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1/72 Matchbox Henschel Hs 126 - FINISHED


Knight_Flyer

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Right chaps, for my entry into the GB is this magnificent MB Henschel Hs 126... or perhaps not, those shades of green look indescribable :rambo:  I do like building vintage kits and Matchbox featured a lot in my hobby back in the day. To pay homage to that, I shall be building the kit the ol' Matchbox way - out of the box and brush painting.  Apart from the decals perhaps, as they look rather expired :nuke:  Markings and camo planned is Eastern Front. Will definitely be looking to have fun on this GB :penguin:

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I got one of these after a trip to the dentist aged, I think, about 8 or 9*. Never did manage to get the wing to stay on the struts, I image you'll have more success.

 

* I don't get any presents when I visit the dentist nowadays, sadly.

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Nice. I built one too aged 9 or 10 with

a rather Bobby desert camo.

There was an article in Airfix Magazine around the time that combined the Matchbox and Airfix kits to make the "perfect" 126 as neither was quite right.

Edited by John_W
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On 26/11/2017 at 7:50 PM, Beard said:

I got one of these after a trip to the dentist aged, I think, about 8 or 9*. Never did manage to get the wing to stay on the struts, I image you'll have more success.

 

* I don't get any presents when I visit the dentist nowadays, sadly.

Yes I had noted the struts would require some care and attention, I'll probably deviate from the instructions to ensure I have a good chance of aligning it straight.

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Painting has started, as you can see - the cockpit is typically Matchbox basic with just a seat and a control column. At times like this, wish I was a kid with no grown-up things to deal with, progress would be a lot faster.  Indeed, that was the point of a Matchbox kit to be built and flying ops within a relatively short time :pilot:

 

Next step is to start assembling the fuselage and the wings. Already completed a few dry runs and definitely needing sanding and filler :viking:

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  • 2 weeks later...

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A bit more progress. I decided to add the pilot figures as I felt the empty open cockpit would look odd considering how little detail it has.  I usually don't use the figures and actually may use them for future builds as they don't too bad.  Managed to assemble the centre wing structs as aligned as I could.  As the wing has a bit of weight, decided it might end in disaster if I tried to attach it with struts glued onto fuselage.  Some preliminary painting has been done as it would be difficult with the entire assembly attached.

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A bit more progress.  Wing assembly attached to fuselage, pilot figures and rear MG fitted.  Canopy as well with frame painted, would have been difficult to do if not done before it was installed.  Have to say the pilot figures do make a difference to the model.  Next step is to fit the rest of the parts and then onto filling and painting.

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  • 4 weeks later...

After the excitement of Christmas, back to the model :chef:  I managed to get the rest of the struts attached and can't help thinking must have been frustrating for a lot of kids back in the day. They weren't too much of a problem for me using tweezers and liquid glue to gently coax them in situ not to mention sharp scalpel to cut them off sprue... but for a kid modeller without those tools - a nightmare :rant: Anyways, it's looking a lot more plane like and I can proceed to painting after the engine cowling is attached. The wheels roll by the way, not that we are into that sort of thing ;)

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's finished :hobbyhorse:

Not quite the result I originally planned.  It was supposed to have been a typical MB build with a factory fresh finish.  However, I was looking into weathering techniques for models and one piece of advice was "be bold"  That may have been referring to a Sherman tank but I took it on board anyway :rambo:

 

So for the model it was - winter camo with some weathering, paint chipping etc  Build itself was quite straight forward, a bit of planning certainly helped avoid problem areas such as the struts. Only the area around the tail planes needed filler, quite a surprise as the mould dates from the 70's?  Finally, very happy I decided to add air crew, I think they make a difference to an otherwise spartan looking cockpit.

 

Decals are Printscale - beware they are extremely thin and careful handling is required. They're very easy to fold over on itself. I recommend they be dipped in water for no more than 8 seconds then left on a paper towel to soak. They react well to Microset but not Microsol. However, if a good coat of gloss varnish has been applied then Microsol isn't needed as the decal conforms quite well.

 

Will be contemplating to be bold on the next GB, just need to decide which one :cowboy:

 

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  • Knight_Flyer changed the title to 1/72 Matchbox Henschel Hs 126 - FINISHED

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