The Hs 123 was the immediate predecessor to the Junkers Ju 87 (p.W114) and was in service only a year before the Stuka replaced it. A single-seat biplane, the Hs 123 saw combat as a ground support aircraft, not being withdrawn from service until 1944. Five planes were used by the Condor Legion in Spain in 1936, the same year the Hs 123 entered Luftwaffe service.
The Hs 123A-1 uses 29.5 gallons of aviation fuel per hour at routine usage.
Hs 123A-1
Subassemblies: Medium Fighter chassis +3, Recon Fighter Wings
with Biplane option+2, three fixed wheels +0.
Powertrain: 656-kW aerial HP gasoline engine w/656-kW old prop
and 90-gallon fuel tank [Body].
Occupancy: 1 XCS Cargo: 9.
Armor
Body/Wings: 2/2
Weaponry
2¥Aircraft LMG/MG 17 [Body:F] (500 each)
551-lb bomb [Body:U]
4¥110-lb bombs [Wings:U]
Equipment
Body: Medium radio receiver and transmitter, navigation instruments,
autopilot, 551-lb (250 kg) hardpoint Wings: 110-lb (50 kg) hardpoint
under each.
Statistics
| Size: 27'x35'x11' | Payload : 0.91 tons | Lwt: 2.45 tons |
| Volume: 144 | Maint.: 52 hours | Price: $14,500 |
HT: 10
HP: 120 [body], 100 [each wing], 12 [each wheel]
| aSpeed: 211 | aAccel: 7 | aDecel: 34 | aMR: 8.5 | aSR: 2 |
| gSpeed: 288 | aAccel: 24 | aDecel: 10 | aMR: 0.25 | aSR: 2 |
Design Notes
Design speed was 233 mph. The historical value has been used, as well
as the actual wing area (267 square feet). The wing’s HPs (and cost and
weight) were doubled to provide a more realistic aMR. Loaded weight was
decreased by 6%.
The body hardpoint could also take an external fuel tank.
Variants
The original prototypes (1935) used a 485-kW engine.
The Hs 123B added two more MG 17’s, an enclosed cockpit and a larger, 716-kW engine. However, the Ju 87 was entering production and only two prototype Hs 123B’s were completed.
Some planes replaced the wing bomb racks with a pair of cannon pods, each with a 20mm MG FF (20mm Short Aircraft Autocannon).