Heinkel HD 36

The Heinkel HD 36 was a German single‑engine biplane developed in the mid‑1920s by Ernst Heinkel’s aircraft company. Designed as a light transport and training aircraft, the HD 36 first flew in 1926 and was quickly ordered by the Swedish Air Force, which designated it the Sk 5. The type featured a conventional two‑bay biplane layout with unequal span wings, a wooden fuselage covered in fabric, and a fixed, split‑axle undercarriage. Power was supplied by a 240 hp (180 kW) Napier Lion or a BMW VI inline engine, depending on the customer, giving a top speed of roughly 170 km/h and a range of 600 km. The cockpit was open for the pilot, while the cabin could accommodate up to four passengers or a small batch of trainees. Only a handful of examples were built, but the HD 36 played a pivotal role in the early adoption of civil‑military hybrid aircraft in Scandinavia, demonstrating the practicality of multi‑role designs. Its operational use paved the way for later Heinkel transports such as the He 70, and it remains a noteworthy example of interwar experimentation that bridged the gap between wartime fighters and peacetime airliners.

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