Any HE-111's Gonna Fly?

[daveymac82c]

Hi Wix brain-trust,

I was curious to know if there are any He-111's flying in the world (which I'm pretty sure there aren't), and as a follow up I'd like to know why? There seems to be such a race to get anything any anything, especially the more obscure warbirds flying, but where is the effort for the He-111's?

During the filming of the Battle of Britain film, there were quite a few, in service with the Spanish Air Force, but after they were retired, did they all go to museums never to be flown again? Was the CAF example the only one that kept flying?

Are there any He-111 airframes that are on their way to airworthy status, or any with the potential?

Peace,

David M

[CAPFlyer]

There's only 1 really airworthy He-111/CASA2.111 left that I'm aware of, and that's the one at Cavanaugh's. He's not flying it for a good reason - it's the last one. He had been flying it prior to the CAF's CASA2.111 crashed and grounded it afterward because of it. The basic problem that I understand is that it's a 3-crew airplane without a real place for the 3rd crewman to sit, thus it's always a compromise operation.

[gary1954]

wasn't there one parked near the B-17 at the Le Bourget Airport in Paris, I "think" I saw one there in 1979 parked on the apron near the B-17.

[CAPFlyer]

From what I found, there's probably 8-10 111's left in the world, but none of them sans the Cavanaugh aircraft are anywhere near airworthy.

[pjpahs]

Was in Texas a year ago and seen the Cavanaugh HE-111, looks great. If it is indeed airworthy and it's rarity keeps it earthbound, then I wish it and other aircraft such as Week's B-26 would fire up the engines and just taxi around the tarmac and maybe make a full power short run down the runway. I want to hear those engines!

[marine air]

It's being charitable to say it's airworthy. No one has ever really fully restored a Heinkel or Casa. It would probably be three or four times more expensive than a Spitfire or Bf-109 to restore. I think there are more airframes around like 20 or 30, maybe more. Many of these in Spain and Europe. No one has had the passion to put that kind of money into one.
THey are a big twin and lots of hydraulics. A complicated pre-war design, that I bet is also probably hard to fly and expensive. Wish I could have seen one fly.

[CAPFlyer]

Thank you for talking out your rear end. The Cavanaugh CASA 2.111 has been flown many times, as was the CAF's 2.111. They were both most certainly fully restored, I've been inside both, and they had received full workovers after being purchased from Spain. Both aircraft were veterans of the Battle of Britain film and the Cavanaugh 2.111 served in the active Spanish Air Force until 1975 (possibly being the last 2.111 in service). In addition, Cavanaugh's Ha-1112 is a BoB film vet as well, serving with the Spanish Air Force until 1967.

Before you go saying something isn't airworthy, or hasn't been restored, try checking the history of the aircraft. More importantly, try going to the museum's own website which has a large entry on its 2.111 and history.

http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com/CASA-2111E.htm