He 100 D-1

He 100 D-1

He 112 A-0

He 100 D-1

He 112 A-0

Germany

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.7	1.7	2.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:4 000

Purchase:2 100

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Description

The He 100 D-1 is a rank I German fighter with a battle rating of 1.7 (AB/RB) and 2.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai".

He 100 is by loose definition a Boom and Zoom aircraft. Being the fastest plane at its rank, the He 100 enjoys a world of possibilities and tactics. If one attack run isn't enough to destroy the enemy, just extend or go into a zoom climb (which is aided by the plane's very good climb rate). When played with discipline, this tactic allows the He 100 to dominate almost every match it plays.

The He-100's biggest weakness is its cooling system, which is distributed all over the aircraft, especially in the nose and wings. If hit, there's a roughly 70% chance that it will begin to leak water and overheat, requiring an almost immediate return to base. Because of this, is vital to prioritize the safety of the aircraft when in battle. Even one stray bullet can be enough to send this plane back to the hangar.

Another weakness is the armament, which consists of only 3 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, which do not have the stopping power to take out bombers or more heavily armoured aircraft. Also, the ammunition supply is not extraordinarily large, so some trigger discipline will be required.

General info

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 5,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
649	633	9,500	21.4	21.9	11.9	13.7	350
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 5,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
693	670	9,500	18.6	20.0	21.3	16.6	350

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
820	320	500	~??	~?

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 340	< 420	< 400	> 312

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,000 m	1,020 hp	1,081 hp

Survivability and armour

• 10 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.
• No armour glazing
• Critical components located at front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
• Oil cooling system in vertical and horizontal stabilizers
• Oil cooling system in the upper rear fuselage
• Liquid cooling system in wings

Armaments

Offensive armament

The He 100 D-1 is armed with:

• 1 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun (500 rpg)
• 2 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

The three machine guns are arranged with one in each wing and one in the nose. Each is armed with the same amount of ammunition, which means that all guns will fire together until empty.

Usage in the battles

Disclaimer - He 100 is not a "beginner-friendly" plane, but in skilled hands, it can perform nothing short of miracles.

When flying it, try to build altitude right away, in most situations the He 100 will be the highest plane on both teams by the time the initial engagement begins. Pick off solo targets, prioritizing by altitude and not by enemy plane. If the enemy plane dives away, do not chase. When guaranteed that the He 100 has height superiority on both teams, use BnZ to pick off-targets. Do not turn fight unless certain the target can be shot down and the plane will not get hit by anything in the process.

A good tactic is to try and bait enemy fighters into chasing you. A good way to do this is to gather as much speed and altitude as you can. fly above the enemy, tempting them as an apparently easy target. When you see that an enemy aircraft is going chase you, go into a steep climb, almost vertical if possible. Keep a close eye on the chasing plane. When they begin to stall, turn around and dive on them. They will be slow and easy targets. Clever pilots will break off straight away and dive away. Do not follow them as you will lose your altitude advantage. For this to work you must ensure that you are the highest-flying plane in your vicinity. If an enemy fighter is higher than you they will be able to target you as you climb.

Sitting on the enemy tail is not a valid strategy due to a low calibre armament; a better strategy would be to dive and placing accurate shots at the pilot or fuel tanks of the enemy plane. Altitude is a very helpful friend. There will not be a single plane that the He 100 cannot outrun in any matchup. The He 100 is a very fragile piece of machine and will not take kindly to any damage at all. Avoid at all costs any head-ons or dangerous situations that will leave the plane vulnerable. As the game progresses to the "late-game", speed will carry games. Having the ability to chase off and pick off lonely and possibly damaged planes, is when the true strength of this plane shines. Use your excellent speed to quickly retreat to base for refuelling or rearming. In skilled hands, an He 100 is an absolutely devastating machine, capable of winning pretty much every game.

It is highly recommended to use stealth belts with this aircraft. Not only do they contain a high level of AP rounds, which are great for sniping pilots/ gunners and disabling engines, but it also allows you to fire on an enemy without tracer rounds giving your position away. This can give you some much needed time to place more shots on a target while they hesitate to try and locate you. Of course, it also means that you have to aim carefully, as there are no tracers to help you aim.

If you find yourself on the tail of something well armoured like an IL 2, it is best to aim for the wings. With luck, you will manage to remove the wing from the enemy aircraft, or at least cause some damage to fuel tanks. Engines are also a good target, especially on bombers. You are an extremely fragile aircraft, so be very careful of defensive gunners. Even low calibre guns are a big threat. Beware of tailing aircraft like the Bristol Beaufort and B-34, as the defensive .50 cals will be able to take you out from over a kilometre away. A single 12.7 mm round through your engine block or into the cockpit will end the He 100.

Despite a large amount of cooling systems on the aircraft, both water and oil will overheat quickly, especially when using WEP. It is advised that you watch your coolant temperatures frequently, as it is not uncommon to damage your own engine after staying on red temperatures for too long. It is important to mention that the manual engine control settings are identical to those of the Bf 109 series.

If tailed, it is recommended that you use WEP and try to run away, because even a small burst of their machine guns can badly damage your oil/cooling system, forcing you to return to the airfield for repairs. Using the Tracer belt can be useful for taking down enemy aircraft from almost 1 kilometer away, and with the 3 MGs right in the middle of your aircraft, expect lots of hits. This plane and its great engine allow you to hunt bombers by either tailing and destroying engines, or doing a vertical climb and shooting the nose of it, killing the pilot without a high risk of a machine gunner shooting you.

Specific enemies worth noting

Whilst you hold a top place for speed and climb rate, there are still planes that can take you out. Do not engage anything in a turn fight, even if you think you can win. It will make you bleed energy and vulnerable to other fighters. Even 7.7mm machine guns are a big threat to the He 100, so even biplanes can be a threat if they take you off guard. Head-ons are a massive no-no in this aircraft, as you will almost certainly be destroyed or come out with severe engine/cooling system damage.

MiG 3-15- A good climber, well-armed and quite fast. It is a big threat at high altitudes where it performs best.

Spitfire Mk Ia/ Mk IIa- Whilst the Spitfire does not perform well at high altitudes, it is the king at low altitude combat. Targeting a Spitfire can be difficult due to its great manoeuvrability, while its 8 7.7 mm machine guns will rip you to pieces if they find their target.

Bombers in general- Anything with defensive firepower can be a threat to the He 100. It is not advisable to target any bombers unless you are certain that you can destroy it quickly. Most bombers will simply soak up your 7.92 mm machine guns, taking minor damage. Meanwhile, any hits you take are liable to cause water leaks, which will eventually cause your engine to fail.

If flown properly at its BR range, the He 100 can be untouchable. Nothing can catch it in level flight, nearly nothing can catch it in a climb and it can out dive almost anything. As speed, dive rate and climb rate become some of the more important traits in later rank aircraft, the He 100 can be used in later rank combat quite effectively. The three machine guns remain adequate against most fighters up to rank IV, as long as you aim for weak points like the wings, engine or pilot.

Later rank aircraft to look out for:

La 5 and La 7 - The La range are some of the first proper Russian Boom & Zoom aircraft, with powerful engines, great climbing ability and deadly armament. Their energy retention is excellent and they will be able to keep up with you in a climb. Just a short burst from their cannons will obliterate you. When engaging them, employ Boom and Zoom tactics. Always climb at the start of the match, pick your target and then dive on it from above. Strafe it with machine gunfire. If you are lucky, you will destroy or cripple the target. If you do not, climb away using your energy from the dive and repeat. In other words, always ensure that you have an energy advantage. Diving on them in a surprise attack is the ideal way to take them out.

Counter-tactics

The He 100 can be a very frustrating aircraft to fight if it is in the right hands. When used strictly as a Boom and Zoomer, it can simply fly across the map, strafing other planes and then climbing away, steadily wearing down its opponents while being impossible to catch. The best way to take one out is to try to force it into a turn fight, where it will lose energy and become an easy target. If the pilot is disciplined and refuses to engage in a turn fight, try to gain an altitude advantage and dive onto the He 100 as it climbs.

Any damage this aircraft takes (especially to the engine and wings), will soon cause the aircraft's engine to fail. So any opportunity you get to fire at one, even if at long range, should be taken, as it will likely result in a water or oil leak.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable	Not controllable	Controllable	Separate	Not controllable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair, Radiator		Offensive 7 mm
II	Compressor	Airframe	New 7 mm MGs
III	Wing Repair, Engine
IV	Engine Injection	Cover

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Incredible speed, can reach 640 kph (397 mph) in level flight, dive speed can go up to 850-900 kph (RB). No competition until Rank IV
• Decent turn time and roll rate
• Excellent climb rate and energy retention
• Relatively good ammo count at 500 RPG
• Amazing high altitude performance
• Often faces biplanes, which are easy prey for the He 100
• Can perform exceptionally well against most planes if used correctly
• Performs well in higher rank matches, where you will still be able to outrun most enemy aircraft
• Stealth ammo belt has a high proportion of AP rounds, sacrifices chemical damage from more penetration (Could also be seen as a con)

Cons:

• Very fragile. Most shots taken will cripple the cooling systems or engine
• Not a plane for "new" players to spray rounds on target, needs some skill with aiming at enemy weak spots
• Only has three 7.92 mm machine guns, which can make destroying things difficult
• Armament is ineffective against bombers and well-armoured planes like the IL-2
• Oil and water will easily overheat at over 95% throttle

History

The He 112 was the Heinkel company's first attempt at making a modern monoplane fighter after having previously designed assorted transport aircraft, airliners, reconnaissance planes, and biplane fighters. By 1936 it had lost to the rival Messerschmitt Bf 109 in the Luftwaffe's competition due to its largely inferior performance and difficulty of construction, and it was relegated to export only. Heinkel was left licking its wounds and the company begin developing an aircraft that could surpass and replace the Bf 109. The He 112 was determined to be a dead end in terms of potential, so a new design with simpler construction and cleaner aerodynamics was pursued—lessons learned well from the He 112's failings.

The resulting aircraft, known internally as "Project 1035", used many new and advanced features. It used a novel evaporative cooling system previously tested on the prototype He 119 reconnaissance aircraft. While the exact details have been lost to history, it is thought that liquid coolant was pumped through the engine, where it absorbed heat and evaporated, and then proceeded to flow through radiators in the wings and fuselage. The cold external airflow would condense the coolant and the resulting liquid coolant was pumped back into the engine to start the cycle anew. This refrigerator-like cooling method caused less drag than traditional oil coolers. The DB 601 engine used by the Bf 109 and Bf 110 was used and the exhaust vents were piped to provide some extra thrust. The engine was installed very tightly with the airframe and other aspects of the Project 1035 like the wings and landing gear were as sleek as possible.

Work proceeded quickly and the Project 1035 was completed in mid-1937. The Luftwaffe was not particularly interested in a Bf 109 replacement at this point, but still an order was placed for several experimental and pre-production aircraft. It was originally to be designated as the He 113, but Heinkel preferred a rounder and perhaps less unlucky number and convinced the Luftwaffe to name it the He 100.

The He 100 first flew in early 1938. Flight characteristics were good but the temperature changes in the wings caused by the cooling setup distorted and damaged the airframe and skin. Subsequent examples featured modifications in an attempt to correct this, though the cooling system in general remained problematic. The second prototype set a speed record of 631 km/h at 6000 m and the fourth achieved 665 km/h at 5000 m. The 8th prototype used a souped-up engine and managed to reach 747 km/h, Germany's first absolute speed record, but was soon upstaged by Messerschmitt's Me 209 race aircraft, which achieved 755 km/h. Plans were made to win the record back by running the engine at very hot settings, but at this point further record attempts were halted.

Records aside, the He 100 had several obstacles in becoming a Bf 109 replacement. The Luftwaffe was only interested in adopting the He 100 if it used another engine instead of the DB-601 used by the Bf 109. Unfortunately the He 100 design was not compatible with the closest alternative, the Jumo 211 (mostly used by bombers like the He 111), without extensive modifications and performance penalties. Meanwhile Focke-Wulf managed to meet these requirements with the Fw 190 and won a contract that would result in one of the best German fighters of the war.

The He 100 D-series were closer to production aircraft, having revised cockpit canopies and machine gun armament. Some sources claim that they were equipped with cannons and perhaps this was Heinkel's intention, but this did not materialize on actual aircraft. Japan and the Soviet Union were interested in acquiring the He 100 and several examples were shipped to each. The Japanese military was highly impressed by the "AXHe1" and purchased a license for domestic production. However Heinkel was unable to deliver the necessary documentation and this plan did not come to fruition. The He 100 D-1 mark was also initially received well in the Soviet Union, but after further inspection the military concluded that it was more of a racer than a combat aircraft. Alexander Yakovlev reportedly claimed that a few bullet holes in the wing were all that was needed to disable the He 100. There is some debate over to what extent this would have been true. Still, even if a few punctures could be tolerated for a while, the He 100 would have been more fragile and maintenance heavy than traditional fighters.

The He 100 ultimately did not see any combat service with the Luftwaffe or any export customers. Heinkel used several as a part of a factory defense unit but they did not engage in any combat. The Luftwaffe did use several examples as part of a propaganda campaign: publishing photos of repainted He 100s in assorted service colors, they concocted a non-existent "He 113" fighter that managed to fool the British military for some time. No He 100s are known to survive today, though a mockup is on display in the California location of the Planes of Fame Museum in the United States.

Media

The Shooting Range #31 - Pages of History section at 02:20 discusses the He 100.

The Shooting Range #67 - War Machines section at 00:26 discusses the He 100 D-1.

Read also

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• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

Sources

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