Henschel Hs 128

The Henschel Hs 128 was a low‑wing, single‑engine monoplane developed by the German industrial firm Henschel & Sohn in the late 1930s as a versatile advanced‑trainer and light‑reconnaissance aircraft. Drawing on the successful design concepts of the earlier Hs 126, engineers fitted the Hs 128 with a sleek, all‑metal airframe, retractable main‑gear, and a semi‑monocoque fuselage that reduced weight while improving structural integrity. Powered by an Argus As 10C nine‑cylinder inverted‑V engine delivering 240 hp, the aircraft reached a maximum speed of 350 km/h, a service ceiling of 8 800 m and a range of 1 200 km—figures that made it competitive with contemporary trainers such as the Bücker Bü 131. The cockpit featured dual controls, a sliding canopy and provision for optional armament, allowing the Hs 128 to serve both as a pilot‑training platform and as a light‑attack trainer. Although only a limited batch of fifteen prototypes were completed before the outbreak of World War II shifted Henschel’s production toward armored vehicles and heavy bombers, the Hs 128 demonstrated valuable advances in aerodynamic cleanliness and systems integration. Its design principles later influenced the post‑war Henschel Hs 130 series, underscoring the aircraft’s understated but lasting impact on German military aviation development.