Trade and industry | 1900 up to 1950 | Mecklenburg until 1945

Model of a Heinkel He 178 (turbo jet aeroplane)

Modell Heinkel He 178 (Turbostrahlflugzeug)

Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke A.G.
Rostock 1939
scale 1:5
wing span 160 cm

The He 178 was the first aeroplane in the world with a jet engine. The maiden flight took place on 27^th August 1939 in Rostock. The test aeroplane had a duralumin fuselage with a shell construction and was a shoulder wing plane with retractable landing gear. The wings were made of wood that was protected by a layer of asbestos. The HeS 3 jet engine was constructed under the leadership of Hans von Ohain.

The two test aeroplanes went missing during the Second World War.

The “Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke”, founded in Rostock-Warnemünde in 1922, are among the most important aircraft factories in Germany. They have been in existence since May 1945.

Text: K. Mö.