Henschel Hs 122

Henschel Flugzeugwerke

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1930s
Headquarters	Schönefeld , Germany
Products	Military aircraft

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The Henschel Hs 122 was a German reconnaissance and army cooperation aircraft developed in the mid-1930s, featuring a radial engine and a parasol wing configuration. Although only limited pre-production models were deployed, this aircraft served as the foundation for the Hs 126, which saw extensive production.

Development

Following the initial design of the Hs 121, which was not intended for mass production, the Hs 122 became Henschel’s second aircraft project. It was created in response to a requirement from the Reich Air Ministry for a versatile army cooperation plane to succeed the outdated Heinkel He 46.

The resulting design was a single-engine, two-seat parasol wing aircraft equipped with fixed landing gear. The central section of the wing was mounted above the fuselage using multiple short struts, while the outer swept wing panels were supported by V-shaped struts attached to the lower fuselage. The wings incorporated two metal spars, with metal covering on the leading edges and upper surfaces, and fabric covering elsewhere. The fuselage featured an elliptical metal monocoque structure, complemented by a metal framework tail assembly with fabric-covered control surfaces. The tailplane was positioned approximately midway up the vertical stabilizer and reinforced by a pair of parallel struts. The main wheels, enclosed in streamlined spats, were attached to the fuselage via V-shaped struts. Both cockpits were open; the pilot’s seat was located beneath a cut-out section in the trailing edge of the wing, while the observer occupied a separate cockpit behind.

The initial prototype, registered as D-UBYN, utilized a Rolls-Royce Kestrel V-12 water-cooled engine, similar to several contemporary German aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109. The subsequent prototype (D-UBAV) was powered by a supercharged nine-cylinder radial Siemens Sh 22B (also known as Bramo 322) producing 460 kW (610 hp).

At least three prototypes were constructed before a limited batch of pre-production Hs 122B-0 models equipped with Siemens engines entered service in 1936. These units were eventually succeeded on Henschel’s Schönefeld production line by the more advanced Hs 126.

Specifications (Hs 122 B-0)

File:Henschel Hs 122 3-view L'Aerophile September 1939.jpg

Three-view illustration of the Henschel Hs 122 from L'Aerophile, September 1939

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