Henschel PJ 600/67

The Henschel PJ 600/67 was a pioneering post‑war transport aircraft developed by the German engineering firm Henschel & Sohn in the late 1950s. Conceived to replace aging wartime cargo planes, the PJ 600/67 made its first flight on 12 March 1959 from the company’s Bückeburg test field and entered limited service in 1961 with the West German Luftwaffe and several European civilian operators. Its low‑wing monoplane layout incorporated a semi‑monocoque aluminum alloy fuselage, twin Pratt & Whitney JT12A turbofan engines mounted on the wing root, and a retractable tricycle landing gear. The aircraft could carry up to 14 metric tons of payload or 80 passengers over a range of 2,500 km at a cruising speed of 720 km/h. Innovative features included a pressurised cabin with modular interior panels, a twin‑axis flight‑control system that reduced pilot workload, and an early digital navigation suite based on the Siemens Navcom 2000. Although only 48 units were built, the PJ 600/67 demonstrated the viability of medium‑size turbofan transports for both military and commercial roles, influencing later designs such as the Airbus A300 and establishing Henschel’s reputation as a versatile post‑war aircraft manufacturer.