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History Brief, by Johan Visschedijk

October 28, 2003

Henschel Hs 123


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.

Hs 123 A-1 Jacques Trempe Collection

Specifications

Type:

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

Hs 123 V7:

D-IUPO, c/n ???, with a BMW 132K V110

Hs 123 V8:

rebuilt version of V2 and V4

Hs 123 A-0:

16 built, c/n 628-635 and 788-795

Hs 123 A-1/B-1:

229 built