On 28th April 1940 the construction department of Heinkel Werke at Rostock-Marienehe presented to the RLM (Reichsluftfahrt Ministerium)2 a project for a fast, single-engined reconnaissance aircraft, designed as a private venture by the Heinkel firm. The project was clearly inspired by an RLM circular letter, which pointed out the lack of a purpose-built reconnaissance machine in the Luftwaffe’s inventory, and the difficulty of fulfilling that role with other aircraft not designed for the purpose. A new, custom-designed aircraft such as the RLM was interested in would not have to compromise its speed and operational ceiling due to bomb-carrying capabilities.
On 30th September and 1st October 1940 RLM officials held a first round of talks with the Heinkel company, represented by Robert Lusser, the executive manager, assisted by Mr Ebert and Mr Meschkat. On that occasion the Heinkel representatives presented blueprints of a reconnaissance aircraft designated P 1055, which was based on an earlier design known as the Heinkel He 119.
The aircraft had a wing area of 42 m2, and its maximum speed was 750 kph. Its calculated maximum range was 4,000 km, at a take-off weight of 12,600 kg. One interesting innovation was the possibility of interchanging the outer wing sections, which made it possible to alter the wing area from 35 m2 to 45 m2. So as to arouse more interest in the RLM’s officials, provision was made for the aircraft to carry bombs on external racks, designed by Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke. The payload was, interchangeably, a single 1,800 kg bomb or two 1,000 kg bombs. The crew of two would be seated in a pressurized cockpit.
The RLM evinced a vivid interest in the project, hinting at the possibility of signing a formal contract for the aircraft’s construction in the nearest future. However, they emphasized that the machine’s speed was its most important asset. For this reason the RLM wanted the aircraft to be fitted with a turbo supercharged Daimler-Benz DB 613 engine, which was expected to be ready in 1941. This powerplant consisted of two coupled DB 603 inline engines connected via a gearbox to one driveshaft, fitted with superchargers and methanol-water emergency boost, which was expected to give a maximum power output of 3,500 hp.
A lively exchange of correspondence between the Heinkel design bureau and the RLM followed the meeting. The proposed bomber variant impressed the representatives of the latter. Still, they considered the aircraft’s planned defensive armament, which consisted of fixed, forward firing guns, inadequate. Some bitter lessons had been learned during the Battle of Britain, during which whole formations of He 111s had been decimated because of their poor defensive armament and the large, glazed surfaces of their front sections, which made their crews even more vulnerable. Although Lusser was convinced that the P 1055, with its superior speed, would outdistance enemy interceptors, von Pfistermeister, another manager at Heinkel, was far less optimistic:
“Our timetable schedules the P 1055 prototype’s maiden flight for the end of 1942. Assuming that the first serial production aircraft will be delivered to operational units in October 1944, four years will have elapsed from now. Unlike you, I don’t believe we can still count on the P 1055’s advantage of speed being maintained at that time. Perhaps a jet-propelled fighter, capable of speeds higher than the 750 kph expected of the P 1055, will be constructed in the meantime. Personally, I hope that it will be a Heinkel-designed fighter, probably the 280. Either way, the P 1055 will need a strong defensive armament, just like today’s bombers. We cannot ignore the possibility, or rather the high probability, of the existence of much faster fighters in the future ...”.
During a subsequent meeting between von Pfistermeister and the RLM’s representative Friebel, more issues concerning the new design were discussed. It was believed that the aircraft would be instrumental in delivering cartographic photographs of certain territories in Africa, the Middle East and the Far East, which at that time were practically blank spots on maps of the world. Friebel made it clear that Heinkel should focus on designing a reconnaissance aircraft, since at that time the Luftwaffe had no use for a bomber based on the P 1055 project. In fact, the aircraft expected to fulfil the role of long-range bomber was another Heinkel design, the He 177 Greif. Furthermore, a Zerstörer (destroyer) variant of the P 1055 was considered redundant in view of the heavy losses suffered over England by the Messerschmitt Bf 110 units.
