Henschel Hs 117

• Name — Hs 117 Schmetterling • Origin — Germany • Type — Surface-to-air (SAM) / Air-to-air (AAM) missile • Is Explosive — y • Is Missile — y • Designer — Herbert A. Wagner • Design Date — 1942-1943 • Manufacturer — Henschel Flugzeugwerke • Variants — Hs 117H (air-to-air missile variant) • Spec Label — Hs 117 • Weight — 450 kg, 620 kg with launch boosters • Length — 4200 mm • Diameter — 350 mm • Filling — High explosive • Primary Armament — 25 kg High explosive • Engine — 1x BMW 109-558 liquid-fuelled rocket engine • Engine Power — 3.7 kN for 33 sec, followed by 0.588 kN for 24 sec • Vehicle Range — 32 km • Speed — 900 - • Guidance — MCLOS; visual guidance by telescope, radio controls; two-man crew • Wingspan — 2000 mm • Propellant — Tonka-250 (50% triethylamine and 50% xylidine) fuel, with SV-Stoff (nitric acid) oxidiser • Altitude — 6000 - • Boost — 2x Schmidding 109-553 Ethylene glycol solid fuel boosters, giving total 17.1 kN thrust for 4 sec.

In 1941, Professor Herbert A. Wagner (who was previously responsible for the Henschel Hs 293 anti-ship missile) invented the Schmetterling missile and submitted it to the Reich Air Ministry (RLM), who rejected the design because there was no need for more anti-aircraft weaponry. However, by 1943 the large-scale bombing of Germany caused the RLM to change its mind, and Henschel was given a contract to develop and manufacture it. The team was led by Professor Wagner, and it produced a weapon somewhat resembling a bottlenose dolphin with swept wings and cruciform tail. In May 1944, 59 Hs 117 missiles were tested, some from beneath a Heinkel He 111; over half the trials failed. Mass production was ordered in December 1944, with deployment to start in March 1945. Operational missiles were to be launched from a 37mm gun carriage. In January 1945, a prototype for mass production was completed, and production of 3,000 missiles a month was anticipated, but on 6 February, SS-Obergruppenführer Hans Kammler cancelled the project.

The Hs 117H was an air-launched variant, designed to be launched from a Dornier Do 217, Junkers Ju 188, or Junkers Ju 388. This version was designed to attack enemy aircraft up to 5 km above the launching aircraft.