In Box Review of AMTECH 1/48TH Scale
Hs-123A-1 Plastic “Unspatted” Landing Gear &
16-piece Resin Cockpit Interior
Super-detailed Update Kit For 1/48th ESCI or Italeri Kits
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2004
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2004
HISTORY:
The Henschel Hs 123 was a single-seat biplane dive bomber and close-support attack aircraft flown by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War and the early to midpoint of World War II. It proved to be robust, durable and effective especially in severe conditions. It continued to see front-line service until 1944, only to be withdrawn due to a lack of serviceable airframes and spare parts (production ended in 1940).
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Length: 8.33 m (27 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 24.85 m2 (267.5 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,500 kg (3,307 lb.)
Gross weight: 2,215 kg (4,883 lb.)
Powerplant: 1 × BMW 132Dc 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 660 kW (880 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed metal variable-pitch propeller
Maximum speed: 341 km/h (212 mph, 184 knot) at 1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Range: 860 km (530 mi, 460 nm.) with drop tank[16]
Combat range: 480 km (300 mi, 260 nm.) with 200 kg (440 lb.) of bombs
Service ceiling: 9,000 m (30,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 15 m/s (3,000 ft/min)
Armament:
2× 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, 400 rpg (field modification of 2× 20 mm (0.79 in) MG FF cannon)
Up to 450 kg (992.1 lb.) of bombs (1 x SC250 bomb under fuselage and 4 x SC50 bombs under wings)
The Henschel Hs 123 was a single-seat biplane dive bomber and close-support attack aircraft flown by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War and the early to midpoint of World War II. It proved to be robust, durable and effective especially in severe conditions. It continued to see front-line service until 1944, only to be withdrawn due to a lack of serviceable airframes and spare parts (production ended in 1940).
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Length: 8.33 m (27 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 24.85 m2 (267.5 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,500 kg (3,307 lb.)
Gross weight: 2,215 kg (4,883 lb.)
Powerplant: 1 × BMW 132Dc 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 660 kW (880 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed metal variable-pitch propeller
Maximum speed: 341 km/h (212 mph, 184 knot) at 1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Range: 860 km (530 mi, 460 nm.) with drop tank[16]
Combat range: 480 km (300 mi, 260 nm.) with 200 kg (440 lb.) of bombs
Service ceiling: 9,000 m (30,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 15 m/s (3,000 ft/min)
Armament:
2× 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, 400 rpg (field modification of 2× 20 mm (0.79 in) MG FF cannon)
Up to 450 kg (992.1 lb.) of bombs (1 x SC250 bomb under fuselage and 4 x SC50 bombs under wings)
THE KIT:
AMTECH is an old prolific model manufacturing company that mostly makes aircraft kits and accessory kits. I cannot find anywhere on the web where they are located?
This kit is an accessory type kit. With parts to use either the ESCI or Italeri kits of the Hs-123A-1 for the landing gear or cockpit interior.
It came in a generic white hinged box with a tray with a locking tab on the lid.
The cover art is a sticker that shows a color illustration of a Hs-123A-1 side view. It is two shades of green over a light grey undercarriage.
It has a large fuselage code of a light color no. 21, followed by black CB + light color A black F. The swastika on the rudder has been censored, to make it okay to display in countries where this kit is sold, that have outlawed showing it.
At the bottom of the box art it gives the copyright of the kit as 2004. Followed by: Specialized Hobby Kit. Not suitable for children under the age of 14. All rights reserved.
AMTECH is an old prolific model manufacturing company that mostly makes aircraft kits and accessory kits. I cannot find anywhere on the web where they are located?
This kit is an accessory type kit. With parts to use either the ESCI or Italeri kits of the Hs-123A-1 for the landing gear or cockpit interior.
It came in a generic white hinged box with a tray with a locking tab on the lid.
The cover art is a sticker that shows a color illustration of a Hs-123A-1 side view. It is two shades of green over a light grey undercarriage.
It has a large fuselage code of a light color no. 21, followed by black CB + light color A black F. The swastika on the rudder has been censored, to make it okay to display in countries where this kit is sold, that have outlawed showing it.
At the bottom of the box art it gives the copyright of the kit as 2004. Followed by: Specialized Hobby Kit. Not suitable for children under the age of 14. All rights reserved.
One end of the box has another sticker on it that repeats information from the box art and: Made in Korea, USA. Packed in the USA.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains one medium-grey styrene plastic tree and 12 tan resin loose parts, all in a zip-locked cello bag and the instructions.
The kit contains one medium-grey styrene plastic tree and 12 tan resin loose parts, all in a zip-locked cello bag and the instructions.
The instructions is a single-sheet, folded in the center to create 4 pages in 8 ½” x 11” page format. It is rolled up to fit the box.
Page 1 says: Un-spatted Landing Gear Assembly Sequence, over 5 assembly steps.
Page 2 shows 4 black and white photos of the gear made up, a side view of a Hs-123A-1 in the dark-green over grey scheme with only the German cross shown on its sides.
At the bottom of the page there are 2 black and white photos of an actual Hs-123A’s landing gear.
Page 3 is the assembly instructions for the resin cockpit interior parts. The parts are numbered 1 to 13.
No. 1 & 2 are cockpit wall panels. No. 3 is a cockpit wall bracer. No. 4 and 5 are the dashboard and it’s bracing. No. 8 is the pilot seat. The rest of the numbers are all consoles.
Five assembly steps are shown.
Page 4 shows 7 black and white photos of the cockpit interior parts made up.
Page 1 says: Un-spatted Landing Gear Assembly Sequence, over 5 assembly steps.
Page 2 shows 4 black and white photos of the gear made up, a side view of a Hs-123A-1 in the dark-green over grey scheme with only the German cross shown on its sides.
At the bottom of the page there are 2 black and white photos of an actual Hs-123A’s landing gear.
Page 3 is the assembly instructions for the resin cockpit interior parts. The parts are numbered 1 to 13.
No. 1 & 2 are cockpit wall panels. No. 3 is a cockpit wall bracer. No. 4 and 5 are the dashboard and it’s bracing. No. 8 is the pilot seat. The rest of the numbers are all consoles.
Five assembly steps are shown.
Page 4 shows 7 black and white photos of the cockpit interior parts made up.
The detail is excellent. This kit is not for the beginner or novice modeler.
Recommended.
Recommended.