Heinkel He 60

The Heinkel He 60 was a German single-engined biplane reconnaissance seaplane of the 1930s, designed to be catapulted from Kriegsmarine warships. It was designed by Heinkel engineer Reinhold Mewes, who also designed the He 59, and was built of mixed wood and metal with fabric covering. The first prototype flew early in 1933 and proved underpowered with its 492 kW BMW VI engine. A more powerful version of the engine in the second prototype improved performance only slightly and was unreliable, so production aircraft reverted to the original engine. About 200 He 60C and He 60D aircraft were built by Arado and Weser. Deliveries began to Kriegsmarine training units in June 1933, and from 1934 the He 60C flew from the catapults of all German cruisers. All He 60s were out of service by October 1943.