNE-kul,” not “HEN-kul”!
Interesting documentary but what was up with the rock and roll in the back ground?
Behold the wonder of the German Fairey Battle.
A very long way from stunning as a bomber. A nice looking plane and fast in its day, but useless in serious combat.
Is it just me, or does the head-on view of this plane look like it's wearing a pair of sunglasses? 🤓😎
The Germans were almost onto the right combination to produce a Mosquito type light bomber, using speed as it's defence against fighters.
Throwing out the extra crewman and machinegun, I know it would have topped it's previous speed.
Of course, once they discovered the damn thing liked to burn, it could only ever have been used for civilian purposes far from the front.
the rock background music is horrendous
Wever was a strong advocate of strategic bombing and one of the few voices that recognized that the large distances in the inevitable conflict with Russia would require a long distance heavy bomber capable of bombing factories East of the Urals. Goering and others believed the war would be over quickly and a heavy bomber would only consume scare resources ( which was true) His loss really setback the program of being able to inflect damage to the industries that supplied the weaponry that the Germans would face on the battlefield in the East.
NOT "henkel", it is pronounced "highnkel". GEE! How many years have you been with German history now? LEARN the correct pronounciations. CRIKEY!
Complimentary algorithm enhancement comment!😊
The Japanese bought one which led to in the inspiration for the Val.
I'm not sure that hanging out of the cockpit dangling a heavy camera, was the best way to go about taking pictures.
The music is distracting and off-putting
I've always wondered how aircraft like this were developed at the same time as aerodynamic insanities like the Ju52
The background music made this unwatchable. thumbs down.
Drinking game. Everytime you see the observer with the camera over the side…..Drink.😂
You've overdosed on hyperbole pills again haven't you?
it your genius idea of including elektron in their aircraft, isn't it?
I once made a Hungarian markings He 170 from a kit, so thanks for bringing that into the video. Yes, it looked impressive and modern enough, but there needs to be more for a front-line combat type. Noting that some have commented to that effect, the He 70 was featured in Heinz Nowarra's book on the He 111, in which it was unavoidable to have photos juxtaposed with each other of the He 70 and the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire to show the influence the former had on the latter's design. It was ironic, therefore, that the Spitfire was the nemesis of many a He 111 in the Battle of Britain. I do think that you need to tone the commentary down to increase your channel's credibility, however and the flexibly mounted defensive machine gun would have been an MG 15, not an MG 17.
Heinkel: Hine- kul not Hen-kel.
Please lose the annoying background music.
I’m just exhausted by what I can only assume is your deliberate mispronunciation of names. It’s not as if it’s even difficult to find out such things.
Unsubscribed.
That's where the spitfire got it's wing 🤔
Der von Google verwendete Algorithmus ist erbärmlich
Google-Mitarbeiter sind eindeutig nicht intelligent, geschweige denn haben Moral undankbare nutzlose POS 😂 Nichts ist so erbärmlich wie ein Feigling
Google wird nicht Ist Google, du triffst Entscheidungen, die dich teuer zu stehen kommen werden. Du undankbares Stück Scheiße wirst dafür bezahlen, dass du das Recht der Amerikaner auf freie Meinungsäußerung missbrauchst. Versteh das, verdammt noch mal.⏳
I enjoyed the video as always. I liked the music, too.
What is the deal with this narration? 'Way too many extra hyperbolic adjectives, too little facts. I'll tune in Greg instead.
That background music is really annoying. Prefer to watch with subtitles and no sound.
At time mark 7.54 how was this done in 1976? Or is he trying to speak too quickly?
Ive heard of it now
nobody says from the outset. its from the onset
It's unwatchable with this music. I like old style better
Why keep showing a FW-190 being shot down?