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| SPECIFICATIONS |
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| ENGINE |
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Two Rolls-Royce Merlin 500s developing 1,600 h.p. each |
| ARMAMENT |
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CASA 2111: normally unarmed
He-111: up to six 7.92 machine guns or 20mm cannons and 6,600 lbs. of ordnance |
| WING SPAN |
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74 feet, 1 inch |
| LENGTH |
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53 feet, 9 inches |
| HEIGHT |
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13 feet, 1 inch |
| MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT |
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30,800 pounds |
| CREW |
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5 |
| MANUFACTURED BY |
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Construccions Aeronauticas S.A. |
| TOTAL BUILT |
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Over 7,000 |
| TOTAL EXISTING |
|
15 |
| FIRST BUILT |
|
1935 |
| MUSEUM'S AIRCRAFT BUILT |
|
1950 |
| MAXIMUM SPEED |
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288 m.p.h. |
| RANGE |
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1,277 miles |
| SERVICE CEILING |
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32,800 feet |
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The Heinkel He-111's sleek lines mask the plane's capability and versatility as a medium bomber. This aircraft, sometimes called the “Flying Spade”,
was classified as a passenger/mail plane to circumvent limits imposed on German rearmament by the Treaty of Versailles. The Heinkel He-111, a rugged and
dependable bomber, saw combat in support of Franco's Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War and later during World War II. Produced in large numbers,
the He-111 operated extensively around the world for more than two decades.
Heinkel designed the aircraft in the early 1930s and production of the He-111 began in November 1936. Almost from its introduction, the He-111 was engaged in
combat. Early model He-111s served in Spain with the infamous “Condor Legion”. From September 1939 to May 1944, He-111 s remained in continuous
action in the skies of Europe. During the course of the war He-111s fought over Poland, Norway, France, the Balkans, Iraq, the Soviet Union, North Africa, the
North Sea, as well as the Arctic and Mediterranean Oceans.
The He-111 was well liked by its crews and, despite its relatively light defensive armament, the He-111 was able to fend off enemy fighter attacks and return to
base with heavy damage. The He-111 was also very adaptable. He-111s were used to launch V-1 “Buzz Bombs”, drop paratroopers, and a massive five-engined
variant, the He-111Z, was used to tow combat gliders. The He-111 was exported and/or produced in a number of different countries. He-111s were shipped to China,
Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria. Roughly 7,000 He-111s (of all models) were produced. Beginning in 1943 the Spanish received around 100 He-111
as gifts from Nazi Germany and also produced 130 He-111 copies. Initially, these Spanish-built He-111s, known as CASA 2111s, were fitted with German engines.
However, between 1953 and 1956, Spain purchased 173 Rolls-Royce Merlin engines and fitted these engines to the seventy remaining Spanish He-111 airframes.
The complete history of the Cavanaugh Flight Museum's CASA 2111E remains a mystery. The aircraft was manufactured in 1950 with Merlin engines and served as a transport
and target tug in the Spanish Air Force. In 1969 the plane appeared in the movie “The Battle of Britain” (it received German markings for the role). The
aircraft was brought to the United States in 1977 from Europe and was based at Harlingen, Texas until 1983 when it was sold and flown to the Combat Air Museum in
Topeka, Kansas. The Cavanaugh Flight Museum purchased the aircraft in 1995 and it is currently one of only two He-111/CASA 2111s in North America.
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