First Since 1924

Flight Journal, Feb 2004 by Bodie, Warren M

Top world speed record by a landplane

UNDER THE THUMB OF ADOLF HITLER, following his 1933 Putsch, the Nazi regime in Germany declared a propaganda war-based on Nazi power and sport-record successes-on the WWI Allies, except for Italy. Through auto-racing events and the Olympics that were held in Germany, the propaganda machine of Joseph Goebbels started to demonstrate its impact. During that period, Hitler's violations of the 1918 surrender conditions and League of Nations rules failed to generate forceful responses, and he began to build a powerful Luftwaffe.

As part of that scheme, aircraft designers Ernst Heinkel and Willy Messerschmitt were commanded to create new aircraft that would be capable of raising the Absolute World Speed Record to new heights. As part of the propaganda, a new Heinkel he 100D "fighter" was produced in small numbers, and a clever and effective scheme of periodically releasing photos of the planes with different markings convinced the world that this sleek new fighter was in military service.

It was a stunningly advanced airplane for 1939 and equal to the British Supermarine Spitfire in beauty. At least eight, highly modified machines were created to break the Absolute World Speed Record under FAI rules. Since 1934, that record had been held by Italy with its Macchi-Castoldi MC.72 seaplane. No landplane had been competitive for the title since the French Bemard-Ferbois V.2 established a record at 277.81 mph in 1924. Every attempt to establish a new record since then had involved a twin-float seaplane because airfields and landing gears had been inadequate for the job for 15 years.

Requirements to establish a record involved making four consecutive passes over a regulation course, two in each direction.

Being able to take off and land and carry adequate fuel for the mission was mandatory, and of course, the speed record had to be broken by an established margin.

Heinkel's he 100 V8 appeared to be a fast new fighter, but it didn't carry weapons and had minimal wing area, fuel and coolant capacity. Bearing a civil registry; of D-IDGH, the small, sleek He 100 V8 landplane eclipsed the 1934 MC-72's 440.68mph speed under less than ideal conditions on March 30, 1939, by almost 23mph with pilot Hans Dieterle at the controls. The homologated record-average speed was 463.92mph.

Goebbels' propaganda machine crudely plastered a paper overlay bearing a phony military identification marking on one side and took pictures for quick release to all media. That marking, 42C 11, was applied with such haste that a multitude of wrinkles were obvious. Germany's national military crosses were applied to the wing, but the Nazi swastika disappeared from the rudder. Basic visible differences between the He 100 V8 and the "service" He 100D fighter airplanes were the windshield and the wingspan reduction to 24 feet, 11¼ inches from 30 feet, 10¾ inches.

On April 26, 1939, a completely new Messerschmitt Me 209 V1 was deceptively publicized as being an Me 109R when it established a speed record of 469.22mph. Under similar conditions (weather and more power), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heinkel was certain he could beat that record, however, the Nazi war machine was already being assembled to attack Poland. Heinkel was ordered to "cease and desist" all efforts to raise the record speed because Willy Messerschmitt was politically strongly favored over Ernst Heinkel.-Warren M. Bodie