| Henschel Hs 121 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Advanced trainer |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Henscel Flugzeug-Werke A.G. |
| Designer | Erich Koch |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 4 January 1934 |
TheHenschel Hs 121 was the first aircraft built by the German Henschel company. It was a high-wingmonoplane with an inline engine, fixed undercarriage and single, open cockpit, designed as an advancedtrainer. Only one aircraft was produced, in 1933–4, as a testpiece for the Air Ministry.
Henschel & Son ofKassel were originally known as manufacturers of locomotives, though they later produced lorries and buses. In 1933 they set up an aviation subsidiary based atSchönefeld with a branch atJohannisthal.[1] New aircraft manufacturers who intended to produce aircraft for theLuftwaffe had first to make a testpiece or masterpiece (Befahigungsnachweis) to prove their competence and the Hs 121 was Henschel's offering.
It was a high-wing braced monoplane, withgull wing roots to enhance the pilot's forward view from the open cockpit set well back behind the trailing edge. The wing was built around two metal spars with metal-covered leading edges and fabric elsewhere. There was solid bracing from near mid-wing to the lower fuselage and from this bracing inwards to the shoulder of the gull wing. The oval fuselage had a metal structure with metal covering. The tail was also a metal structure, with metal covering on the fin andtailplane but with fabric-covered control surfaces. There was wire bracing between fin and tailplane. The spatted main-wheels were carried on streamlined legs which angled outwards from the lower fuselage to increase the track.[1]
Power was from a 180 kW (240 hp) Argus As 10C inverted in-line engine.[1]
It flew for the first time at Johannisthal on 4 January 1934. A test flight programme produced some modifications: the fin was braced, the tailplane extended and more bracing was added between the landing gear and the fuselage. Only one Hs 121 was built.
Data fromGrey 1972, p. 157c
General characteristics
Performance
