In Box Review of Italeri 1/48th Scale
German Henschel HS-129B-1 Ground-attack Plane
Kit no. 073
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1996
I paid $12.00 for my kit back in the 90's at a local shop that went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1996
I paid $12.00 for my kit back in the 90's at a local shop that went out of business.
HISTORY:
The Henschel Hs 129 was a World War II ground-attack aircraft fielded by the German Luftwaffe. The aircraft saw combat in Tunisia and on the Eastern Front.
A key requirement of the original specification was that the aircraft be powered by engines that were not in demand for other designs. This limited it to low-power engines, with most models using a 700 horsepower (520 kW) French engine.
In spite of being very small and relatively light, the design was generally underpowered. Attempts to fit more powerful engines, both German and Italian, were thwarted for a variety of reasons.
The design was relatively effective when it was first introduced, and saw service on the Eastern Front in a variety of front-line roles.
As the war continued and anti-tank support became the main goal, the aircraft was continually up-gunned, eventually mounting a 75 mm gun in the anti-tank role that left the plane barely flyable.
Only a small number of these B-3 models were produced, late in the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Ground-attack
Manufacturer: Henschel
First flight: 25 May 1939
Introduction to service: April 1942
Retired: 1945
Primary users: Luftwaffe, Hungarian Air Force, Romanian Air Force
Produced: June 1940 – September 1944
Number built: 865
The Henschel Hs 129 was a World War II ground-attack aircraft fielded by the German Luftwaffe. The aircraft saw combat in Tunisia and on the Eastern Front.
A key requirement of the original specification was that the aircraft be powered by engines that were not in demand for other designs. This limited it to low-power engines, with most models using a 700 horsepower (520 kW) French engine.
In spite of being very small and relatively light, the design was generally underpowered. Attempts to fit more powerful engines, both German and Italian, were thwarted for a variety of reasons.
The design was relatively effective when it was first introduced, and saw service on the Eastern Front in a variety of front-line roles.
As the war continued and anti-tank support became the main goal, the aircraft was continually up-gunned, eventually mounting a 75 mm gun in the anti-tank role that left the plane barely flyable.
Only a small number of these B-3 models were produced, late in the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Ground-attack
Manufacturer: Henschel
First flight: 25 May 1939
Introduction to service: April 1942
Retired: 1945
Primary users: Luftwaffe, Hungarian Air Force, Romanian Air Force
Produced: June 1940 – September 1944
Number built: 865
THE KIT:
Italeri is an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. This kit was imported and distributed by the Testor Corp. in Rockford, IL in the 90's.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped end-opening type box. I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts or the decal sheet find their way past one of the end flaps to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box art shows a HS-129B-1 flying above bomb bursts and smoke. It is in a base of sand-yellow with a dark-green mottle, over a light-blue under- carriage. It has a black and white spinner, a white fuselage band and white fuse code of C.
One side panel has a one-paragraph history of the aircraft in 7 languages, including English. Each is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks that language.
Italeri is an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. This kit was imported and distributed by the Testor Corp. in Rockford, IL in the 90's.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped end-opening type box. I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts or the decal sheet find their way past one of the end flaps to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box art shows a HS-129B-1 flying above bomb bursts and smoke. It is in a base of sand-yellow with a dark-green mottle, over a light-blue under- carriage. It has a black and white spinner, a white fuselage band and white fuse code of C.
One side panel has a one-paragraph history of the aircraft in 7 languages, including English. Each is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks that language.
The other side panel continues with the histories in 5 more languages with the flag labels, followed by "Kit no suitable for children under 3, due to small parts" in multiple languages, including English, over Italeri's street address in Italy.
The bottom of the box is a color 3-view of the HS-129B-1 in a wave pattern of 2 greens over a light-blue under-carriage. It has a yellow nose, fuselage band and lower wing tips. The fuselage f-code is a white C + black triangle outlined in white. It is with the 8th Staffel/Schlachtgeswader 1, Kursk Battle, Russia 1943.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 2 pale-grey trees, a clear tree, the decal sheet, instructions and a sheet of IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE KIT in 20 languages, including English.
The kit contains 2 pale-grey trees, a clear tree, the decal sheet, instructions and a sheet of IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE KIT in 20 languages, including English.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7 1/2" x 10" page format.
Page 1 has the history of the HS-129B-1 in 12 languages, including English, over paint color listings.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTIONS about the kit, in 8 languages, including English, over the parts trees illustrations.
Page 3 has another part tree illustration at the top, over international assembly symbol explanations and the 1st assembly step.
Pages 4 through 7 give a balance of a total of 9 assembly steps, over decal application instructions.
Page 8 has a 4-view of the box art scheme (N. Africa 1943) and the scheme of the one is Russia (already described above).
Trees are alphabetized.
Light-grey letter A tree holds: the fuselage, propellers, bombs etc. (60 parts)
Page 1 has the history of the HS-129B-1 in 12 languages, including English, over paint color listings.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTIONS about the kit, in 8 languages, including English, over the parts trees illustrations.
Page 3 has another part tree illustration at the top, over international assembly symbol explanations and the 1st assembly step.
Pages 4 through 7 give a balance of a total of 9 assembly steps, over decal application instructions.
Page 8 has a 4-view of the box art scheme (N. Africa 1943) and the scheme of the one is Russia (already described above).
Trees are alphabetized.
Light-grey letter A tree holds: the fuselage, propellers, bombs etc. (60 parts)
Light-grey letter B tree holds: wings, elevators, cowlings, engines etc. (20 parts)
Clear letter C tree holds the canopy (1 part)
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents. There are no swastika markings on it. This is to keep the kit politically correct in countries where it is sold that have outlawed this insignia.
There is no pilot figure included. Trees are not cello bagged. Detail is the engraved type. Flaps are all molded solid.
Recommended.