1:48 MK 101 cannon for Hs 129

The MK 101 cannon for the Hs 129 in 1:48 scale

The set brings the MK 101 cannon in its underslung pod, as the German Henschel Hs 129 ground-attack aircraft carried it under the fuselage, in 1:48 scale. It is not a model of an aircraft but an accessory that replaces a simplified part from a kit. The exact number of parts and how they are done is given on the box of the set.

The real subject

The Hs 129 was a twin-engined ground-attack aircraft built squarely for destroying ground targets. The pilot sat in an armored and very cramped cockpit with a limited view, and the machine was famous for its weak engines. Its point, however, lay in striking power: a pod with the 30 mm MK 101 cannon could be hung under the fuselage, that is a weapon with a long barrel and high muzzle velocity that could cope even with the side and top armor of the tanks of the day. It is precisely this underslung pod that gives a model of the Hs 129 its characteristic menacing silhouette, and it shows what the aircraft was meant for.

Building and painting tips

Check that the barrel is in line against photographs; on a long weapon even a small deviation is conspicuous on a finished model. Degrease the parts before painting and spray them with a base color, and strengthen the joints with super glue, which holds even on materials that cement for plastic does not touch. Pick the muzzle out in a dark shade and with a faint trace of exhaust staining drawn back along the pod. Fit the pod only after the fuselage has been painted, otherwise it gets in the way of masking and painting.

Who the set is for

• Builders of the Hs 129 in 1:48 scale
• Modelers for whom the simplified weapon from the kit is not enough
• Collectors of German ground-attack vehicles of the Second World War
• More experienced modelers used to small parts