Heinkel HD 41

The Heinkel HD 41 was a reconnaissance aircraft developed in Germany in the 1920s. The first prototype, the HD 41a, had a Siemens Jupiter VI engine of about 390 kilowatts, and its designers paid particular attention to its flight characteristics so that machine guns could be added if necessary to turn it into a fighter. One HD 41a was built, followed by one HD 41b with a BMW VI engine and two HD 41c aircraft with the BMW VI 7.3Zu. The two HD 41c machines were both converted into early Heinkel He 45 aircraft: the first became the first pre-production He 45A and the second became the prototype He 45 with a new registration. The HD 41a had a wingspan of 11.5 metres and a maximum speed of 232 kilometres per hour.