Editing Heinkel He 111 (section)

===He 111A – D===
[[File:He-111A CNAC.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|A re-engined Chinese He 111A with radial engines<ref name="Andersson China p270">{{harvnb|Andersson|2008|p=270}}</ref>]]
The initial reports from the test pilot, Gerhard Nitschke, were favourable. The He 111's flight performance and handling were impressive although it dropped its wing in the stall. As a result, the passenger variants had their wings reduced from {{cvt|25|to|23|m}}. The military aircraft – V1, V3 and V5 had a span of {{cvt|22.6|m}}.{{sfn|Dressel|Griehl|1994|p=32}}

The first prototypes were underpowered, as they were equipped with {{cvt|431|kW}} BMW VI 6.0 V12 in-line engines. This was eventually increased to {{cvt|745|kW}} with the installation of the DB ([[Daimler-Benz]]) 600 engines in the V5, which became the prototype of the "B" series.{{sfn|Dressel|Griehl|1994|p=32}}

Only ten He 111&nbsp;A-0 models based on the V3 were built, but they proved to be underpowered and were eventually sold to China. The type had been lengthened by {{cvt|1.2|m}}) due to the extra {{cvt|7.92|mm|3}} [[MG 15 machine gun]] in the nose. Another gun position was installed on top of the fuselage, and a third in a ventral position as a retractable "dustbin" turret. The bomb bay was divided into two compartments and could carry {{cvt|680|kg}} of bombs. The problem with these additions was that the weight of the aircraft reached {{cvt|8200|kg}}. The He 111's performance was seriously reduced; in particular, the BMW VI 6.0 Z engines, which had been underpowered from the beginning, made the increase in weight even more problematic. The increased length also altered the 111's aerodynamic strengths and reduced its excellent handling on takeoffs and landings.<ref>{{harvnb|Janowicz|2004|p=15}}</ref>

The crews found the aircraft difficult to fly, and its top speed was reduced significantly. Production was shut down after the pilots reports reached the Ministry of Aviation. However, a Chinese delegation was visiting Germany and they considered the He 111 A-0 fit for their needs and purchased seven machines.<ref name="Janowicz 2004, p. 16">{{harvnb|Janowicz|2004|p=16}}</ref>

The first He 111B made its maiden flight in the autumn of 1936. The first production batch rolled off the production lines that summer, at Rostock.<ref name="Regnat 2004, p. 28.">{{harvnb|Regnat|2004|p=28}}</ref> Seven B-0 pre-production aircraft were built, bearing the ''Werknummern'' (W.Nr./Works numbers) 1431 to 1437. The B-0s were powered by DB 600C engines fitted with variable pitch airscrews.<ref name="Regnat 2004, p. 28."/> These increased output by {{cvt|149|kW}}. The B-0 had an MG 15 machine gun installed in the nose. The B-0 could also carry {{cvt|1500|kg}} in vertical cells.<ref name="Regnat 2004, p. 28."/> The B-1 had some minor improvements, including the installation of a revolving gun mount in the nose and a flexible Ikaria [[Gun turret#Aircraft|turret]] under the fuselage.<ref name="Regnat 2004, p. 28."/> After improvements, the RLM ordered 300 He 111&nbsp;B-1s; the first were delivered in January 1937. In the B-2 variant, engines were upgraded to the [[Supercharger|supercharged]] {{cvt|634|kW}} DB 600C, or in some cases, the {{cvt|690|kg}} 600G. The B-2 began to roll off the production lines at [[Oranienburg]] in 1937.{{sfn|Dressel|Griehl|1994|pp=32–33}} The He 111&nbsp;B-3 was a modified trainer. Some 255 B-1s were ordered.<ref name="Regnat 2004, p. 28."/> However, the production orders were impossible to fulfill and only 28 B-1s were built.<ref name="Regnat 2004, p. 28."/> Owing to the production of the new He 111E, only a handful of He 111&nbsp;B-3s were produced. Due to insufficient capacity, Dornier, [[Arado Flugzeugwerke|Arado]] and Junkers built the He 111B series at their plants in [[Wismar]], [[Brandenburg]] and [[Dessau]], respectively.<ref name="Regnat 2004, p. 28."/> The B series compared favourably with the capacity of the A series. The bomb load increased to {{cvt|1500|kg}}, while there was also an increase in maximum speed and altitude to {{cvt|344|km/h}} and {{cvt|6700|m}}.<ref name="Mackay 2003, p. 10."/><ref name="Janowicz 2004, p. 16"/>

In late 1937, the D-1 series entered production. However, the DB 600Ga engine with {{cvt|781|kW}} planned for this variant was instead allocated to [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]] and [[Messerschmitt Bf 110|Bf 110]] production lines. Heinkel then opted to use Junkers Jumo engines, and the He 111 V6 was tested with Jumo 210 G engines, but was judged underpowered. However, the improved {{cvt|745|kW}} Jumo 211 A-1 powerplant prompted the cancellation of the D series altogether and concentration on the design of the E series.{{sfn|Dressel|Griehl|1994|p=34}}