Henschel Hs 132

Last updated
Hs 132
Henschel Hs 132 wiki.jpg
An airbrushed G. Heumann drawing of the P.132
Role Dive bomber and interceptor aircraft
Manufacturer Henschel Flugzeugwerke AG
StatusNever flown
Primary user Luftwaffe
Produced1945
Number built4 prototypes[ citation needed ]

The Henschel Hs 132 was a World War II dive bomber and interceptor aircraft of the German Luftwaffe that never saw service. The unorthodox design featured a top-mounted BMW 003 jet engine (identical in terms of make and position to the powerplant used by the Heinkel He 162) and the pilot in a prone position. The Soviet Army occupied the factory just as the Hs 132 V1 was nearing flight testing, the V2 and V3 being 80% and 75% completed.

Contents

Design and development

There had been interest in the idea of a prone pilot for combat aircraft to reduce the effect of g-forces during maneuvering. Several aircraft had already experimented with this layout for various reasons, the Horten IIIf had a prone pilot, but this was primarily to reduce drag in this high-performance glider, [1] while the DFS 228 reconnaissance glider also used a prone pilot to make it easier to seal its pressurized cabin. It was not until the Berlin B9 was built specifically to test this arrangement for improved g-load that any serious effort toward development could be carried out.

Starting in early 1943, the Berlin B9 twin-piston engined experimental aircraft demonstrated that it was indeed possible for a pilot to fly the aircraft lying down, and that it did improve his ability to handle high loads. The pilot had an extremely restricted field of view upward or to the rear that made it suitable only for certain roles, including bombers or fighters or interceptors with a major speed advantage over their opposition. [2]

Based on this research, several late-war German designs followed the B9's lead and used a prone pilot. Better g-load performance was not the only reason, however, as this layout also reduced the frontal area of the aircraft. This was a serious concern for interceptors attacking the USAAF's B-17 Flying Fortress, as calculations showed that the chance of being hit by its defensive guns was largely a function of frontal area.

The genesis for the Hs 132 was an 18 February 1943 specification published by the German Air Ministry (RLM) calling for a single-seat shipping attack aircraft to counter an expected invasion of Europe. A piston-engined aircraft was called for at the time, but the performance requirements led to a switch to jet power. [2] Henschel submitted their design for RLM approval in April/May 1944, by which point they had already started wind tunnel testing the basic layout. The aircraft that emerged had a roughly cigar-shaped fuselage with short-span mid-set wings and a horizontal stabilizer with considerable dihedral ending in twin rounded-front vertical stabilizers.

The BMW 003 engine was mounted on the back of the aircraft above the wing, likely to make servicing easier due to the low ground height of the aircraft that put the engine roughly shoulder-height. The sharply dihedraled 'butterfly'-like twin rudder arrangement kept the tail surfaces clear of the jet efflux. The cockpit was completely faired into the fuselage contour, with a rounded clear nose-cone on the front of the aircraft. Behind this was the actual "window," a large armored-glass plate located some distance behind the extreme nose; the glazing extended almost to the wing root. [3] The design in terms of engine mounting and tailplane bore a very strong resemblance to the contemporary Volksjäger ("people's fighter") design competition winner, the Heinkel He 162 Spatz (sparrow). Despite the similarity of appearance, the Hs 132 was meant for dive-bombing and ground attack, and was to make extensive use of non-strategic materials, notably in the wings, which were of wooden construction. [4] The basic A model carried one 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb; it had no other armament. It was to begin its attack in a shallow dive outside the ships' range of fire, and after reaching a speed of 910 km/h (570 mph; 490 kn), the pilot would "toss" the bomb at the target using a simple computerized sight, and then climb back out of range. The aircraft was designed to withstand 12 g during pullout. The computerized bombsight was not delivered in time to be fitted to the aircraft.

Several other versions of the basic airframe were proposed as well. The Hs 132B used the Junkers Jumo 004 engine in place of the BMW 003, and added two 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151/20 cannons. The HS 132C was a more extensively modified version intended for bomber interception, featuring the larger Heinkel HeS 011 engine, two 20 mm (0.79 in) 151/20s and two 30 mm (1.2 in) MK 103 or MK 108 cannons. The HeS 011, intended to power a wide variety of new and existing Luftwaffe aircraft (an example of the latter being the proposed D and P series of the Arado Ar 234 jet bomber), was still in the pre-production phase when the war ended. It was hoped that by the time the HS 132B became available, the Panzerblitz anti-tank missile would be in production and available for use. The Hs 132D included a new wing of increased span. A contract for six prototypes was approved in May 1944, and construction was begun in March 1945. Hs 132V1 was scheduled to have its first flight in June 1945, but the completed wings and fuselage were never mated, and Soviet forces captured the intact fuselage in May 1945 while the wings were never moved from their factory in France.[ citation needed ]

Variants

Hs 132A Dive bomber
BMW 003 turbojet engine, 1 × 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb
Hs 132B Dive bomber/Anti-tank plane
Jumo 004 turbojet engine, 1 × 500 kg (1,102 lb) bomb, 2 × 20 mm MG 151 cannon, and/or six or eight Panzerblitz anti-tank rockets
Hs 132C Dive bomber
He S 011 turbojet engine, 1 × 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb, 2 × 20 mm MG 151 cannon and 2 × 30 mm (1.2 in) MK 103 cannon
Hs 132D
Increased wingspan variant

Specifications (Hs 132A)

Data from German aircraft of the Second World War [5]

General characteristics

Hs 132B 1x 8.8 kN (1,980 lbf) Junkers Jumo 109-004B turbojet
Hs 132C 1x 12.75 kN (2,866 lbf) Heinkel-Hirth 109-011A turbojet

Performance

Armament

Hs 132A
1x 500 kg (1,100 lb) SD 500 bomb semi-resessed under the fuselage
Hs132B
2x nose mounted 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151 cannon
1x 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb semi-recessed under the fuselage
6/8x Panzerblitz III anti-tank rockets under wings
Hs 132C
2x nose mounted 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151 cannon
2x nose mounted 30 mm (1.181 in) MK 103 cannon
or
2x nose mounted 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151 cannon
1x 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) SC 1000 bomb semi-resessed under the fuselage
or
2x nose mounted 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151 cannon
1x 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) PC 1000 RS Pol rocket-assisted armour-piercing bomb semi-resessed under the fuselage

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinkel He 162</span> Interceptor jet aircraft, German, WW2

The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger was a German single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe late in World War II. Developed under the Emergency Fighter Program, it was designed and built quickly and made primarily of wood as metals were in very short supply and prioritised for other aircraft. Volksjäger was the Reich Air Ministry's official name for the government design program competition won by the He 162 design. Other names given to the plane include Salamander, which was the codename of its wing-construction program, and Spatz ("Sparrow"), which was the name given to the plane by the Heinkel aviation firm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinkel He 111</span> World War II German heavy bomber

The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a "wolf in sheep's clothing". Due to restrictions placed on Germany after the First World War prohibiting bombers, it was presented solely as a civil airliner, although from conception the design was intended to provide the nascent Luftwaffe with a heavy bomber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henschel Hs 129</span> German twin engine WWII ground attack aircraft

The Henschel Hs 129 was a World War II ground-attack aircraft fielded by the German Luftwaffe. The aircraft saw combat in Tunisia and on the Eastern Front.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arado Ar 234</span> 1943 German jet bomber by Arado

The Arado Ar 234 Blitz is a jet-powered bomber designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Arado. It was the world's first operational turbojet-powered bomber, seeing service during the final years of the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messerschmitt Bf 110</span> 1936 heavy fighter family by Messerschmitt

The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110, is a twin-engined Zerstörer, fighter-bomber, and night fighter (Nachtjäger) developed in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, believing its heavy armament, speed, and range would make the Bf 110 the Luftwaffe’s premier offensive fighter. Early variants were armed with two MG FF 20 mm cannon, four 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, and one 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun for defence. Development work on an improved type to replace the Bf 110 - the Messerschmitt Me 210 - began before the war started, but its shakedown troubles resulted in the Bf 110 soldiering on until the end of the war in various roles. Its intended replacements, the aforementioned Me 210 and the significantly improved Me 410 Hornisse, never fully replaced the Bf 110.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henschel Hs 123</span> 1935 dive bomber series by Henschel

The Henschel Hs 123 was a single-seat biplane dive bomber and close-support aircraft flown by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War and the early to middle of World War II. It proved to be robust, durable and effective especially in severe conditions. It continued to see front-line service until 1944, only to be withdrawn due to a lack of serviceable airframes and spare parts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinkel He 177 Greif</span> German heavy bomber during WW2

The Heinkel He 177 Greif (Griffin) was a long-range heavy bomber flown by the Luftwaffe during World War II. The introduction of the He 177 to combat operations was significantly delayed, by both problems with the development of its engines and frequent changes to its intended role. Nevertheless, it was the only long-range, heavy bomber to become operational with the Luftwaffe during the war. The He 177 had a payload/range capability similar to that of four-engined heavy bombers used by the Allies in the European theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinkel He 277</span> German strategic bomber design during WW2.

The Heinkel He 277 was a four-engine, long-range heavy bomber design, originating as a derivative of the He 177, intended for production and use by the German Luftwaffe during World War II. The main difference was in its engines. While the He 177 used four engines in two coupled pairs which proved troublesome, the He 277 was intended to use four unitized BMW 801E 14-cylinder radial engines, in single nacelle installations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dornier Do 217</span> 1940 bomber aircraft family by Dornier

The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by the German Luftwaffe during World War II as a more powerful development of the Dornier Do 17, known as the Fliegender Bleistift. Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber but not meant to be capable of the longer-range missions envisioned for the larger Heinkel He 177, the Do 217's design was refined during 1939 and production began in late 1940. It entered service in early 1941 and by the beginning of 1942 was available in significant numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junkers Ju 290</span> 1942 multi-role military aircraft family by Junkers

The Junkers Ju 290 was a large German, four-engine long-range transport, heavy bomber and maritime patrol aircraft used by the Luftwaffe late in World War II. It was developed from an airliner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinkel He 118</span> German dive bomber

The Heinkel He 118 was a prototype German monoplane dive bomber design that lost out to the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka in the 1930s, and was never ordered by the Luftwaffe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henschel Hs 124</span> Type of aircraft

The Henschel Hs 124 was Henschel's entry into the Luftwaffe's twin-engine Kampfzerstörer requirement, but was abandoned after this programme was split into separate Zerstörer and Schnellbomber requirements. Three prototypes were planned, but only two were built

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savoia-Marchetti SM.91</span> Type of aircraft

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.91 was a two-seat, twin-engined, Italian heavy fighter prototype, designed to compete in a 1942 revision to a long-range fighter-bomber contract offered by the Regia Aeronautica to Italian aircraft companies in 1938. The original 1938 specification yielded the Savoia-Marchetti SM.88, which the SM.91 was largely based on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilyushin Il-54</span> Soviet transonic bomber

The Il-54 was a transonic bomber developed in the USSR in the 1950s. Only two examples were built before the project was abandoned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blohm & Voss P 194</span> Type of aircraft

The Blohm & Voss P 194 was a German design for a mixed-power Stuka or ground-attack aircraft and tactical bomber, during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arado E.560</span> Type of aircraft

The Arado E.560 was a multi-engined Arado medium-range jet tactical bomber proposed during the Second World War.

The Blohm & Voss BV 237 was a German proposed dive bomber with an unusual asymmetric design based on the Blohm & Voss BV 141.

The Messerschmitt P.1107 was a jet-powered bomber project developed in the final years of the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messerschmitt Me 262 variants</span> Variants of the Messerschmitt Me 262

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was a German World War II fighter aircraft built by Messerschmitt in the later stages of the war, and under license by Avia post-war.

The Dornier Do 417 was a twin-engine multirole combat aircraft. Developed in 1942, it resulted from the Luftwaffe's request for a medium bomber, a contest in which Dornier, Junkers, Heinkel, and Blohm & Voss competed. In the end, the Junkers Ju 188 was chosen by the Luftwaffe, and the Do 417 never entered production.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Horten H IIL, H IIIf, H IIIh, H VI V2 Archived 2008-01-11 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 Berlin B9 Experimental Aircraft
  3. ↑ Christopher, John. The Race for Hitler's X-Planes (The Mill, Gloucestershire: History Press, 2013), p.147.
  4. ↑ Munson 1978, p. 96.
  5. ↑ Smith, J. Richard; Kay, Antony L. (1989). German aircraft of the Second World War. Nautical & Aviation Pub. Co. pp. 339–341. ISBN   978-0933852976.
Bibliography
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.