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Heinkel He 51 - Germany |
 | | While the sleek Heinkel He 51 looked like it had the "Right Stuff," unfortunately this was not the case as the Heinkel He-51 turned out to be a completely orthodox biplane of undistinguished performance. |
 | | It had been hoped that the He-51 would exceed or match opponents such as its contemporary, the Hawker Fury powered by a Kestrel engine, but it was not to be, since it was nowhere near as maneuverable as that famous classic. |
 | | What was important about the He-51 from a design standpoint was its elegance of line, and top speed of almost 199 mph (320 km/h), which was in keeping with its true role as a forerunner of the first fighter to serve with Luftwaffe, upon its official formation in April 1935. |
| www.aviation-history.com /heinkel/he51.html (925 words) |
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