WW2 German Luftwaffe Aircraft – BOMBARDIERS FOLDING SEAT – He111 Bomber – RARE!

The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. Due to restrictions placed on Germany after the First World War prohibiting bombers, it was presented solely as a civil airliner, although from conception the design was intended to provide the nascent Luftwaffe with a heavy bomber.Perhaps the best-recognised German bomber of World War II due to the distinctive, extensively glazed “greenhouse” nose of the later versions, the Heinkel He 111 was the most numerous Luftwaffe bomber during the early stages of the war. It fared well until it met serious fighter opposition during the Battle of Britain, when its defensive armament was found to be inadequate.

As the war progressed, the He 111 was used in a wide variety of roles on every front in the European theatre. It was used as a strategic bomber during the Battle of Britain, a torpedo bomber in the Atlantic and Arctic, and a medium bomber and a transport aircraft on the Western, Eastern, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African Front theatres. The He 111 was constantly upgraded and modified, but had nonetheless become obsolete by the latter part of the war. The failure of the German Bomber B project forced the Luftwaffe to continue operating the He 111 in combat roles until the end of the war. Manufacture of the He 111 ceased in September 1944, at which point piston-engine bomber production was largely halted in favour of fighter aircraft. With the German bomber force virtually defunct, the He 111 was used for logistics.

Production of the Heinkel continued after the war as the Spanish-built CASA 2.111. Spain received a batch of He 111H-16s in 1943 along with an agreement to licence-build Spanish versions. Its airframe was produced in Spain under licence by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA. The design differed significantly only in the powerplant used, eventually being equipped with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. These remained in service until 1973.

Made of aluminum and steel, this Bombardier’s Seat is in AMAZING barn-find condition! Though it has some slight marks and wear, there are NO major breaks or damage! Removed from an aircraft during the war, it retains 80% original RLM66 camouflage paint! As the canvas straps had deteriorated over time, the rear strap is an ORIGINAL replacement that I had in my inventory. Though the smaller lower vertical strap is missing, I do have original material I can supply to the winning bidder, if they wish to restore it. As it is a barn-find, the seat pad has deteriorated, but again, that could be restored (or left alone). Fairly unique, as it was designed to fold down, and store on the right side of the cockpit, allowing the bombardier to lay prone. I have shown its location in the last images. EXCEEDINGLY rare, it would make a SUPERB addition to any display, collection, or restoration project!