Does anyone have information about the Hs 127?

[wiking85]

There is very little info about this competitor for the Schnellbomber competition, but it seems pretty close to the Mosquito in terms of performance:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henschel_Hs_127

I was curious if anyone had any info about it beyond what's in wikipedia.

 

[GregP]

I've known about it but have never seen any detailed information on it.

So its a good subject if any information survives.

 

[fastmongrel]

A 17,000 pound 3 man 59 ft wingspan plane with 1,700hp can do 353mph. Hmmm seems like Henschel had managed to design a plane made of zerodragium.

Figures according to wiki and they are only occasionally wrong with Nazi paper planes.

 

[wiking85]

A 17,000 pound 3 man 59 ft wingspan plane with 1,700hp can do 353mph. Hmmm seems like Henschel had managed to design a plane made of zerodragium.

Figures according to wiki and they are only occasionally wrong with Nazi paper planes.

I've seen it listed a few other places; that of course was probably without armor, defensive armament, or any payload.

 

[GrauGeist]

Hs127 V1 (WkNmr 0744) first flew September 1937 - last known disposition: transferred to E-Stelle Rechlin, 7 September 1939.

Hs127 V2 (WkNmr 0745) first flew July 1938, noted to have been fitted with larger fuel tanks - last known disposition: transferred to Rheinmetall-Borsig for weapon tests, 20 September 1939.

Hs127 V3 (WkNmr 0746) never flown, noted to have been fitted with larger fuel tanks and upgraded hydraulic system - last known disposition: transferred to Rechlin-Kommando der Erprobungsstellen (KdE) for weapon tests, 7 September 1939.

 

[wiking85]

Any idea about range or what bombs it could take or how they were stored?

 

[GregP]

Span: 18 m, length: 12 m, height: 3.22 m, wing area: 38.6 m^2, empty: 5000 kg, loaded: 8000 kg, range: 1400 km, ceiling: 9200 m, max speed: 568 kph, cruise speed: 478 kph.

Got the data from a Russian site: Henschel Hs.127.

Can't say if it is accurate, but it's the best I can find.

 

[GrauGeist]

Any idea about range or what bombs it could take or how they were stored?

From what I've read, it was capable of carrying a 3,300 pound (1,500kg) bomb load, but I don't know if this was for V1 or V2 or the overall specification for the type.

As far as the internal load position (or cockpit, arming, etc.), I haven't seen a schematic for the Hs127, so I really don't know.

 

[davebender]

I suspect this factor decided the competition just as it decided competition which Ju-87 won. Germany placed a premium on bombing accuracy for bomber aircraft. IMO that's as it should be.

 

[johnbr]

Found this net.

 

[kool kitty89]

Given the high-speed configured, unarmed Ju 88 V1 reportedly managed 360 mph, the figures here are somewhat believable. With a military load (and possibly defensive armament) it's more dubious.

 

[kool kitty89]

Continued from:
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/henschel-hs-124-light-bomber-43747.html#post1219451

Can we have a reality check please. This thing was almost the size of Hampden. Wing had 88% of the area of the Hampton. Anybody think you could stick a pair of Merlins on a Hampden and turn it into super bomber? And the Hampden was a 1-2 year newer aircraft. The Luftwaffe had decided in 1935 that the specification to which the Hs 124 was built was NOT the way to go and split the requirement into the separate Schnellbomber and Zerstorer.

Henschel designed the HS 127 to meet the Schnellbomber specification.

I think this is the most important point. The Hs 124 might have been interesting from a 1934/1935 standpoint, but the Hs 127 was a newer, more refined, more advanced aircraft. Information seems limited, but if the figures Greg dug up from that Russian site are accurate, it's very similar in size and overall dimensions to the Bf 110 (actually very slightly smaller, though obviously with a larger fuselage).

So if there's any potential pre-war Henschel twin with 'Me 410 potential' it'd be the 127, not the 124. Granted, the same argument could be made for the initial high-speed Ju 88 prototypes which were reportedly even faster than the 127, albeit possibly on more powerful engines.

It apparently weighed more empty than the Bf 110, so wing loading would be higher, especially with a full bombload, and climb rate would be worse, but it was not as extreme as the later Ar 240 (heavier and much smaller wing).

The larger fuselage might have allowed it to adapt radar before the BF 110, like the Ju 88 as well, and the smaller size at least seems like it would lead to better all around performance. (there's not enough context for the Ju 88V1's 360 mph figure or Hs 127's 353 mph figure to really compare)


The larger fuselage also might have made more potential for ground attack with heavy strafing and/or anti-tank or anti-shipping aramaments the Bf 110 (or Henshel's own Hs 129) would need to mount in external pods. Perhaps better suited to the fighter-bomber/attack role than the Ju-88C was at least?


Those '850 ps' DB 600C engines appear to have had a take-off rating of 1050 ps, so perhaps the high speed was achieved at the 1-minute rating at its critical altitude?

 

[Vahe Demirjian]

From what I've read, it was capable of carrying a 3,300 pound (1,500kg) bomb load, but I don't know if this was for V1 or V2 or the overall specification for the type.

As far as the internal load position (or cockpit, arming, etc.), I haven't seen a schematic for the Hs127, so I really don't know.

The War Thunder Forum states that the Henschel Hs 127 would also have been armed with one dorsally mounted 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun.

 

[GrauGeist]

Oh...because a war-game site is an accurate source of info.

Best stick to wiki...

 

[fubar57]

Damn Dave.....hope you left some burn ointment

 

[GrauGeist]

Damn Dave.....hope you left some burn ointment

I have some Sodium Chloride that would work nicely

Seriously, though - I've seen some of our research posted in WT threads but I've also seen a great deal of misinfo posted that ends up as gospel, sadly...

 

[Snautzer01]

Ahh the good old times with the il2 communion. There were some knowlegable people there.

 

[GregP]

If you want a trip down a very convoluted hole, dig into how the performance envelopes of the various aircraft models were developed in video games. Some of them see very reasonable until you get them anywhere near stall or try to land them on level smooth ground, but the details of exactly where the model specifications came from are shrouded in mystery.