Heinkel He 031

The Heinkel He 031 was a late‑1930s German project that never progressed beyond the drawing board, yet it exemplifies the ambition of Heinkel’s design bureau during the pre‑war years. Conceived in 1938 as a twin‑engine, low‑wing heavy bomber intended for long‑range strategic missions, the He 031 was to combine the emerging advantages of all‑metal construction with aerodynamic refinements derived from Heinkel’s earlier transport and reconnaissance aircraft. The design called for two Daimler‑Benz DB 603 liquid‑cooled V12 engines mounted on the wings, driving four‑bladed propellers that would give the plane a top speed of roughly 540 km/h (335 mph) at altitude. Its internal bomb bay was planned to hold up to 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) of ordnance, while a dorsal gun turret and ventral defensive positions would provide crew protection.

Although the Luftwaffe ultimately preferred the Heinkel He 111 and the Junkers Ju 88 for medium‑range bombing, the He 031 served as a testbed for concepts later applied to the Heinkel He 177 “Greif,” Germany’s only four‑engine heavy bomber in service. The project's emphasis on high‑speed, high‑payload capability foreshadowed post‑war bomber development and illustrated Heinkel’s willingness to push the limits of contemporary aeronautical engineering, leaving a modest yet instructive legacy in aviation history.