Henschel Hs 117

Hs 117 Schmetterling
A Schmetterling missile on display at the National Air & 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	Professor Herbert A. Wagner
Designed	1942-1943
Manufacturer	Henschel Flugzeugwerke
Variants	Hs 117M (air-to-air missile variant)
Specifications (Hs 117)
Weight	450 kg (990 lb), 620 kg (1,370 lb) with launch boosters
Length	4,200 mm (170 in)
Diameter	350 mm (14 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
Wingspan	2,000 mm (79 in)
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.
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).

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 Dr. Herbert 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.