Heinkel He 219 - interesting pictures and details

Heinkel He219 cockpit

Final assembly of an Heinkel He219 A-0

Front view of the Heinkel He219 V5

Gallery - NEW UPDATE

New set of pictures: UPDATE

Heinkel He219, Design and development of Uhu. Part 4. German Dzib -Compiler-

Design and development

The first six months of the war against Great Britain, which broke out on 3rd September 1939, made the Luftwaffe high command realize that it was in dire need of a modern, fast, long-range reconnaissance aircraft, capable of reconnoitring over British territory. The aircraft hitherto used to perform that role were modified Heinkel He 111s and Junkers Ju 88s, the Luftwaffe’s standard bombers pressed into service as scouts. Their dedicated crews, manning aircraft so vulnerable to interception, could only hope that their luck would hold out.

Their mounts were too slow to outrun Hurricanes or Spitfires, and their defensive armament was too weak to keep fighters at bay.

Revi 16 B sight with additional control levers led behind the armour plate to the cockpit. [Visualisation 3D Marek Ryś]

Restoration News: Heinkel He 219 Night Fighter. Part 3. German Dzib -Compiler-

Thursday, July 17, was an exciting day at the Paul E. Garber Restoration Facility, and another step towards the completion of one major aircraft currently undergoing restoration:  the wing of the Heinkel He 219 Uhunight fighter was prepared for its move to the Udvar Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. The He 219 was Germany’s best night fighter in World War II, and possibly the best night fighter of the war. It was a piston-engine aircraft specifically designed for night fighting operation — a status it shared with only one other aircraft in the war, the American Northrop P-61 Black Widow. Notable features include the first steerable nose wheel on an operational German aircraft, the world’s first ejection seats on an operational aircraft, and cannons mounted to fire at an oblique angle (the so-called “Schräge Musik”).

Night Eyes of the Luftwaffe. Heinkel He219 Uhu. Part 1. German Dzib-Compiler-

The Heinkel HE 219 Uhu “Eagle-Owl”, was a night fighter that server with the German Luftwaffe in the later stages of World War II.
A relatively sophisticated design, the He 219 possessed a variety of innovations, including Lichtenstein SN-2 advanced VHF-band intercept radar, also used on the Ju 88G and Bf 110G night fighters. It was also the first operational military aircraft to be equipped with ejection seats and the first operational German World War II-era aircraft with tricycle landing gear. Had the Uhu been available in quantity, it might have had a significant effect on the strategic night bombing offensive of the Royal Air Force but only 294 of all models were built by the end of the war and these saw only limited service. (1)