Dr. Herbert Wagner's missile group at Henschel Aircraft in World War II Germany designed this small, experimental, air-to-air missile. A Schmidding solid rocket propelled the Hs 298 for about 25 seconds, and the pilot in the launch aircraft guided it using a joystick and transmitter.

The initial Hs 298 V1 design, first tested in 1944, had a different wing, square fins, a warhead on top, and a generator propeller below. Henschel built more than 300 V1s model and over 100 V2s, but the project was cancelled in early 1945 in favor of the Ruhrstahl X-4, which performed better. The Smithsonian obtained this missile from the U.S. Navy in 1948.

Display Status

This object is on display in Rockets & Missiles at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

Rockets & Missiles

Object Details

Country of Origin

Germany

Type

CRAFT-Missiles & Rockets

Manufacturer

Henschel Flugzeugwerke

Dimensions

Overall: 1 ft. 4 5/16 in. tall x 8 ft. 4 3/16 in. long x 4 ft. 2 3/16 in. wing span, 275.6 lb. (41.5 x 254.5 x 127.4cm, 125kg)

Materials

Aluminum

Alternate Name

Hs 298 Missile

Inventory Number

A19510066000

Credit Line

Transferred from the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics

Data Source

National Air and Space Museum

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply
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