1:32 Hs-123 A - Space (For ICM Kits)

A biplane that outlived its time

The Henschel Hs 123 was meant to be a stopgap until a modern dive bomber matured. Production ended as early as 1938, yet the machine proved so tough and so undemanding that it served in the front line until 1944. It had its baptism of fire in Spain, where its radial engine and fixed landing gear stood up to operating from dusty field strips that more modern types did not dare to use. Soldiers on the Eastern Front grew fond of it for its accuracy in low-level attacks and for the piercing sound of its propeller, which worked on the enemy's morale all by itself.

Layered printing instead of painting

The contents are several parts printed three-dimensionally on thin film and colored during manufacture. The instruments have depth, the glass faces have gloss and the side panels carry the relief of levers and switches. Photo-etched steel seatbelts go with them, and unlike printed ones these can be hung the way they would really hang in an open cockpit. Against a flat sheet the difference shows above all when seen from the side, where the print casts its own shadow into the recesses.

The procedure for a large scale

In 1:32 the cockpit is very much on show, so it pays to paint the interior first and polish it to a semi-gloss. The parts are released from the backing with water, placed with tweezers and pressed down with a soft cloth, without any chemical agents. The steel belts only need to be bent lightly over a rounded tool so that they lose their machine-made flatness. Wipe any remaining traces of adhesive from the backing off with a cotton swab moistened with clean water.