Heinkel's Newspaper Aircraft (HD 39 and HD 40)
In the mid-1920s the idea arose in Germany to distribute newspapers with aircraft in order to circulate information as fast as possible. Germany's rail and road traffic system was not well-developed thus even the distribution by train caused extensive delays.
Especially the aviation-friendly Ullstein Publishing Corporation strived for distribution by air. Its "Berliner Zeitung am Mittag" (Berlin Mid-Day News)—abbreviated "BZ"—was published three times a day with updated editions every time. The publishing corporation intended to set up an airlift to Germany's sea-side resorts at the Baltic Sea and therefore it released a specification for an aircraft type for this purpose in mid-1925. The Albatros Works were awarded the order for two airplanes.
By accident, Ernst Heinkel learned of this order during his stay in Berlin in the summer of 1925. He managed to receive the order for a third special-duty aircraft. The design, made in compound construction, was designated HD 39. It was derived from the very reliable HD 27 which had been designed for US Postal Services. The two-manned, biplanned airplane was powered by a single power plant. Unique was the payload bay in the center of the aircraft, where newspapers packed in 50 kg boundles could be deposited. On the left as well as on the right side of the airplane, four packages and in addition, two in the center, were arranged in such a way that they could be dropped with the help of slide skids. This helped to provide places without airfields with the latest news. Each drop was controlled by a instrument board, thus the pilots were able to select which package had to go where.
In April 1926, Heinkel's aircraft, christened BZ 1 as well as the Albatros, entered duty. It proved to be very successful and flew more than 100,000 km without any accident in eleven months time.
The successful operation of the HD 39 encouraged the Ullstein Copration to order an additional newspaper aircraft from Heinkel. The result was the HD 40 which was designed comparably like its forerunner but was one and a half time as long and possessed a steel fuselage. The payload bay was below the cockpit and offered space to either four to six passengers-for example journalists—or 1,000 kg of weight, which could be loaded through a freight door on the side. A drop-down mechanism as already known from the HD 39 could be installed, which could be removed in case passengers were to be transported. Thus, the aircraft's flexibility was definitely improved.
In April 1927, the HD 40 entered service as BZ IV. But after only six months it was destroyed because of an aeroengine's failure.
HD 39 saw service with the Ullstein Corporation until 1931 without any accident. By then, the company transferred its newspaper delivery to the Deutsche Luft Hansa, which offered a less expensive service. For years, the HD 39 was part of the Berlin-based Aircraft Collection.
Technical data
HD 39
| Power Plant | One BMW IV with 230 HP |
Perfomance
| Maximum speed | 166 km/h |
Weight
| Empty weight | 1320 kg |
| Payload | 840 kg |
Dimensions
| Length | 10.0 m |
| Wing span | 14.8 m |
Technical data
HD 40
| Power Plant | One BMW VI with 400 / 600 HP |
Perfomance
| Maximum speed | 163 km/h |
Weight
| Empty weight | 2250 kg |
| Payload | 1600 kg |
Dimensions
| Length | 12.0 m |
| Wing span | 17.6 m |
Stock Quotes
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