Editing Heinkel He 112 (section)

==He 112A==

===Prototypes===

Heinkel had expected orders for additional aircraft beyond the initial three prototypes and was able to respond quickly to the new contract for the 10 zero series aircraft. The new aircraft would be given the series designation "He 112 A-0".

The first of these new versions, V4, was completed in June 1936. It featured a new elliptical wing, a more powerful [[Junkers Jumo 210|210D engine]] with a two-speed [[supercharger]] that brought the power to {{convert|510|kW|Hp|abbr=on}} for takeoff and a smaller tailplane.{{sfn|''Air International''|1989a|p=233}} Like the V3, it also sported two fuselage-mounted {{convert|7.92|mm|in|abbr=on}} MG 17 machine guns, unlike the V3, it featured two wing-mounted {{convert|20|mm|in|abbr=on}} Oerlikon MG FF cannons that earned it the nickname ''kanonenvogel'' (literally, cannon bird).{{sfn|Forsgren|2017|p=}}

A prototype, known as the V5, was designed and built by engineer [[Wernher von Braun]], who would later design the [[V-2 rocket]]. This variant of the fighter He 112 was powered by an additional rocket engine. First flown in early 1937, the He 112 V5 demonstrated the feasibility of rocket power for aircraft.{{sfn|Lepage|2009|p=215}}

In July, both V5 and V6 were completed. V5 was identical to V4, with the Jumo 210D engine. V6, on the other hand, was completed as the pattern aircraft for the A series production run, and thus included the 210C engine instead of the more powerful, but less available 210D. The only other change was a modification to the radiator, but this would not appear on later A-0 series models. V6 suffered a forced landing on 1 August and was repaired and joined V4 for testing in October.

The last of the prototype A-0 series was V8, which was completed in October. It switched engines entirely and mounted the [[Daimler-Benz DB 600]]Aa, along with a three-bladed, fully adjustable, all-metal propeller.{{sfn|''Air International''|1989a|p=237}} The engine was a huge change for the aircraft, producing 716&nbsp;kW (960&nbsp;hp) for takeoff and had 33.9&nbsp;L (2,069&nbsp;in<sup>3</sup>) displacement at 686&nbsp;kg (1,510&nbsp;lb), compared that to the Jumo 210D's {{convert|680|PS|kW|abbr=on}} from 19.7&nbsp;L (1,202&nbsp;in<sup>3</sup>) at about the same weight. V8 was seen primarily as a testbed for the new engine, and more importantly, its cooling systems. The DB used a dry liner in the engine that resulted in poor heat flow, so more of the heat was removed by [[Motor oil|oil]] as opposed to water, requiring changes to the cooling systems.

In March 1937, the aircraft was assigned to rocket propulsion tests at [[Peenemünde]]. It completed these tests later that summer and was returned to the factory, where it was converted back into a normal model. At the end of the year, it was sent to Spain, where it was seriously damaged on 18 July 1938. Once again, it was put back together and was flying four months later. Its fate after this time is not recorded.

===Production models===
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At this point, the prototype stage was ostensibly over, and Heinkel continued building the A-0 as production line models. The naming changed, adding a production number to the end of the name, so the next six examples were known as He 112 A-01 through A-06. All of these included the 210C engine and were essentially identical to V6, with the exception of the radiator.

These aircraft were used in just as varied a manner as the earlier V series had been. A-01 flew in October 1936 and was used as the prototype for a future 112 C-0 [[Aircraft carrier|carrier-based]] aircraft. It was later destroyed during rocket tests. A-02 flew in November, and then joined the earlier V models at [[Rechlin-Lärz Airfield]] for further testing in the contest. A-03 and A-04 were both completed in December, A-03 was a show aircraft and was flown by Heinkel pilots at various air shows and exhibitions, A-04 was kept at Heinkel for various tests.

The last two models of the A-0 series, A-05 and A-06, were completed in March 1937. They were both shipped to Japan as the initial machines of the 30 for the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]].