Henschel Hs 126
| Henschel Hs 126 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Reconnaissance plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1936 |
| Commissioning: |
1938 |
| Production time: |
1938-1941 |
| Number of pieces: |
935 |
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The Henschel Hs 126 was a German close-up reconnaissance aircraft used in World War II .
development
On the basis of the Hs 122 A-0 , chief designer F. Nicolaus and the development team of Henschel Flugzeug-Werke AG developed the Hs 126 V1 with a Junkers Jumo 210 engine at the request of the Technical Office of the Reich Aviation Ministry for an army liaison and close-up reconnaissance aircraft . The project retained the basic structure of the Hs 122 as a stripped high- wing aircraft with a fixed rear wheel landing gear, but with a fuselage that was 60 cm longer, while the cockpit and wings were modified. The execution should be done in all-metal construction with fabric-covered oars. After the project was presented, Henschel received an order for three prototypes of the machine, now known as the Hs 126. The Hs 126 was a strutted high-wing canopy construction with slightly backward-swept wings, which were connected over the center line of the fuselage, these were connected to the fuselage by N and V struts. They had slotted ailerons on the trailing edge of the wing and hydraulically operated flaps. The main wheels of the rigid chassis were covered, but the cover plates were often removed during use.
The first prototype flew in autumn 1936. The two prototypes V2 and V3 that followed in spring 1937 were fitted with a 9-cylinder radial engine BMW Bramo Fafnir 323 A-1 . During testing, the aircraft showed very good slow flight and short take-off properties; It turned out that the machine met the military requirements of a close-up reconnaissance aircraft, which should also be suitable for artillery reconnaissance and liaison tasks. Henschel initially built a pilot series of ten Hs 126 A-0s for inspection by the Air Force . From the beginning of 1938, the first production version, the Hs 126 A-1, reached the reconnaissance group 35 to replace the outdated types He 45 and He 46 .
commitment
Six of these machines served in the Spanish Civil War with the Reconnaissance Squadron 88 of the Condor Legion in La Sénia (Spanish nickname "Super Pavo"), of which one machine was lost. In autumn 1938 the reconnaissance group 35 was equipped with Hs 126, and by September 1939 the Hs 126 had replaced the outdated Heinkel He 45 and He 46 in almost all squadrons.
16 units were sold to Greece in 1939/40 through the mediation of the Reich Association of the German Aviation Industry (RDLI) , others were delivered to Bulgaria , Croatia , Estonia and Spain . In the summer of 1939 the Hs 126 B-1 appeared with a controllable pitch propeller and a more powerful engine. The Greek Hs 126 operated successfully against Italian troops, among other things when on November 21, 1940 three Hs 126 of the 3rd Squadron attacked a 6 km long Italian marching column near Pogradec in low flight.
With the beginning of the Second World War, Hs 126 flew with the Aufkl.Gr 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 23, 31, 32 and 41; they proved to be robust close-up reconnaissance aircraft and liaison aircraft during the attack on Poland , but were also used for direct air support. In the western campaign , there were major losses for the first time, as the Hs 126 was clearly inferior to opposing fighters: 20 aircraft were lost between May 10 and May 21, 1940. In the meantime, the introduction of the Focke-Wulf Fw 189 as a successor model was planned, but it would take until 1942 before these were available in sufficient numbers. After the end of the French campaign, Hs 126 were flown by the 2nd / reconnaissance group (H) / 14 in Libya until August 1942. Above all, 47 squadrons of Hs 126 took part in the attack on the Soviet Union .
After heavy losses, they were finally gradually replaced from 1942 by the Fw 189 and the Fieseler "Storch" in the close-up reconnaissance squadrons; some of the remaining aircraft served as training aircraft or in the III./Luftlandegeschwader 1 (LLG 1), where they were used as glider tow planes for the cargo glider DFS 230 . From the end of 1942, Hs 126 operated as a night warplane in night battle groups 11 and 12 on the Eastern Front. By March 1944, 174 of them were still operational. They flew with the 3./NSGr 11 in Estonia, the 2./NSGr 12 in Latvia and the NSGr 7 in the Balkans , where they remained in service until April 1945.
production
Series production of the Hs 126 ran from March 1938 to May 1941, although only five aircraft were delivered in 1941. Spain received five of the eight aircraft used by the Condor Legion.
| version | HFW | AGO | TOTAL | comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V pattern | 3 | 3 | W. no. 867-869 | |
| A. | 83 | 50 | 133 | HFW: W.-Nr. 3001-3083, Ago: 2970-2999 and 4001-4020 |
| B. | 391 | 380 | 771 | HFW W. No. from 3084, Ago from 4021 |
| Export Greece | 16 | W. no. 3901-3916 | ||
| Export Estonia | 12 | W. no. 3917–3928, but only 6 delivered | ||
| TOTAL | 505 | 430 | 935 |
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data (Henschel Hs 126B-1) |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 pilot and 1 observer / shooter |
| length | 10.85 m |
| height | 3.75 m |
| span | 14.50 m |
| Wing area | 31.60 m² |
| V shape | 1 ° |
| Gauge | 3.30 m |
| Empty mass | 2032 kg |
| Takeoff mass (normal) | 3090 kg |
| Takeoff mass (max.) | 3270 kg |
| Power load (max.) | 3.58 kg / hp (4.86 kg / kW) |
| Armament | 1 × 7.92 mm MG 17 with 500 rounds in the bow, 1 × flexible 7.92 mm MG 15 with 975 rounds and 1 × 50 kg bomb SC 50 or 5 × 10 kg bombs |
| Engine | 1 × 9-cylinder radial engine Bramo 323A-1 with 850 PS (625 kW) |
| Top speed | 310 km / h near the ground and 365 km / h at 3000 m altitude |
| Cruising speed | 300 km / h |
| Landing speed | 115 km / h |
| Climb performance | 550 m / min |
| Climbing time to 1000 m | 4.4 min |
| Ascent time to 3000 m | 14.0 min |
| Tank capacity | 650 l |
| Range | 998 km |
| Flight duration | 3 h |
| Service ceiling | 8530 m |
| Wing loading | 97.8 kg / m² |
See also
Web links
- Fliegerweb.Retrieved July 7, 2012
- (English) cockpitinstrument.de Henschel 126 device board. Accessed July 7, 2012
- Henschel Hs 126 Retrieved July 7, 2012
Individual evidence
- ↑ cf. The Greek Henschels in action1. Retrieved July 7, 2012
- ↑ Overview of complete aircraft with equipment delivered to Spain. In: Jet & Prop Photo Archive Volume 12, p. 96 f.
- ↑ Monthly aircraft deliveries , BA / MA Freiburg, inventory RL 3.
- ^ Air Enthusiast 105, F. Gernahm: Versatile Informer in Estonia. P. 76.
- ↑ according to Fliegerweb.de 580 km, maximum 720 km
- ↑ according to Fliegerweb.de 103.48 kg / m²