page_title: Heinkel He 177
section_title: Variants
hierarchical_section_title: Heinkel He 177 / Variants
context_page_description: The Heinkel He 177 Greif was a long-range heavy bomber flown by the Luftwaffe during World War II. The introduction of the He 177 to combat operations was significantly delayed, by both problems with the development of its engines, and frequent changes to its intended role. Nevertheless, it was the only long-range, heavy bomber to become operational with the Luftwaffe during the war. The He 177 had a payload/range capability similar to that of four-engined heavy bombers used by the Allies in the European theatre; it also had higher cruising and maximum speeds than its Allied counterparts.
  Work on the design began in response to a 1936 requirement, known as Bomber A, issued by the RLM for a purely strategic bomber. Thus the He 177 was intended originally to be capable of a sustained bombing campaign against Soviet manufacturing capacity, deep inside Russia.
  In contrast to its heavy payload and very wide, 30 metres planform, the specifications called for the design to have only two, very powerful engines. To deliver the power required, the He 177 needed engines of at least 2,000 horsepower. Engines of this type were new and unproven at the time.
context_section_description: He 177 V1 to V8
  First eight prototypes of the He 177. V1 through V3 powered by DB 606 A engines. He 177 V4 and subsequent aircraft powered by DB 606 A/B engines.
  He 177 A-0
  Pre-production series, 35 built. First to use the "Cabin 3" cockpit with "fishbowl" framed glazed nose, as with production A-series.
  He 177 A-1
  First production series, 130 built. Armed with a single MG 81 in the nose, a single MG FF/M cannon in the forward end of the Bola ventral gondola, a remote-controlled dorsal turret with a single (later twinned) MG 131, and a single tail mounted MG 131.
  He 177 A-1/R1
  Equipped with a pair of aft firing MG 81Z machine guns in the rear of the Bola ventral gondola.
  He 177 A-1/R2
  Experimental version only, equipped with a sighting station in the rear of the Bola ventral gondola for a remotely controlled ventral turret housing a single MG 131.
  He 177 A-1/R4
  Equipped with a supplementary aft firing MG 131 in the rear of the Bola ventral gondola and a manned aft dorsal turret containing an MG 131.
  He 177 A-1/U2
  Zerstörer heavy fighter with a pair of limited-traverse 30 mm MK 101 cannon in enlarged Bola lower nose mount, 12 conversions.
  He 177 A-2
  Proposed four-man pressurized variant with reduced defensive armament of six MG 81 and a single MG 131, never built.
  He 177 A-3
  Second production series, 170 built, with a fuselage lengthened by 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in). Sixteenth and subsequent aircraft powered by DB 610 A/B engines.
  He 177 A-3/R1
  Powered by two Daimler-Benz DB 606 A/B engines, 15 built.
  He 177 A-3/R2
  Improved electrical system. MG FF cannon replaced by an MG 151 cannon in the Bola ventral gondola. DB 610 engines. Larger, upright seating-equipped redesigned tail position, MG 131 replaced by MG 151 cannon in the tail position. First variant to be fitted with Kutonase (cable cutting equipment).
  He 177 A-3/R3
  Anti-shipping version capable of using the Henschel Hs 293, equipped with FuG 203-series Kehl I control gear, usually fitted in the rear fuselage.
  He 177 A-3/R4
  Bola Ventral gondola's aft end lengthened by 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) to provide room for the FuG 203b Kehl III missile-control equipment, instead of the usual rear-fuselage mounting location.
  He 177 A-3/R5
  Planned, never-built Stalingradtyp version armed with a 75 mm Bordkanone BK 7,5 cannon based on the 7.5 cm PaK 40 installed in the ventral Bola gondola, based on a small number of He 177 As field-equipped with the KwK 39-based BK 5 cannon.
  He 177 A-3/R7
  Torpedo bomber version abandoned in favor of the He 177 A-5, only three built.
  He 177 A-4
  Proposed high altitude pressurised version, never built under the designation, and later developed into the Heinkel He 274.
  He 177 A-5
  Main production series, 826 built. Standardized on the A-3's longer rear fuselage, strengthened wing, shortened undercarriage oleo legs, ETC 2000/XII wing racks and an increase in maximum external load.
  He 177 A-5/R1
  Version optimized for Fritz X and Hs 293 guided bombs, equipped with Kehl control gear.
  He 177 A-5/R2
  Armed with a single MG 81 in the nose, a single MG 151 cannon in the forward end of the Bola ventral gondola, an MG 131 in the rear end of the ventral gondola, a pair of MG 131 in an FDL 131Z remotely controlled forward dorsal turret, a single MG 131 in a manned aft dorsal turret, and a single tail-mounted MG 151 cannon.
  He 177 A-5/R4
  Simplified bomb rack installation, equipped with Kehl control gear.
  He 177 A-5/R5
  Tested with a supplementary pair of MG 131 in an FDL 131Z aft ventral remote turret aft of the rear bomb-bay, only one built.
  He 177 A-5/R6
  Replacement of the forward and central bomb-bays with enlarged, full-fuselage-depth fuel tanks.
  He 177 A-5/R7
  Pressurised cockpit study with a projected ceiling of 15,200 m (49,869 ft) and similar reduced armament to the He 177 A-2.
  He 177 A-5/R8
  Armed with FDL-series remote gun turrets. Abandoned as a result of difficulties with the turrets, only one built.
  He 177 A-5 Grosszerstörer
  Anti-bomber variant based on the He 177 A-5, armed with up to 33 spin-stabilized 21 cm (8¼ in) calibre rockets obliquely mounted in fuselage, repl
caption: Wk. Nr. 550 256, He 177 A-7 prototype post-war.
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