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Henschel Hs 121

1934 GOLDEN AGE X-PLANE

History of Henschel Hs 121

Germany's Henschel Flugzeugwerke AG (founded in 1933) had their first aircraft in the Hs 121 in 1934. This design used a bracing high-wing main aircraft and an open-air cockpit (one seat) with spouted fixed landing gear wheels.

This type was developed to serve as an advanced combat trainer for the new and evolving Luftwaffe, but the design was not adopted by service or by foreign buyers. Nevertheless, the introduction of this machine provided Henschel with his first aircraft and paved the way for further designs after World War II (1939-1945).

The Hs 121 was a product of its time - it relied on the proven aircraft qualities while moving to more modern features such as all-metal construction. This Henschel aircraft design is indeed mostly metal, except for some surfaces that are covered in fabric. The propeller is mounted on the nose spinner and is powered by a 240 hp Argus As 10C series inverted inline gun engine.

The pilot sits behind the wing assembly of the main plane, which, combined with the plane's long nose, has limited visibility.

Performance includes a top speed of 173 mph and a cruising speed of nearly 155 mph. The aircraft is capable of a service ceiling of up to 21,320 feet at a climb rate of 1,640 feet per minute. The flight time is about two hours.

A test item was built for submission to the Luftwaffe authorities and flew for the first time on 4 January 1934. However, it doesn't have many laudable qualities on its own, and the product is further condemned by the poor flight characteristics of a premium fighter trainer - so only one example was built.

Henschel had more success with the Hs 126 in 1937, which early on became one of the Luftwaffe's most effective short-range reconnaissance platforms in WWII.