The Hs 126 was designed by Dipl. Ing. Fr. Nicolaus of the Henschel
Flugzeugwerke as a tactical reconnaissance and army co-operations
aircraft. The aircraft was derived from the Hs 122, in fact the first
prototype was a modified Hs 122B-0. This Hs 126 V1 (V stands for
Versuchsflugzeug = prototype) was fitted with a 610 hp Junkers Jumo
210C 12-cylinder liquid-cooled inverted-V engine and flew for the
first time early in 1937.
The following prototype Hs 126 V2 was fitted with the originally
planned 850 hp Bramo 323A-1 Fafnir nine-cylinder air-cooled radial
engine. Also it differed from the V1 in having an exhaust driven
two-stage supercharger, an enlarged rudder, and extra tail plane
braces. The Hs 126 V3 further had a redesigned tail plane and landing gear.
Ten pre-production Hs 126A-0 similar to the Hs 126 V3 were built and
delivered before the end of 1937. There success in operational use
speeded the production and already in early 1938 the first Hs 126A-1
were delivered to the Luftwaffe. The A-1 was fitted with the 880 hp
BMW 132Dc nine cylinder air cooled direct injection radial engine as
the intended Bramo 323 Fafnir was restricted. In late 1939 the Hs
126B-1 was in production fitted with the Bramo 323 Fafnir in the 850
hp A-1 or Q-1, or in the 900 hp A-2 or Q-2 engine variants; and with
improved equipment.
The armament consisted of two on the starboard side mounted 0.312 in
(7.92 mm) machineguns: a fixed forward firing MG 17 and a flexible MG
15 in the gunner/observer position, this gun had a recess in fuselage
when not in use. Further a bomb of 110 lb (50 kg) could be fitted
below the port fuselage; an equipment bay could hold a bomb load of
ten 22 lb (10 kg) bombs, or a Zeiss Rb topographic camera, or a
smoke-screen apparatus.
The parasol-winged monoplane was of all metal, stressed skin
construction, with fabric-covered control surfaces. The tandem-seated
crew had covered a cockpit with a forward sliding hood over the
gunner/observer position. The aircraft had excellent slow speed
flight and short field characteristics; for rough muddy field
operations often the wheel spats were removed. The aircraft was well
equipped, this also allowing night operations.
The Condor Legion used 6 Hs 126A-1 in Spain, after the operations
they were handed over to the Nationalist AF. Greece received
16 Hs 126A-1 and used them against the Italian and ironically the
German forces during their campaigns against Greece. A total of 476
Hs 126 have been built, another source reports a figure of around 800
units being manufactured.
The Hs 126 was in German use from 1938 to 1945, until 1942 as the
standard tactical reconnaissance aircraft seeing action on all fronts
as it equipped 80% of its type-units. After than it was used as
glider-tug and it played a role in night ground-attacks against partisans.