Below; Oranienburg, 30 March 1939 - 24-year old pilot and 'Rekordflieger' Hans Dieterle alongside his wife has just attained a timed speed of 746 km/h with the (so-called) 'He 112 U' to achieve a World speed record. ( the 'U' may have stood for 'Udet' - who had test-flown some of the earlier He 100/112 'variants' during 1938). The aircraft was in actual fact the He 100 V8 coded D-IDGH with 'cut-down' windshield and canopy, powered by a modified DB 601 with methyl alcohol injection to produce around 1800 hp for a very short period. The aircraft covered the 3 km long Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) measured 'course' in just 14 seconds! Dieterle’s new record - 'schnellster Mann der Welt' -would last less than one month, however. On 26 April 1939, Fritz Wendel achieved 755 km/h (around 470 mph) in the Me 209, although some have argued that as this flight had taken place in Augsburg - which was much higher above sea level than allowed in FAI regulations- Wendel's record was invalid.
Werkspilot Dieterle (along with Chefpilot Gerhard Nitschke) had previously been involved in 'world record' flight attempts in another Heinkel prototype - the He 119 fast bomber/recce aircraft and in 1938 had achieved another world (distance) record in the He 116 four-engine long-range 'mail' or courier aircraft. Both pilots had been injured in the crash-landing of the He 119 V1 in December 1937. (on December 16, 1937 the He 119 SV-1, Wnr. 2402, D-AUTE crashed in Travemünde). The He 119 (below) featured a unique buried engine (coupled DB 601s designated DB 606) driving a nose propeller through an extension shaft.
