Hs 129 B-3

Hs 129 B-3

Ju 87 G-2

Hs 129 B-2

Hs 129 B-3

Ju 87 G-2

Hs 129 B-2

Germany

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.0	2.0	3.0

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:7 900

Purchase:10 000

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This page is about the German attacker Hs 129 B-3. For other uses, see Hs 129 (Family).

Description

The Hs 129 B-3 is a rank II German attacker with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/RB) and 3.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.37.

The Hs 129 is a pure ground attack aircraft, designed mostly to take out tanks and armoured vehicles. The anti-tank gun PaK 40 is capable of knocking out medium tanks, while the 7.62 mm LMGs can destroy armoured cars and mobile AAAs. The plane is both slow and sluggish, meaning that it practically has to go after ground targets, but the armament and armour somewhat compensate for that and enable the plane to take out nearly all ground targets except pillboxes and heavy tanks.

The plane is very heavy, which makes it nearly impossible to take out fighters, even most medium bombers are more manoeuvrable, however, the plane is heavily armoured, so it can last a while even under heavy fire, even to such a degree that some planes run out of ammunition before taking out a Henschel.

General info

Flight Performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 3,550 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
418	405	7,500	30.2	31.4	4.3	5.4	331
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 3,550 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	7,500	??.?	??.?	?.?	?.?	?

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
700	450	???	~13	~13

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 310	< 320	< 300	> 230

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
3,??? m	1,300 hp	1,530 hp

Survivability and armour

• 5 mm Steel - Oil cooler covers
• 5 mm Steel - Lower engine cowl protection
• 2 mm Steel - Cockpit side plates
• 12 mm Steel - Cockpit back plate, floor, and front plates
• 75 mm Bulletproof glass

Armaments

Hs-129 B-3 destroying a ground vehicle with its 75mm BK 7.5 cannon

Offensive armament

The Hs 129 B-3 is armed with:

• 1 x 75 mm BK 7,5 cannon (13 rpg = 13 total)
• 2 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)

The two machine guns are arranged on each side of the fuselage. The 75 mm cannon is mounted to the underside of the fuselage.

Usage in battles

The Hs 129 B's instrument panel.

The Hs 129 B-3 is capable of destroying most mission relevant ground targets. Tanks of all sorts, as well as light pillboxes, can be destroyed in one hit, provided armour piercing ammunition is used. Thanks to the 13 shells available, this can make a single Hs 129 B-3 a game-changing aircraft.

The Hs 129, however, does have major drawbacks. Its engines are weak which results in poor top speed, acceleration and climb rate. This, combined with the armor of nearly one ton weight, makes it perform poorly in air combat and very vulnerable to attacks of enemy fighters. This, however, goes so far that sometimes enemy pilots underestimate the Hs 129 and overshoot it after a tight turn, which gives the Hs 129 pilot a moderate chance of defending himself.

In simulator battles, it is highly advisable to climb to at least 600 meters, level, and build speed (energy) before turning and returning for another attack. When spawning, it is still recommended to climb to 1000 meters above ground, and use the scope to spot enemy ground vehicles in simulator battles. If there are possible enemies in the area, lose altitude, and fly away from the enemy to take a different path.

Do not attempt to make quick adjustments when aiming in a dive. Pull up, and try again. The AI tanks will go nowhere. Use 'universal belts' to help aim the main tank gun. It is not recommended to use tracers. The plane needs one major virtue to produce desirable results: patience.

The plane may sound very weak but, every tool in the box has a specific purpose: the Hs 129 B-3 is designed to win through objective destruction.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not controllable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair	Radiator		Offensive 7 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 7 mm MGs
III	Wing Repair	Engine		Offensive 75 mm
IV		Engine Injection	Cover	New 75 mm Cannons

Pros and cons

Pros:

• The combination of the 7.92 mm machine guns and the 75 mm anti-tank gun can make short work of armoured columns
• A well-timed shot from the 75 mm gun when firing High Explosive can tear an aircraft apart
• Extremely effective in tank RB with air superiority. The 75 mm can take out even the most heavily armoured allied tanks
• The 7.62 mm machine guns allows for engaging unarmoured targets without wasting 75 mm ammunition
• Can take a fair amount of punishment
• Quite a stable gun platform

Cons:

• Extremely slow from under-powered engines
• Very poor climb rate
• Not particularly manoeuvrable
• Poor energy retention
• Damage to engines can lose enough power to the extent that the plane simply falls out of the sky
• No defensive armament translates to a "sitting duck" in some combat situations, especially without friendly fighters in the air
• Aiming is not on the crosshair. To be more precise with your shots, take the diameter of the aiming circle, put the length under the circle, and that spot is a rough estimation of where your shot will land.

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === Encyclopedia Info ===, also if applicable).

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• [Ugly Ducklings] - Hs 129

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.

Henschel & Son Corporation (Henschel und Sohn Aktiengesellschaft)
Attackers	Hs 129 B-2 · Hs 129 B-3
Bombers	Hs 123 A-1
Export	␗Hs 123 A-1
	Hs 129 B-2 (Romania) · Hs 129 B-2 (Romania)