Heinkel He 111: Luftwaffe Medium Bomber in World War II

Although more Junkers Ju 88 were produced, the Heinkel He 111 is one of the most recognizable German bombers of World War II. Developed as an airliner to cover the warplane’s true intent, the He 111 received its combat initiation during the Spanish Civil War. It served as a bomber, maritime reconnaissance, and torpedo bomber until Germany lost air superiority, relegating remaining airframes transport roles.

The He 111’s importance and its distinctive shape have long made it a popular subject and there are kits in all the major aircraft scales and a few odd ones such as 1/64 and 1/600. If you are interested in the bomber and want a reference for your next project, you’ll want Heinkel He 111: Luftwaffe Medium Bomber in World War II by Ron Mackay. Part of Schiffer’s Legends of Warfare Aviation series, the 112-page hardcover brims with photos.

In the early chapters, Mackay quickly works through the bomber’s development and the initial variants B through J including a chapter about the Spanish Civil War. He devotes 15 pages to the He 111P, the first with the distinctive rounded nose glazing, but more than half of the book looks at the most numerous variant the He 111H. Scores of wartime photos, some color, show the aircraft operating on most theaters in a variety of conditions. Detailed captions detail the place and time of the images.

This is a great resource for your next build of this iconic plane!

-FineScale Modeler Editor, Aaron Skinner