Heinkel He 162

The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger was Germany’s emergency jet fighter of 1945, a small, simple aircraft built largely of wood and designed to be flown by hastily trained pilots, including members of the Hitler Youth, in the final months of the Second World War. Designed and built in less than three months, the He 162 was fast and agile, but it was also dangerous to fly, and only a handful saw combat before the war ended, although its design influenced jet aircraft around the world.

1. Key Facts

Field	Value
Type	Single-seat jet fighter
Country	Germany
Service period	1945 (January–May 1945)
Production	About 320 built; about 120 delivered to units
Length	9.05 metres (29.7 feet)
Wingspan	7.20 metres (23.6 feet)
Height	2.60 metres (8.5 feet)
Crew	1 pilot
Engine	BMW 003E-1 turbojet, 800 kg thrust
Speed	905 km/h (562 mph) at 6,000 metres
Range	About 975 km (606 miles)
Service ceiling	12,000 metres (39,370 feet)
Main armament	2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon (some with 2 × 30 mm MK 108)
Bomb load	None (fighter only)
Main theatres	Defence of the Reich; northern Germany 1945

2. Development and Design

The Emergency Fighter Programme

The Heinkel He 162 was the product of the Emergency Fighter Programme, launched by the German Air Ministry in September 1944, when the Luftwaffe was losing the air war and needed a new fighter that could be built quickly, cheaply, and in large numbers, using materials that were not in short supply. The programme called for a small, single-engine jet fighter that could be built largely of wood, by workers who were not skilled aircraft builders, and that could be flown by pilots with minimal training, including members of the Hitler Youth. The specification was issued on 8 September 1944, and the competing designs were submitted within days, with Heinkel’s design, the He 162, winning the competition on 15 September, only a week after the specification was issued.

Designed and Built in Ninety Days

The He 162 was designed by a team led by Siegfried Günter, and it was built with extraordinary speed, with the first prototype flying on 6 December 1944, less than three months after the design was selected. The aircraft was built largely of wood, with plywood wings and a wooden fuselage, and it used a single BMW 003 turbojet engine mounted on top of the fuselage, behind the cockpit, an unusual arrangement that gave the pilot a good view forward but that made the aircraft difficult to handle. The design was simple and light, with a weight of only 2,800 kilograms empty, and it was intended to be built in factories that had never built aircraft, including furniture factories and woodworking shops.

The Volksjäger Concept

The name Volksjäger, or People’s Fighter, reflected the Nazi idea that the aircraft would be flown by the people, by young pilots with little training, who would defend Germany against the Allied bombers. The concept was unrealistic, for jet aircraft required skilled pilots, and the He 162 was a difficult aircraft to fly, with a high landing speed and a tendency to spin, but the Nazi leadership, including Hermann Göring and Albert Speer, supported the programme, and it was given high priority. The aircraft was also intended to be cheap, with a cost of only a fraction of a Messerschmitt Me 262, and to be built in large numbers, with plans for 1,000 aircraft per month, although these plans were never realised.

3. Technical Specifications

The BMW 003 Turbojet

The He 162 was powered by a single BMW 003E-1 turbojet, producing 800 kilograms of thrust, which was mounted on top of the fuselage, behind the cockpit, and which gave the aircraft a top speed of 905 kilometres per hour at 6,000 metres. The engine was a simple axial-flow turbojet, with a compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine, and it was reliable and easy to maintain, although it had a short service life and it consumed fuel rapidly. The engine’s position on top of the fuselage gave the pilot a clear view forward, but it also meant that the intake was close to the cockpit, and that the pilot had to be careful not to ingest debris on take-off. The engine was also vulnerable to damage, and a hit to the engine would disable the aircraft.

Two 20 mm Cannon

The He 162 was armed with two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, mounted in the nose, with 120 rounds per gun, which gave the aircraft a good punch against bombers and fighters. Some aircraft were fitted with two 30 mm MK 108 cannon instead, which were more powerful but which had a lower muzzle velocity and a shorter range, and which caused problems with the aircraft’s structure, as the recoil was too strong for the wooden fuselage. The 20 mm guns were the standard armament, and they were effective against Allied bombers, although the He 162 saw too little combat to prove itself. The aircraft had no armour protection for the pilot in its early versions, although later aircraft were fitted with a small armoured plate behind the cockpit.

Performance and Handling

The He 162 was fast, with a top speed of 905 kilometres per hour, which made it one of the fastest aircraft of the war, and it was agile, with a good rate of climb and a tight turning circle. The aircraft was, however, difficult to fly, with a high landing speed, a tendency to pitch up, and a dangerous spin characteristic, and it required a skilled pilot to fly safely. The wooden construction also made the aircraft vulnerable to damage, and the glue used to bond the plywood was found to be defective, causing the wings to fail in flight in several accidents. The He 162 was a promising design, but it was rushed into service before it was ready, and it killed more of its own pilots in accidents than it killed enemies in combat.

4. Combat Service

The First Jet Fighter Unit

The He 162 entered service in January 1945, with the first aircraft delivered to Jagdgeschwader 1, a fighter wing based at Parchim in northern Germany, which was tasked with defending the Reich against Allied bombers. The pilots of JG 1 were experienced fighter pilots, not the Hitler Youth pilots for whom the aircraft had been designed, and they found the He 162 to be fast but difficult to fly, with a high accident rate that claimed several aircraft in the first weeks of service. The unit began operations in April 1945, flying patrols over northern Germany and engaging Allied aircraft, although the number of sorties was small and the results were modest.

Combat Operations in April 1945

The He 162 saw its first combat in April 1945, when aircraft of JG 1 engaged Allied fighters over northern Germany, and the unit claimed several victories, including a British Tempest and an American P-51 Mustang, although these claims are disputed and the exact number of victories is unclear. The He 162 also engaged Allied bombers, but the war was almost over, and the unit had too few aircraft and too little fuel to make a difference. The last He 162 operations were flown in early May 1945, just before Germany surrendered, and the remaining aircraft were captured by British forces, who tested them and found them to be fast but dangerous.

Accidents and Losses

The He 162 suffered a high accident rate, with many aircraft lost in training and in operational flying, and the aircraft’s wooden construction and its handling problems contributed to the losses. The first prototype was lost in December 1944, when the wing failed in flight, killing the test pilot, and several more aircraft were lost in similar accidents. The He 162 was a rushed design, and it was not ready for service, but the desperate situation of Germany in 1945 meant that it was sent to the front anyway, with predictable results.

5. Variants

The He 162A and Its Subtypes

The He 162 was produced in several subtypes, with the He 162A-1 carrying two 30 mm MK 108 cannon, and the He 162A-2 carrying two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, which was the standard production version. There were also prototypes with different engines, including the Heinkel HeS 011, which was more powerful than the BMW 003, but which was not ready in time for production. The He 162 was also tested with a variety of armaments, including rockets and bombs, although none of these entered service.

The He 162 in British and French Hands

After the war, He 162s were captured by the British and the French, who tested them and evaluated their design, and the aircraft influenced the development of jet fighters in both countries. The British tested the He 162 at Farnborough, and found it to be fast and manoeuvrable, but also dangerous and poorly built, with defective glue and with a tendency to spin. The French also tested the aircraft, and they used its design as a basis for their own jet fighters, although the He 162 itself never entered service with any air force after the war.

Unbuilt Developments

Heinkel proposed several developments of the He 162, including a two-seat trainer, a reconnaissance version, and a version with a more powerful engine, but none was built, and the war ended before any of these designs could be developed. The He 162 remains a unique aircraft, a jet fighter built of wood, in three months, for pilots who had never flown a jet, and its story is a testament to the desperation of Germany in 1945. Heinkel also studied a two-seat trainer version, the He 162S, and a reconnaissance variant with cameras in the nose, but the war ended before either could be built, and only a handful of airframes were found incomplete in the factories.

6. Strengths

Speed and Simplicity

The great strength of the He 162 was its speed, for at 905 kilometres per hour, it was one of the fastest aircraft of the war, and it could outrun any Allied piston-engined fighter. The aircraft was also simple and cheap to build, with a wooden structure that could be assembled by unskilled workers, and it used a single engine that was available in large numbers. The He 162 was a clever design, with a small, light airframe and a powerful engine, and it showed what could be achieved with limited resources and with a tight deadline.

A Promising Aerodynamic Design

The He 162 was aerodynamically clean, with a small frontal area, a swept wing, and a single engine mounted on top of the fuselage, which gave it a low drag and a high speed. The aircraft was also agile, with a good rate of climb and a tight turning circle, and its pilots found it to be a pleasant aircraft to fly, once they had mastered its quirks. The design was ahead of its time in some respects, and it influenced later jet fighters, including the French Dassault Ouragan and the British Hawker Hunter, which also used a single engine and a similar layout.

Rapid Development

The speed with which the He 162 was designed and built, in less than three months from specification to first flight, was a remarkable achievement, and it showed the skill of Heinkel’s designers and the efficiency of the German aircraft industry, even in the final months of the war. The aircraft was a testament to what could be done under pressure, and it remains one of the fastest aircraft development programmes in history. The first prototype flew on 6 December 1944, only eighty-nine days after the contract was awarded, and the second prototype followed within two weeks, a pace that was achieved by working around the clock and by accepting risks that would have been unthinkable in peacetime.

7. Weaknesses

Dangerous Handling and Structural Failures

The main weakness of the He 162 was its dangerous handling, with a high landing speed, a tendency to spin, and a pitch-up problem that could cause the aircraft to stall without warning. The wooden construction was also a weakness, for the glue used to bond the plywood was defective, and several aircraft lost their wings in flight, killing their pilots. The aircraft was rushed into service before it was ready, and it was not safe to fly, a fact that was known to its designers but that was ignored by the Nazi leadership.

The Volksjäger Concept and Pilot Training

The concept of the Volksjäger, a fighter flown by hastily trained pilots, was unrealistic, for jet aircraft require skilled pilots, and the He 162 was a difficult aircraft that needed an experienced pilot to fly safely. The plan to use Hitler Youth pilots was never realised, for the war ended before the training programme could be completed, and the aircraft was flown by experienced pilots who still found it difficult to handle. The He 162 was a solution to a problem that did not exist, for Germany needed experienced pilots and fuel, not a new aircraft.

Short Range and Limited Armament

The He 162 had a short range, with only about 975 kilometres, and a limited armament of two 20 mm cannon, which was adequate for a fighter but not outstanding. The aircraft also had no armour in its early versions, and it was vulnerable to enemy fire. The He 162 was a light fighter, designed for short-range interception, and it was not suited to long-range operations or to ground attack. With only about thirty minutes of fuel at full power, the He 162 could make a single interception and return to base, which left little margin for a missed approach or for a prolonged dogfight, and its two cannon carried only 120 rounds per gun.

8. Comparison with Rivals

Against the Messerschmitt Me 262

Compared with the Me 262, the first operational jet fighter, the He 162 was smaller, lighter, and cheaper, but it was also less well armed, with two 20 mm cannon against the Me 262’s four 30 mm cannon, and it had a shorter range and a lower service ceiling. The Me 262 was a more capable aircraft, with two engines and a heavier armament, but it was also more expensive and more difficult to build, and it required more fuel and more maintenance. The He 162 was intended to complement the Me 262, not to replace it, and it was a simpler, cheaper alternative for mass production.

Against Allied Fighters

Against Allied fighters such as the P-51 Mustang and the Hawker Tempest, the He 162 was faster, with a top speed of 905 kilometres per hour against the Mustang’s 708 kilometres per hour, but it was less well armed and less durable, and its pilots were less experienced. The He 162 could outrun Allied fighters, but it could not outfight them in a prolonged dogfight, and its short range limited its usefulness. The aircraft was a threat to Allied bombers, but it arrived too late and in too few numbers to make a difference.

Against the Gloster Meteor

Against the British Gloster Meteor, the first Allied jet fighter, the He 162 was faster and more agile, but the Meteor was better built, more reliable, and flown by experienced pilots. The Meteor entered service in 1944, a year before the He 162, and it was used to intercept V-1 flying bombs, while the He 162 was used to defend Germany against bombers. The comparison shows that the He 162 was a promising design, but it was built too late and under too much pressure to succeed.

9. Legacy

The Fastest Development Programme of the War

The legacy of the Heinkel He 162 is its status as one of the fastest aircraft development programmes in history, a jet fighter designed and built in less than three months, using wood and unskilled labour, in the final months of a losing war. The aircraft is remembered as a symbol of German ingenuity and of Nazi desperation, a design that was brilliant in concept but flawed in execution, and that killed more of its own pilots than it killed enemies.

Influence on Post-War Jet Design

The He 162 influenced post-war jet design, particularly in France, where the Dassault Ouragan and the Mystere were based on similar principles, and in Britain, where the aircraft was tested and evaluated. The He 162’s layout, with a single engine mounted on top of the fuselage, was unusual, but it showed that a jet fighter could be small, light, and simple, and that it did not need to be a large, complex aircraft. The He 162 is preserved in museums in Britain, Germany, and the United States, where visitors can see the small, wooden jet that was built in ninety days.

Remembering the He 162 Pilots

The pilots of the He 162 are remembered for their courage, for flying a dangerous aircraft in the final weeks of the war, when Germany was already defeated, and for doing so with skill and determination. The He 162 is a reminder that in war, desperation can produce remarkable innovation, but that innovation alone cannot win a war that is already lost. Jagdgeschwader 1, the only wing to fly the He 162 in combat, lost more pilots to accidents than to enemy action, and its survivors were interrogated by British officers who were astonished by the risks the young pilots had been asked to take.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Heinkel He 162s were built?
About 320 He 162s were built, with about 120 delivered to operational units, although only a handful saw combat before the war ended in May 1945.

Why was the He 162 called the Volksjäger?
Volksjäger means People’s Fighter, and the name reflected the Nazi idea that the aircraft would be flown by hastily trained pilots, including members of the Hitler Youth, although in practice it was flown by experienced Luftwaffe pilots.

How fast was the He 162?
The He 162 had a top speed of 905 km/h (562 mph) at 6,000 metres, making it one of the fastest aircraft of the Second World War.

Was the He 162 made of wood?
Yes, the He 162 was built largely of wood, with plywood wings and a wooden fuselage, because metal was in short supply and because wood could be worked by unskilled labour in furniture factories.

Did the He 162 see combat?
Yes, He 162s of Jagdgeschwader 1 flew combat operations in April and May 1945, claiming several Allied aircraft, although the exact number of victories is disputed and the unit had too few aircraft to make a difference.

Why was the He 162 dangerous to fly?
The He 162 had a high landing speed, a tendency to spin, and defective glue in its wooden wings, which caused several aircraft to lose their wings in flight, killing their pilots.

Sources

• David Myhra, The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger (Schiffer, 1999)
• Manfred Griehl, Heinkel He 162 (Airlife, 2001)
• The Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon, He 162 collection
• The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, He 162 collection
• William Green, Warplanes of the Third Reich (1970)