The Henschel Fleugzeugwerke AG designed the Hs 123 as a stop-gap
until a more advanced dive-bomber type should emerge, what ultimately
became the Junkers Ju 87. Henschels first aircraft for the German
forces was designed by a team led by chief constructor Dipl.-Ing. F.
Nicolaus, the Hs 123 V1 D-ILUA, W.Nr.265 (V = Versuchsflugzeug,
test aircraft; W.Nr.: Werknummer = construction number, c/n) flew for the
first time at Johannisthal near Berlin May 8, 1935.
Six more prototypes followed, testing several engines, propellers,
armament, refinements and even an enclosed cockpit; two were rebuilt
to yet another configuration. Despite several mishaps, it was better
than the rival Fieseler Fi 98 and a pre-series of 16 Hs 123 A-0 was
ordered in June 1935, the first was ready in July 1936. A further 229
production Hs 123 A-1 and B-1 aircraft were built by Henschel and AGO
Flugzeugwerke, the latter building 129, production ended April 1937.
The Hs 123 shed first blood in 1936 as five aircraft were used by the
Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil war. Later these and 11 more were
sold to the Spanish AF, and 12 were exported to China. The outcome of
a 1938 exercise led the Führungsstab of the Luftwaffe to believe
that an aircraft of this configuration could play no roll in a future
war and withdrew the aircraft from the frontline service, these being
than allocated to dive-bomber trainings units. Henschel and Ago were
instructed to scrap all jigs, models and tools for production.
With the outbreak of WW II the Hs 123 was used in all theatres,
Poland, France, the Balkan and finally Russia and the aircraft was
used up to its limits. It was a big surprise that this aircraft was
such a tremendous success in tactical and aircraft sturdiness
aspects, being also used in the ground-attack configuration. It was
among the very few aircraft that always had operational readiness
during the Russian winter of 1941/1942. The Hs 123 soldiered on until mid-1944.
The Hs 123 was of sesquiplane planform and foremost metal
construction with fabric covered parts of the wing and tail unit, the
B-1 was of all-metal construction.
Single-seat open biplane dive-bomber/ground-attack aircraft
Engine:
632 hp nine-cylinder air-cooled radial BMW 132A-3 with two-blade propeller
Span:
34 ft 5.33 in (10.50 m) {upper wing}; 26 ft 3 in (8.00 m) {lower wing}
Length:
27 ft 4 in (8.33 m)
Height:
10 ft 6.33 in (3.20 m)
Wing area:
267.482 sq.ft (24.85 sq.m)
Empty Wt:
3,131 lb (1,420 kg)
Max T/O Wt:
4,795 lb (2,175 kg)
Max speed:
179 mph (288 km/h) at sea level
Max climb:
1,640 ft (500 m)/min
Ceiling:
20,000 ft (6,100 m)
Range:
535 mls (860 km)
Models
Hs 123 V1:
D-ILUA, c/n 265, with 725 hp BMW 132A and three-blade propeller
Hs 123 V2:
D-????, c/n 266, first with 770 hp Wright Cyclone G R-1820-F 52 with
three-blade propeller, after groundloop re-engined with 725 hp BMW 132A
with three-blade propeller, redesignated Hs 123 V8
Hs 123 V3:
D-IKOU, c/n 267, with 725 hp BMW 132A with two-blade propeller
Hs 123 V4:
D-IZXY, c/n 670, with 725 hp BMW 132A with three-blade propeller,
redesignated Hs 123 V8
Hs 123 V5:
D-INRA, c/n 769, first with 830 hp BMW 132G and three-blade propeller,
than a 910 hp BMW 132J, finally a 960 hp BMW 132K V109A with three-blade propeller
Hs 123 V6:
D-IHDI, c/n 797, flew with both a 910 hp BMW 132J and a 960 hp BMW
132K with three-blade propeller; enclosed cockpit; 2 additional machine guns