INTERMEDIATE BUILD
HENSCHEL Hs 123INTERMEDIATE BUILD
HENSCHEL Hs 12366 Airfi x Model WorldG
reece – the home of
GasPatch Models – is a land
with a rich cultural heritage.
It was the birthplace of
philosophy, and it was Aristotle
who first stated: “That which is
perfect is so good that nothing
of the kind could be better.” It’s
a mantra the Hellenic company
has taken to heart since its
conception in 2011, and its latest
creation is no exception. Prior to
the release of the firm’s recent
state-of-the-art 1/48 Henschel Hs
123, those wishing to reproduce
the largely overlooked Germandive-bomber in quarter scale
were restricted to acquiring
the 1970s Esci tooling. Those
same moulds have since been
re-issued by Revell in 1978 and
2011, and Amtech in 2003; Italeri
and Tamiya have more recently
re-packaged the same runners
in different guises. GasPatch’s
release, modellers will be pleased
to hear, inherits nothing from
those ancient offerings.Plastic perfection
The kit came in a sturdy and
colourful top-opening box, whichcontained six grey runners and
one small clear frame, each
packed separately. Also included
was a photo-etched (PE) brass
fret, a tiny windscreen masking
sheet, and gloriously printed
Cartograf decals featuring
markings for five colour schemes.
There was even a cardboard
jig for setting the angle of the
undercarriage. The glossy, A5
instruction booklet was laid out
clearly in easy-to-follow steps and
featured full-colour 3D imaging
throughout. Painting guides were
provided for each assembly sub-GasPatch Models
pleased many
Luftwaffe fans with
its recent 1/48 Hs
123 kits, which filled
a long-overdue
gap. The wait was
worth it, says
Jay Blakemore
A decent array of photo-etched brass
detail parts was provided, representing
seatbelts and smaller structural nuances. Gaspatch Models provided everything
needed to build a busy cockpit, including a
beautifully moulded control panel.Before the Stuka...