Henschel Hs 129
| Henschel Hs 129 | |
|---|---|
 Henschel Hs 129B |
|
| Type: | Ground attack aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
May 25, 1939 |
| Commissioning: |
April 1942 |
| Production time: |
June 1940 to September 1944 |
| Number of pieces: |
approx. 879/841 |
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The Henschel Hs 129 was a single-seat, twin-engine ground attack aircraft from Henschel Flugzeug-Werke AG , which was specially designed for this task. During the Second World War, between 1942 and 1945, it was mainly used for fighting tanks, which earned it the nickname “can opener”. The main area of operation was on the Eastern Front. Of this type, 879 units were produced, which were used by the German Air Force as well as by the Romanian Air Force (62 units).
History and versions
development
In 1937, the Technical Office of the Reich Aviation Ministry put out a tender for a small attack aircraft with strong armament and armor . A twin-engine aircraft for close air support was required with at least two 20 mm cannons and strong armor (at least 75 mm bulletproof glass) to protect the crew. In addition to Henschel, Blohm & Voss , Focke-Wulf and the Gothaer Waggonfabrik also took part in this tender . At the end of 1937, Henschel and Focke-Wulf were commissioned to develop and manufacture a corresponding prototype . Focke-Wulf presented a modified version of the Fw 189 already in use as the Fw 189C. Both aircraft performed extremely poorly in comparative tests, which was mainly due to the serious underpowering. The design of the Hs 129 had the smallest possible dimensions in order to offer a small target area. For example, the trapezoidal fuselage cross-section was limited to the maximum pilot width. The pilot sat in an armored cabin which was protected by up to 12 mm sheet steel and 75 mm armored glass . In the end, the decision was made in favor of the Henschel design because the production costs were only two thirds of the costs of the Focke-Wulf.
Hs 129 V1 to V3
The prototype Hs 129V1 took off for the first time on May 25, 1939. It was powered by two Argus As 410 -A-0 V12 engines , each with an output of 430 hp . Two more prototypes were built. The V2 was lost due to total loss during testing on January 5, 1940, the V3 was equipped with two improved As 410 A-1s with 465 hp each. Further testing was continued with the remaining prototypes and was not yet completed when the war began.
Hs 129 A-0
Although flight tests had not been completed, series production began, and 20 pre-series aircraft of the type Hs 129 A-0 were tested in the late summer of 1940. They were returned to the factory by the Luftwaffe six months later with a damning assessment. The poor flight performance and the narrow cabin, which also offered poor visibility, were particularly criticized. The poor visibility made effective ground attacks very difficult and even impossible for tall pilots.
Hs 129 A-1
The more powerful Hs 129 A-1 with its two Argus-As-410-A-1 engines showed little improvement in flight performance. The persistently poor visibility was another reason why the Air Force did not accept them. The armament, however, corresponded to the specifications. The machine carried a 20 mm MG FF on -board cannon on each side of the fuselage and a 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun just below it in the wing root .
Hs 129 B-1
Only the Hs 129 B-1 met the requirements of the Air Force. She was equipped with Gnôme et Rhône -14M-4/5 radial engines captured in large numbers in France . In addition, it had a newly constructed armored cabin and larger windows. Series production started in December 1941. However, the machines could not achieve too much success because the Gnome-Rhône engines proved to be very prone to failure. The 4th Squadron of the Battle Squadron 2 (4./Sch.G.2), equipped with the B variant and deployed with the Afrikakorps , lost three of its twelve aircraft due to engine damage when it was relocated from Dęblin-Irena in Poland to North Africa. After three missions in which two more machines were lost for the same reason, the unit transferred its remaining aircraft to Tripoli for overhaul. A second squadron (8./Sch.G.2), which was later moved to Tunis, operated more successfully with an inventory of between 7 and 16 machines.
By exchanging the MG-FF automatic cannon for the MG 151 , mostly in 20 mm caliber, and various upgrade kits, the penetration power of the on-board weapons in the B versions increased steadily. The set-up 1 (R1) contained either two 50 kg bombs or two sets with 48 SD2 fragmentation bombs each, the R2 consisted of a 30 mm MK 101 automatic cannon with 30 rounds under the fuselage, the R3 consisted of four uncovered under the MG 17 mounted on the fuselage, each with 250 rounds, and the R4 contained a wide variety of small bombs , the four kilogram SD-4 HL shaped charge bombs exhibiting the best armor-piercing properties (according to other information, a 250-kg SC 250 bomb or four 50 kg SC 50) . The Hs 129 B-1 was used for reconnaissance missions with the R5 upgrade kit, which included either a Rb 20/30 or Rb 50/30 series image device.
Hs 129 B-2
This variant of the Hs 129 received the MK 103 - machine gun anti-tank as standard equipment. The penetration power of the MK 103 clearly exceeded that of the MK 101 from upgrade kit 2. Alternatively, the used 37-mm-BK-3,7, even at the 87 G Ju was used.
Hs 129 B-3
It turned out that the armament of the Hs 129 B-1 could not penetrate the armor of the new Soviet tanks . For this reason, the Hs 129 B-3 was created, which carried a 7.5 cm PaK 40L modified with a larger muzzle brake under the fuselage . The 26 rounds of the PaK 40L were recharged electro-pneumatically. The weapon had a cadence of 40 rounds per minute. This variant of the Hs 129 was delivered from autumn 1944. About 25 pieces of the Hs 129 B-2 were converted to the B-3. The cannon turned out to be too big for the plane. The strong recoil sometimes led to uncontrollable flight conditions in which the weapon had to be dropped.
Hs 129C
This version of the Hs 129 never reached series production. There were plans to install Isotta Fraschini-Delta-IV V12 engines with 840 hp (626.8 kW). In addition, the aircraft was to be equipped with a kind of gun post under the fuselage, which was to contain a twin MK-103 that could be directed laterally by the pilot. Since the Italian engines were not available, the project failed.
Hs 129D (project)
This version only existed as a project plan to significantly expand the performance of the Hs 129. It was planned to install either two Junkers Jumo 211 engines with 1100 hp, which were also installed in the Ju 87 B, or two BMW 801 twin- radial engines . There was no more installation or tests on the test stand.
production
Series production of the Hs 129 B ran from November 1941 to September 1944. All aircraft were built by Henschel Flugzeugwerke. The test samples are included in the A-0 series. The three conversions from B-2 to B-3 were delivered in September 1944.
Construction figures for the Hs 129 by September 30, 1944:
| version | TOTAL |
|---|---|
| A-0 | 20th |
| B-1 | 50 |
| B-2 | 792 |
| B-3 | 20th |
| B-3 conversion | (3) |
| TOTAL | 882 |
Military judgment
The Hs 129 was a useful weapon on the Eastern Front, in particular to be able to fight the T-34s that appeared in large numbers. Due to the fact that the aircraft was designed without rear gunner and could also be overtaken by any Soviet fighter aircraft at a maximum speed of around 400 km / h, fighter protection was mostly required.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data version B-1 / R3 | Data version B-3 Source: Kens (1969) |
|---|---|---|
| length | 9.75 m | |
| height | 3.25 m | |
| span | 14.20 m | |
| Wing area | 29.00 m² | |
| Empty mass | 3810 kg | 4063 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 5110 kg | 5230 kg |
| Engines | 2 × Gnôme et Rhône 14M-04/05 14-cylinder radial engines; 700 hp (515 kW) |
2 × Gnôme et Rhône 14M-04/05 14-cylinder radial engines; 740 hp (544 kW) |
| Top speed | 407 km / h at 3830 m | 400 km / h |
| Cruising speed | ||
| Climb performance | 37 min / 8000 m | |
| Operational range | 560 km | 780 km |
| Service ceiling | 9000 m | |
| Armament | 2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 , 2 × 7.92 mm MG 17 , 1 × 30 mm MK 101 |
1 × 75 mm BK 75 PaK 40 cannon, 2 × 13 mm MG 131 |
See also
literature
- Peter Cronauer: Panzerknacker Henschel Hs 129. (cover story). In: Flugzeug Classic , December 2018, pp. 12-19
- David Donald: German Air Force . An illustrated history of the German Air Force from 1939–1945 (= contemporary history edition ). Tosa, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-85492-473-9 (English: Warplanes of the Luftwaffe . Translated by Two4you - Communication by Design).
- Karlheinz Kens: The aircraft of the Second World War 1939–1945 . An aircraft collection (= Heyne nonfiction . No. 101 ). Heyne, Munich 1969.
- Heinz J. Nowarra : Aircraft types Henschel - Messerschmitt . In: The German Air Armament 1933–1945 . New edition edition. tape 3 . Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1993, ISBN 3-7637-5467-9 .
- Martin Pegg: Hs 129: Panzerjäger! Classic Publishing, Burgess 1997, ISBN 0-9526867-1-6 (English).
- Herbert Ringlstetter: The "flying can opener" Henschel Hs 129 . In: Flugzeug Classic . No. 5 , 2008, ISSN 1617-0725 , p. 34-39 .
- Tony Wood, Bill Gunston: The Air Force . An illustrated history of the German air force in World War II. Buch- und Zeit-Verlags-Gesellschaft, Cologne 1979.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c types of aircraft in the world . Models, technology, data. Bechtermünz, Augsburg 1997, ISBN 3-86047-593-2 , p. 521 (American English: The encyclopedia of world aircraft . Translated by Thema Produktmarketing und Werbung mbH, Munich).
- ↑ a b Olaf Groehler : History of the Air War 1910 to 1980 . Military Publishing House of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin 1981, p. 375 .
- ↑ George punka: Squadron / signal publications 142: Fw 189 in action
- ↑ Henschel Hs 129… the winged can opener. In: AIR International December 1980, p. 282 f.
- ↑ Monthly aircraft deliveries , BA / MA Freiburg, inventory RL 3; National Archives, Washington, January-November 1944 production programs.