1:32 Henschel Hs-123A-1 (Late) Markings airbrush mask for ICM

A biplane that outlived its own era

The single-seat Henschel Hs 123 first flew in the middle of the 1930s and by the end of them already counted as an obsolete type. It nevertheless stayed in the front line far into the war years, because it could do what more modern machines could not: take off from muddy field strips, take a hit and come back from low-level attacks again and again. The combination of a radial engine, fixed landing gear in aerodynamic fairings and a robust structure made it a machine the ground units were not glad to be rid of.

According to the name, the qualifier of late production distinguishes the series that differed in detail from the first examples. The mask is cut for precisely that one, so the shapes and the spacings of the markings match this form of the machine.

Markings without decals

The package deals with the modeling markings, that is the codes, numbers and emblems on the fuselage and on the wing. The film is cut to shape, so the markings are applied with paint and the finished model has no rim around the lettering of the kind a decal often gives away on a matte surface. On a biplane that matters more than elsewhere, because a fabric-covered surface has a pronounced rib structure and a decal settles on it unevenly.

Work on a perfectly cured finish, press the film down around its whole outline with a soft tool and apply the paint in several light coats. Take the mask off while the last coat is still only touch-dry; the edge then comes out sharp and nothing is torn off the base with it.

What is not in the box

The set is an accessory to a model that the modeler buys separately, as are the paints. After spraying, the film is removed and is not used again.