Henschel Hs 121
Henschel & Sohn · Germany · first flew 1934 · light aircraft
The Henschel Hs 121 was a single-seat advanced trainer and the first aircraft built by the German Henschel company. It was a high-wing braced monoplane with a 240 hp Argus inverted inline engine, and only one was built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.3 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing braced monoplane with gull-shaped wing roots
- Single open cockpit set well back behind the trailing edge
- Spatted main wheels on streamlined legs angled outwards, with an inverted inline Argus As 10C
A single-seat high-wing monoplane whose wing roots curve down to the fuselage, with an open cockpit well behind the wing, spatted main wheels and a metal oval fuselage.
Specifications
- The Henschel Hs 121 has a length of 7.3 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10 m (33 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 278 km/h (173 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Henschel set up an aviation subsidiary in 1933, and the Hs 121 was its Befähigungsnachweis, a test piece to prove its competence to build aircraft for the Luftwaffe. It first flew at Johannisthal on 4 January 1934. Testing led to a braced fin, an extended tailplane and extra undercarriage bracing.
Variants
A single aircraft was built; no variants.
Where you'll see it
The Hs 121 never entered service and was used only for the company's demonstration and the Air Ministry's evaluation.
Related aircraft
- Henschel Hs 123
- Henschel Hs 124
- Henschel Hs 126
- Henschel Hs 127
- Addyman STG
- Aero A.200
- Aichi E10A
- Airspeed AS.8 Viceroy
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.