Heinkel He 70 Blitz

He 70
General information
Type	Mail plane, Passenger
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Heinkel Flugzeugwerke
Primary users	Deutsche Luft Hansa Luftwaffe Royal Hungarian Air Force Ejército del Aire
Number built	324
History
Introduction date	1933
First flight	1 December 1932
Retired	1954 (Spanish Air Force[1])

The Heinkel He 70 Blitz ("lightning") was a fast monoplane aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Heinkel Flugzeugwerke. It was the first Schnellbomber operated by the Luftwaffe.

Development of the He 70 commenced in the early 1930s in response to a request from Deutsche Lufthansa for a fast mail plane. Heinkel designed a low-wing cantilever monoplane that incorporated various measures to minimise drag, including its use of an aerodynamically efficient elliptical wing, a smooth external finish, and a retractable undercarriage. The He 70 was powered by a single nose-mounted BMW VI 7.3 Z engine and cooled via a relatively compact retractable radiator as a further drag-reducing measure. The first prototype performed its maiden flight on 1 December 1932 and set eight separate world speed records over the following months.

The He 70 was adopted by Deutsche Lufthansa in 1934, although its commercial career was relatively brief before the type was eclipsed by larger and more capable aircraft. In addition to its civilian use, the He 70 was also adapted for military purposes, in which capacity it was flown in both the bomber and aerial reconnaissance capacities. In addition to the Luftwaffe, militarised models were operated by both the Royal Hungarian Air Force and the Ejército del Aire. The type was already relegated to secondary roles, such as training, by the outbreak of the Second World War. The He 70 is perhaps best known as being an ancestor to the Heinkel He 111, a larger bomber that featured similar elliptical wings and a streamlined fuselage.