1/72 Henschel Hs 129A

This is a resin model kit, which comes unassembled and unpainted. So glue, model paints and other basic modelling tools are additionally required.

The experience of the Spanish civil War made German aviation experts rethink aircraft for close-support role. They again started to speak about an aircraft capable of attacking an enemy armour vehicles. In spring 1937 the Technische Amt of the RLM issued a requirement for a Schlachtflugzeug, specifying the use of two engines, minimal dimensions, armour protection of both cockpit and engines and a strong armament of 20mm cannon and machine guns. The requirement was submitted to a few aircraft producers. In October 1937 Henschel Flugzeugwerke proposal designed under Dipl. Ing. Nicholause supervision was accepted. He proposed a small conventional single-seat aircraft with two Argus As 41 OA inverted-vee engines. The shape of armoured cockpit ,,bathtub" gave fuselage an unusual triangular cross section.
After mock-up was accepted the project received designation Hs 129 and building of prototype begun in October 1938. The HS 129 V-1 was flown for the first time on 20th May 1939 and shortly proved to be a poor aircraft. It had a heavy controls and insufficient climb. Risky take-offs and landigs resulted from the totally inadequate view from the cockpit. RLM ordered twelve pre-production Hs 129A-0 and sixteen production Hs 129A-1 models. Several pre-production aircraft saw limited service with the training unit in France. Hs 129A-1 series was cancelled in behalf of more powerful Hs 129B.