Book Review of
German Henschel Hs 126B-1
Single No. 24
Authors: Robert Panek & Krzysztof Wotowski
MMP/Mushroom Models Publications
ISBN: 978-83-66549-16-6
BY Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $11.99
ISBN: 978-83-66549-16-6
BY Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $11.99
HISTORY:
The Henschel Hs 126 was a German two-seat reconnaissance and observation aircraft of World War II that was derived from the Henschel Hs 122. The pilot was seated in a protected cockpit under the parasol wing and the gunner in an open rear cockpit.
The prototype aircraft frame was that of a Hs 122A fitted with a Junkers engine. The Hs 126 was well received for its good short takeoff and low-speed characteristics which were needed at the time.
It was put into service for a few years, but was soon superseded by the general-purpose, STOL Fieseler Fi 156 Storch and the medium-range Focke-Wulf Fw 189 "flying eye".
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: Two (pilot and observer/gunner)
Length: 10.9 m (35 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in)
Height: 3.8 m (12 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 31.6 m2 (340 ft2)
Empty weight: 2,030 kg (4,480 lb)
Loaded weight: 3,090 kg (6,820 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Bramo 323 9-cylinder radial engine, 625 kW (850 PS)
Maximum speed: 356 km/h at 3,000 m (221 mph at 9,850 ft)
Range: 998 km (620 mi)
Service ceiling: 8,530 m (28,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 550 m/min (1,800 ft/min)
Wing loading: 97.8 kg/m2 (20.1 lb/ft2)
Power/mass: 0.21 kW/kg (0.13 hp/lb)
Armament: 1 × forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun, 1 × flexible 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in the observer/gunner position, Up to 150 kg (330 lb) of bombs
THE BOOK:
MMP/Mushroom Model Publications is based in the UK. All their books are printed by their associate Stratus Publications, that is based in Sandomierz, Poland in the English language. Stratus also publishes their own line of books in both English and Polish.
This book is soft-cover with 24 pages in 8” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color illustration of an Hs-126B-1 posed against an orange background. (description of this plane later in this review)
The book contains 13 black and white wartime photos of the Hs-125B-1 on the ground and in flight, with one shown wrecked.
The first 2 pages show a 1/72nd 5-view line-drawing of the Hs-126B-1.
The next 3 pages show it as a 4-view line-drawing in 1/48th scale.
The book contains 21 tech manual illustrations.
There is a color illustration of the instrument panel, with the dials all named, 3 color photos of the engine and the final 4 pages with a 4-view color profile illustrations of the cover art subject.
It is heavily white washed on its sides. On the top of its roof the white wash has a dark-green camouflage pattern on it. It has a black fuselage code 6K + EH. However, the EH is covered by an armor plate on one side and the 6K covered on the other side. It has a yellow panel under its cowling, a yellow fuselage band below the fuselage German crosses and yellow upper wing tips and a small swastika on its rudder.
It was with 1.(H)/23, Russia 1941/42.
This book will be of great interest to modelers, who plan to build a model of this aircraft and to aircraft historians alike.
Highly recommended.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the North American distributor of MMP/Mushroom Model Publications books. All MMP book titles can be viewed on Casemates web site at:
The Henschel Hs 126 was a German two-seat reconnaissance and observation aircraft of World War II that was derived from the Henschel Hs 122. The pilot was seated in a protected cockpit under the parasol wing and the gunner in an open rear cockpit.
The prototype aircraft frame was that of a Hs 122A fitted with a Junkers engine. The Hs 126 was well received for its good short takeoff and low-speed characteristics which were needed at the time.
It was put into service for a few years, but was soon superseded by the general-purpose, STOL Fieseler Fi 156 Storch and the medium-range Focke-Wulf Fw 189 "flying eye".
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: Two (pilot and observer/gunner)
Length: 10.9 m (35 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in)
Height: 3.8 m (12 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 31.6 m2 (340 ft2)
Empty weight: 2,030 kg (4,480 lb)
Loaded weight: 3,090 kg (6,820 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Bramo 323 9-cylinder radial engine, 625 kW (850 PS)
Maximum speed: 356 km/h at 3,000 m (221 mph at 9,850 ft)
Range: 998 km (620 mi)
Service ceiling: 8,530 m (28,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 550 m/min (1,800 ft/min)
Wing loading: 97.8 kg/m2 (20.1 lb/ft2)
Power/mass: 0.21 kW/kg (0.13 hp/lb)
Armament: 1 × forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun, 1 × flexible 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in the observer/gunner position, Up to 150 kg (330 lb) of bombs
THE BOOK:
MMP/Mushroom Model Publications is based in the UK. All their books are printed by their associate Stratus Publications, that is based in Sandomierz, Poland in the English language. Stratus also publishes their own line of books in both English and Polish.
This book is soft-cover with 24 pages in 8” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color illustration of an Hs-126B-1 posed against an orange background. (description of this plane later in this review)
The book contains 13 black and white wartime photos of the Hs-125B-1 on the ground and in flight, with one shown wrecked.
The first 2 pages show a 1/72nd 5-view line-drawing of the Hs-126B-1.
The next 3 pages show it as a 4-view line-drawing in 1/48th scale.
The book contains 21 tech manual illustrations.
There is a color illustration of the instrument panel, with the dials all named, 3 color photos of the engine and the final 4 pages with a 4-view color profile illustrations of the cover art subject.
It is heavily white washed on its sides. On the top of its roof the white wash has a dark-green camouflage pattern on it. It has a black fuselage code 6K + EH. However, the EH is covered by an armor plate on one side and the 6K covered on the other side. It has a yellow panel under its cowling, a yellow fuselage band below the fuselage German crosses and yellow upper wing tips and a small swastika on its rudder.
It was with 1.(H)/23, Russia 1941/42.
This book will be of great interest to modelers, who plan to build a model of this aircraft and to aircraft historians alike.
Highly recommended.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the North American distributor of MMP/Mushroom Model Publications books. All MMP book titles can be viewed on Casemates web site at: