Henschel Hs 130

Henschel Hs 130

Company type	Prototype aircraft
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1940
Founder	Henschel
Fate	Development cancelled, never operational
Headquarters	Germany
Products	High-altitude reconnaissance and bomber aircraft prototypes

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The Henschel Hs 130 was a German high-altitude reconnaissance and bomber aircraft designed during World War II. It encountered numerous mechanical difficulties and was never deployed operationally, existing solely as prototype models.

Development

The origin of the Hs 130 traces back to two Hs 128 prototypes, with their initial flights occurring on 11 April 1939 and 20 February 1940 respectively. These experimental aircraft served primarily to evaluate pressurized cabins, engine superchargers, and cantilever wing designs. Each prototype was powered by different engines: the first utilized Daimler-Benz DB 601 units while the second was equipped with Junkers Jumo 210 engines. Both featured fixed landing gear.

Despite unsatisfactory test outcomes, interest in a high-altitude platform was sparked by Theodor Rowehl, leader of the Luftwaffe’s specialized reconnaissance squadron. His enthusiasm for the Hs 128’s potential in high-altitude intelligence missions prompted the Reich Air Ministry to direct Henschel to continue development under the new designation Hs 130A.

Subsequently, three prototype Hs 130A units were constructed, with the first taking flight on 23 May 1940. This was followed by five pre-production Hs 130A-0 models delivered in early 1941. These featured Daimler-Benz DB 601R engines equipped with single-stage superchargers, retractable landing gear, and a rear compartment designed to hold two Rb75/30 cameras for reconnaissance purposes. Testing of these five examples exposed serious performance limitations and reliability issues that ultimately prevented them from entering service.

Two further modified versions designated Hs 130A-0/U6 were developed, incorporating a larger wingspan, DB 605B engines, Hirth superchargers, GM-1 nitrous oxide power enhancement, and underwing drop tanks. These variants were ready for flight evaluation by November 1943, achieving an absolute ceiling of approximately 15,500 m (50,570 ft). Nevertheless, neither the Hs 130A-0/U6 nor earlier Hs 130A-0 models proved satisfactory for operational deployment.Template:Fix/category

Parallel efforts aimed at bomber adaptations resulted in plans for the Hs 130B, which closely resembled the Hs 130A but replaced the camera bay with a bomb bay; however, this version never progressed to construction. The Hs 130C variant was developed as a contender in the "Bomber B" competition and differed significantly from its predecessors. It featured a reduced wingspan, remotely operated defensive weapons, a larger glazed yet pressurized cockpit area, and could carry up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of bombs. Three prototypes—V1, V2, and V3—were produced: V1 and V2 were powered by BMW 801 radial engines while V3 carried full armament and was powered by two large-displacement inline inverted V-12 Daimler-Benz DB 603A engines. These prototypes flew between 1942 and 1943 alongside competitors such as the Dornier Do 317, Focke-Wulf Fw 191, and Junkers Ju 288, but plans for production were ultimately cancelled.

Development continued with the Hs 130D, intended as an advanced reconnaissance model featuring DB 605 engines paired with a complex two-stage supercharger system; however, this variant remained unbuilt.

Experiments with Centrally-driven Supercharging

The Hs 130E represented an evolution of the Hs 130A, incorporating the Höhen Zentrale (HZ)-Anlage system instead of traditional superchargers. This arrangement featured a third engine, the DB 605T, positioned within the fuselage solely to operate a large supercharger that supplied compressed air to the wing-mounted DB 603B engines. A similar concept had been explored approximately twenty-five years earlier on the R.30/16 variant of the Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI bomber, where a Brown-Boveri supercharger was driven by a Mercedes D.II engine. Another modification from the Hs 130A was the elongated nose section, designed to balance the weight of the fuselage-mounted HZ-Anlage engine. Additionally, underwing fuel tanks could be installed to support fuel demands for all three engines, and air intakes were positioned beneath the fuselage to feed the central engine.

A total of three prototype Hs 130Es were constructed; the first, Hs 130E V1, flew in September 1942 and achieved altitudes up to 12,500 m (41,010 ft) when utilizing the HZ-Anlage system. The second prototype, Hs 130E V2, took its maiden flight in November 1942 but was lost during its seventh sortie due to an engine fire. Subsequently, V3 was assembled as its replacement. Following these prototypes, an order for seven pre-production Hs 130E-0 units was placed, with their first flights occurring in May 1943, alongside a production contract for 100 Hs 130E-1 aircraft. The latter were intended to feature remotely operated defensive weaponry and provisions for carrying bombs on underwing hardpoints. However, persistent technical difficulties with the HZ-Anlage system on the Hs 130E-0 models led to cancellation of these orders. Plans also existed for an Hs 130F, which aimed to resolve these issues by employing four supercharged BMW 801 engines; nevertheless, this variant never progressed beyond the planning stage.

References

Bibliography

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