Henschel Hs 130

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Henschel Hs 130: A short, simple overview

What it was
The Henschel Hs 130 was a German high-altitude reconnaissance and bomber aircraft developed during World War II. It never entered military service and only existed as prototypes and pre-production airframes. The project aimed to create a fast, high-flying aircraft for intelligence gathering and light bombing, but it suffered from ongoing mechanical problems and reliability issues.

Development and background
- Origin: The Hs 130 grew from the earlier Hs 128 design. The Luftwaffe’s Theodor Rowehl wanted a high-altitude reconnaissance plane, so Henschel continued development as the Hs 130A.
- Early prototypes: Two Hs 128 prototypes flew in 1939 and 1940, testing pressurized cabins and engine superchargers. They were not successful, but they paved the way for the Hs 130.

Variants and key points
- Hs 130A (A-0 series): Three Hs 130A prototypes were built, with the first flight on May 23, 1940. Five pre-production Hs 130A-0s followed, equipped with camera bays for reconnaissance. They showed serious performance and reliability problems, and were never used operationally.
- Hs 130A-0/U6: This variant used a more powerful DB 605 engine and other upgrades, achieving a ceiling of about 15,500 meters. Despite the higher ceiling, it remained unsatisfactory and did not enter service.
- Hs 130B: A bomber variant was planned (bomb bay replacing the camera bay) but was never built.
- Hs 130C: Aimed at competing in the Bomber B program. Prototypes V1 and V2 used BMW 801 radial engines, while V3 used a large DB 603A inline engine with full armament. Flown in 1942–1943, but production was canceled.
- Hs 130D: Planned development with DB 605 engines, but this variant was never built.
- Hs 130E (HZ-Anlage, central supercharging): A major experimental effort using a central engine (DB 605T) to power a large wing-mounted supercharger system (HZ-Anlage) feeding the wing engines (DB 603B). Nose was extended to balance weight. V1 flew in September 1942; V2 in November 1942 (destroyed by an engine fire on its seventh flight); V3 followed. Seven Hs 130E-0 pre-production aircraft were ordered, with a plan for 100 Hs 130E-1s, which was later canceled due to ongoing problems with the HZ-Anlage system.
- Hs 130F: A proposed version with four BMW 801 engines to solve the problems, but it was never built.

Specifications highlight (Hs 130E-0)
- Crew: 3
- Length: about 22 meters
- Wingspan: about 33 meters
- Height: about 5.6 meters
- Wing area: about 84.9 square meters
- Empty weight: around 12,200 kg; gross weight around 16,700 kg; max takeoff weight about 18,100 kg
- Powerplants: Two Daimler-Benz DB 603B engines (1,750 PS total) plus a central DB 605T engine (1,475 PS) powering the central HZ-Anlage
- Propellers: Four-blade constant-speed props
- Performance: Maximum speed around 610 km/h at high altitude; cruise ~515 km/h; range about 3,000 km; service ceiling around 15,100 m
- Flight characteristics: Designed for high-altitude performance, but overall reliability and handling limited its usefulness

Outcome
The Hs 130 project produced several interesting concepts, especially the idea of a central supercharger powering wing engines. However, none of the Hs 130 variants reached operational service, and the program ended with prototypes and unfulfilled production plans. The aircraft remains a notable example of Germany’s ambitious high-altitude airplane experiments during the war.