Heinkel He 343
Encyclopedia
The Heinkel
He 343 was a four-engine jet
bomber
project.
Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke
in the beginning of 1944. 20 of these aircraft were ordered. For shortening the development time and for re-use of existing parts, its general design was envisioned along the lines of an enlarged Arado Ar 234
. For a choice of engines, the Junkers Jumo 004
and the Heinkel HeS 011 were planned.
The DFS
was involved in the project and created the project known as P1068. By the end of 1944 work was nearly finished by the Heinkel engineers, with parts for the He 343 prototype aircraft either under fabrication or in a finished state, when the order was cancelled due to the Emergency Fighter Program.
Four versions were planned: the A-1 bomber, the A-2 reconnaissance
aircraft, and the A-3 and B-1 Zerstörer ("Destroyer") heavy fighter
s.
The Soviet Union
studied the found plans. They used some of the plans and ideas as a basis for the development of the Ilyushin Il-22
, with some of the parameters such as size and crew significantly changed. One prototype was built and flown. The results of the tests were used in development of the Ilyushin Il-28
.
Heinkel
Heinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight.-History:...
He 343 was a four-engine jet
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
project.
Design and development
It was designed by the GermanNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke
Heinkel
Heinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight.-History:...
in the beginning of 1944. 20 of these aircraft were ordered. For shortening the development time and for re-use of existing parts, its general design was envisioned along the lines of an enlarged Arado Ar 234
Arado Ar 234
The Arado Ar 234 was the world's first operational jet-powered bomber, built by the German Arado company in the closing stages of World War II. Produced in very limited numbers, it was used almost entirely in the reconnaissance role, but in its few uses as a bomber it proved to be nearly impossible...
. For a choice of engines, the Junkers Jumo 004
Junkers Jumo 004
The Jumo 004 was the world's first turbojet engine in production and operational use, and the first successful axial compressor jet engine ever built. Some 8,000 units were manufactured by Junkers in Germany during late World War II and powered the operational Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter,...
and the Heinkel HeS 011 were planned.
The DFS
Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug
The Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug, or DFS was formed in 1933 to centralise all gliding activity in Germany...
was involved in the project and created the project known as P1068. By the end of 1944 work was nearly finished by the Heinkel engineers, with parts for the He 343 prototype aircraft either under fabrication or in a finished state, when the order was cancelled due to the Emergency Fighter Program.
Four versions were planned: the A-1 bomber, the A-2 reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance that is conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles or reconnaissance aircraft. Their roles are to collect imagery intelligence, signals intelligence and measurement and signature intelligence...
aircraft, and the A-3 and B-1 Zerstörer ("Destroyer") heavy fighter
Heavy fighter
A heavy fighter is a fighter aircraft designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges. To achieve acceptable performance, most heavy fighters were twin-engined, and many had multi-place crews....
s.
The Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
studied the found plans. They used some of the plans and ideas as a basis for the development of the Ilyushin Il-22
Ilyushin Il-22
For the 1970s Airborne Command Post aircraft of the same designation, see Ilyushin Il-18For the 1970s Airborne Command Post aircraft of the same designation, see Ilyushin Il-18...
, with some of the parameters such as size and crew significantly changed. One prototype was built and flown. The results of the tests were used in development of the Ilyushin Il-28
Ilyushin Il-28
The Ilyushin Il-28 is a jet bomber aircraft of the immediate postwar period that was originally manufactured for the Soviet Air Force. It was the USSR's first such aircraft to enter large-scale production. It was also licence-built in China as the Harbin H-5. Total production in the USSR was 6,316...
.