Henschel Hs 124

The Henschel Hs 124 was a German twin‑engine bomber prototype developed in the early 1930s by Henschel & Sohn, a firm better known for its heavy industrial and locomotive production. Conceived in response to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium’s call for a fast, high‑altitude tactical bomber, the Hs 124 first flew in 1934, piloted by test‑pilot Walter von Schiller. Its all‑metal airframe featured a low‑wing monoplane layout, retractable landing gear, and a fully glazed nose for a bombardier’s forward view. Powered by two 750 hp BMW 132 radial engines, the aircraft could reach 460 km/h and carry up to 800 kg of bombs, while defensive armament comprised dorsal and ventral gun positions.

Although the Hs 124 demonstrated respectable speed and handling, it lost the production contract to the more robust Junkers 88, which offered greater payload capacity and easier maintenance. Nonetheless, the Hs 124’s development marked Henschel’s first foray into aircraft design and provided valuable experience that later informed the company’s successful WH 300 and the famed Hs 129 ground‑attack aircraft of World War II. Its brief existence thus represents an important stepping stone in German aviation, illustrating the rapid technological experimentation of the interwar period.