Henschel Hs 117
| Hs 117 Schmetterling | |
|---|---|
A Schmetterling missile on display at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. | |
| Type | Surface-to-air (SAM) / Air-to-air (AAM) missile |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Herbert A. Wagner |
| Designed | 1942-1943 |
| Manufacturer | Henschel Flugzeugwerke |
| Variants | Hs 117M (air-to-air missile variant) |
| Specifications (Hs 117) | |
| Mass | 450 kg (990 lb), 620 kg (1,370 lb) with launch boosters |
| Length | 4,200 mm (170 in) |
| Diameter | 350 mm (14 in) |
| Wingspan | 2,000 mm (79 in) |
| Warhead | High explosive |
| Engine | 1x BMW 109-558 liquid-fuelled rocket engine 3.7 kN (830 lbf) for 33 sec, followed by 0.588 kN (132 lbf) for 24 sec |
| Propellant | Tonka-250 (50% triethylamine and 50% xylidine) fuel, with SV-Stoff (nitric acid) oxidiser |
Operational range | 32 km (20 mi; 17 nmi) |
| Flight altitude | 6,000–9,000 m (20,000–30,000 ft) |
| Boost time | 2x Schmidding 109-553 Ethylene glycol solid fuel boosters, giving total 17.1 kN (3,800 lbf) thrust for 4 sec. |
| Maximum speed | 900–1,000 km/h (560–620 mph; 490–540 kn) |
Guidance system | MCLOS; visual guidance by telescope, radio controls; two-man crew |
The Henschel Hs 117 Schmetterling (German for Butterfly) was a radio-guided German surface-to-air missile project developed during World War II. There was also an air-to-air version, the Hs 117H.
The operators used a telescopic sight and a joystick to guide the missile by radio control, which was detonated by acoustic and photoelectric proximity fuses, at 10–20 m (33–66 ft).