Henschel Hs 126 Royal Hellenic AF, Matchbox conv., 1/72 (rescued)

[JWM]

Hi,

Next archive but also current model from my shelves. Henschel Hs 126. The model is by Matchbox but with many modifications. The most important one was enlarging of the profile height - the original wing of Matchbox kit is really flat. I made it by glueing on top a 1 mm thick plastic card (10 mm wide) and the profile I constructed using Humbrol Body-putty (filler). What happend next - after years was a unpleasent surprise: the filler drying shrank (since it dries by evaporation) and the wings became not flat - one side was more straight another one was more of banana shape...Of course not very strong, but visble.

Edit '2017: I have found photo of cross section of wing:

One can see that I added about 1/3 of profile thickness from the top. (end of added in 2017)

 

 

A year ago a decided to do a correction of this. Moreover - the splitter two-tones painting scheme which I made on this was considered a false one - maschines were delivered to Greece in three-tone camo and then in late 1940 were painted to RAF-like to tone (DkGreen /DkEarth - not exactly RAF colours). However I liked to left machine in splitter camo and learn more about whole story - so I started a thread in WW II section ( http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234982649-rhaf-hs-126-camo-question/?hl=%2Bhenschel+%2B126#entry2002010). Thank to replies I've got i made the camo presented today. Many, many thanks to all mates, who took part in that discussion. The machine is "sigma-45" - the photo of this Hs-126 in splitter camo taken after collaps of Greece was send by one of FM on the thread above mentioned. So I made this one.

I added a bomb rack (my interpretation of possible look - based on the photos, unfortunately not a drawing) and additional MG on nose. The model (already in build in 1999) has many small improvments done following the drawings published in Polish monography on Hs 126 (Zbigniew Luranc, "Henschel 126" - Skrzydła w Miniaturze (in Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: Avia-Press, 1995) and changed to sigma -33 seen on some photo instead of sigma -37 in profile.

Here it how she lookes now:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152188754@N05/36171983911/in/dateposted-public/

 

 

 

 

 

To made the wing back correct I cut one side and added a plastic spacer and on other side I had to cut it triple.

Here is a photo showing this surgery

 

 

 

I am quite satisfied with rescuing this model...

Comments welcome

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

Edited August 1, 2017 by JWM
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[John_W]

Nice.

I remember an article many years ago that recommended combining the Matchbox and Airfix kits to get a perfect replica.

[JWM]

John, thx - I've got an article but with Airfix/Italeri mix. Matchbox is not considered a good base, I think...- but I had it in stash.

Cheers

J-W

[tonyot]

Nice job JW,......I have a Greek Hs 126 planned myself someday and I hope that it is as good as yours mate,.....brilliant stuff,

Cheers

Tony

[JWM]

Thanks Tony! - I am pretty sure that yours will be better

Cheers

J-W

[Mitch K]

~Smashing! I've got one of these on my list for the Mediterranean GB. I found some drawings of the additional MG installation, but couldn't find anything about a bomb rack. I was just going to ignore that, but you're inspiring me to search again!

[John_W]

John, thx - I've got an article but with Airfix/Italeri mix. Matchbox is not considered a good base, I think...- but I had it in stash.

Cheers

J-W

That might have been the one. It was in the 80's and my memory is vague.

[JWM]

Mitch, thanks for comment.

....but couldn't find anything about a bomb rack.

It is only said that he could carry 2x50 kg. I lined them in a single one rack, but I am not 100% sure that my interpretation was correct. That is what (or how) I "saw" in figures...

Cheers

J-W

[Ozzy]

Nice one, I remember building this kit .

[JWM]

Ozzy, thanks. This i s a rather old kit indeed. Perhaps a new and flawless mould for Hs 126 is needed, since all existing in 1/72: Airfix, Italeri and Matchbox are far from perfectly. I was improving mine following drawings but I would prefere doing it from a right kit

BTW - a lot of interesting painting schemes are known for this type - for example from Legion Condor in Spain, Afrika Korps and winter camos from Russia - besided the Hellenic one...

Cheers

J-W

Edited June 2, 2016 by JWM

[vh-bob]

JW, I think that your efforts to save this old model have been well rewarded. There is great satisfaction to be had from rebuilding an old model and having it turn out much improved like this one.

Trev.

[Luis Alfonso]

Hi Jerzy!!!!

I have watched in the mail that you have added this one but have not had chance to answer and at home the Hard disc say good by and have to replace it, but have found a available PC to write something about this special model.

This one is really a kit I have wished since many time ago, and got it until some a year and half ago after have bought a Frog P 61 to a seller and asked if he have many more kits and told me he only had this one and the Italeri counterpart.....and its nice to watch a rescue as you have made it, very well done and enrichned with the knowledge and facts you have learned about parts of history and amalgamated it in a little nice jewel to make justice to the real thing ina nice model after all the surgeries and corrections you did.

I have watched this model and was nearly got crazy when watched this nice little kit made in China but in its original box at the local Model Hobby Shop but the crazyness got to transform in horror and surprise as the price the people there was asking was of more than US$30.00...WOW!!!......then after some time I found mine withjout box and in company of an Italeri HS 126 kit and the pair was bought for only US$8.00 + US$3.00 S&H.....after all the model reached home and waiting the day.

Looking at yours is like to give new air for this old but nice kit and have got new ideas to replicate your job...maybe will take an intent to modify the wing and also make some improvements too...and the wonderful way you did the Splinter pattern in those nice colours to add many more interest to the build.

Thank you very much for sharing and not only the pics and the model, just many more: Inspiration and good vibrations to try one's hand and also the history about the plane and how you have done it!!!

Cheers,

Luis Alfonso

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[Learstang]

Another nice and obscure subject, J-W! I didn't know that the Greeks used the Hs-126.

Regards,

Jason

[JWM]

Many thanks VH-Bob, Luis-Alfonso and Jason for your comments

Luis - I knew that something must be wrong since I have not seen your posts from some time - I am sorry that your PC went wrong, but it is not that bad - important that you are OK Perhaps your choice with Italeri kit is now the best one - thou I've herad that some correction is needed there also. Something is bad with wing (? - I am not sure that I remember correctly) - anyway one have to look carefuly on drawings with doing all three available kits of Hs-126.

Jason - Indeed Greek is surprising as users of German machines - most of their equippment were Brits, French and Polish machines. I forgot to name also Latvia in countries who used Hs-126 ... - and the most bizzare user of Hs-126 - the Soviet Union, who captured Latvian's Hs-126 when they made invasion of Latvia (+Lithuania and Estonia) in 1940. Then they use Henschels in 1941 on northern part of East front.