During the last half of 1943 experience showed that losses during convention¬al dive bombing with the Junkers Ju 87 were becoming prohibi¬tive without heavy fighter escort, parti¬cularly in the face of Soviet air presence on the Eastern Front. The Henschel company, with considerable experience in produc¬ing ground support aircraft, put for¬ward late in 1944 proposals for an essentially simple single jet attack bomber with a BMW 109 003E 2 tur¬bojet mounted above the fuselage. In essence the aircraft resembled the Heinkel He 162 with twin fins and rud¬ders, although the sharply tapered wing was mounted at mid fuselage depth; more significant, the pilot occu¬pied a prone position in the extreme nose so as to withstand the likely 12g forces expected to accompany shal¬low dive recovery. Simplified con¬struction with widespread use of wood in the structure was welcomed by the RLM and three prototypes were ordered, and commenced building in March 1945.
Only the Henschel Hs 132 VI powered by a 1,760 lb thrust BMW 003 engine had been completed (but not flown) by the war’s end, and all three aircraft were taken over by the Soviet forces in their advance from the east.
The first aircraft was to have carried a single 500 kg (1,102 1b) bomb recessed into the under-fuselage; the second, with Jumo 004 900 kg (1,984 1b) thrust engine com¬bined this load with two nose mounted 20 mm MG 151 cannon; and the third, with 1300 kg (2,866 1b) thrust Heinkel¬-Hirth 109 011A turbojet would carry a 1000 kg (2,205 1b) bomb, two 30 mm MK 103 and two 20 mm MG 151 guns. It was intended that the PC 1000RS Pol rocket assisted armour piercing bomb would be used for battlefield support attacks.
Hs 132 V1
Engine: one 800 kg (1,764 1b) thrust BMW 109 003E 2 turbojet.
Wingspan 7.20 m (23 ft 7.5 in)
Wing area 14.82 sq.m (159.4 sq.ft)
Length 8.90 m (29 ft 2.5 in)
Height 9ft 10 in
Maximum speed 780 kph (485 mph) at 6000 m (19,685 ft);
Service ceiling 10250 m (33,630 ft)
Range 680 km (423 miles)
Maximum take off weight 3400 kg (7,496 lb)
Armament: one 500 kg (1,102 lb) bomb under the fuselage.
All Aero 