Heinkel
Heinkel HD 20
The Heinkel HD 20 was a single‑engine, low‑wing monoplane developed by the German aircraft company Heinkel in the early 1930s. Intended primarily as a sport and touring aircraft, the HD 20 first flew in 1932 and represented Heinkel’s effort to expand beyond military designs into the civilian market. Powered by a 120 hp Argus As 10 inverted V‑8 engine, the airplane featured a wooden wing with plywood covering and a steel‑tube fuselage clad in fabric, giving it a lightweight yet robust structure. Its enclosed cockpit accommodated two seats side by side, and the aircraft’s relatively short wingspan of 9.2 m provided agile handling, while the fixed tailskid undercarriage simplified maintenance.
Only a handful of examples were built, as the rapid growth of Germany’s military aviation program shifted factory priorities toward fighter and bomber production. Nevertheless, the HD 20 served as a testbed for aerodynamic refinements and construction techniques that later appeared in Heinkel’s more famous models such as the He 70 and He 111. The aircraft’s modest success demonstrated the viability of modern low‑wing touring designs and contributed to the evolution of German civil aviation during the interwar period.
Only a handful of examples were built, as the rapid growth of Germany’s military aviation program shifted factory priorities toward fighter and bomber production. Nevertheless, the HD 20 served as a testbed for aerodynamic refinements and construction techniques that later appeared in Heinkel’s more famous models such as the He 70 and He 111. The aircraft’s modest success demonstrated the viability of modern low‑wing touring designs and contributed to the evolution of German civil aviation during the interwar period.
Classification
Production & History
- First Flight
- 1926
Design & Classification
- Manufacturer
- Heinkel
- Developer
- Heinkel
- Engine
- Whirlwind
- Operator
-
Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt
- Wikidata ID
- Q16563008