The Heinkel He 46 was a German World War II-era monoplane designed in 1931 for the close reconnaissance and army co-operation roles. While it served with the Luftwaffe's front-line units only briefly at the start of World War II, the He 46 served as late as 1943 as a nighttime nuisance bomber and with the Hungarian Air Force.
4 decal variants.
1. Heinkel 46C Pava, 11o173, Grupo 3-G-11, Kampfgruppe 88, Nationalist Air Force, Spain 1937
2. Heinkel 46C, S17+B20, Schule Far.24, Olomouc-Holice, 1939
3. Heinkel 46C Pava, 11o176, Grupo 3-G-11, Brigada Aerea Hispana, Spain 1938
4. Heinkel 46C, PM+AD, A/B 71, Prostejov /Prostnitz/ 1942
The He 46 prototype first flew in late 1931; its flight characteristics were good, but design improvements were incorporated. In 1933, production started on the He 46. The first production version, the He 46C-1, featured the improvements added to the prototypes, plus it could carry either a camera or 200 kg (441 lb) of bombs. In September and November 1936, 28 He 46C-1s were given to the Spanish Nationalists. The Germans took the He 46 back to war in 1943, when aircraft were taken from training units and used with squadron-sized Storkampfstaffel units for night-bombing harassment missions over the Soviet Union.