Dave Ward's 1/48 ICM Henschel Hs 126A-1 Condor Legion

[Dave Ward]

After my Interwar Vickers Mk I, my next build is also pre-WWII............. OOB
Nice crisp mouldings in a fairly soft plastic. It's quite large 30cm wingspan

Engine bits are nice


Some bits look a bit too delicate, and will need real care to remove from the sprue & clean up

One piece undercarriage legs


Canopy & bomb sprues - not sure about the clear instrument panels

Decals


The instructions look OK, but the quality could be better - the B & W profiles are poor, it's impossible to see the difference between some colours

Luckily, I've found a much better view from the internet. Construction will start shortly...............
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Whilst looking through the instructions, I found this:


OOOH such precision! what tolerance should I apply?
Sod it, I'm drilling 23mm & 13mm, hang the consequences!

I did say the ICM instructions were OK, but you get this-

The induction pipe on the back of the cylinders C54, 9-off. Not exactly clear how it's supposed to fit.
Now, the ICM kit has been reboxed by Italeri, and I was able to download the instructions from 'Scalemates'


Now, I think that is a little bit clearer. - I may be consulting the Italeri instructions again!
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Construction started - I've assembled the wing! Since the Hs 126 is a parasol, I can finish the wing to a large degree - especially the tricky camo.

The engine is assembled, but unless I leave off the cowlings, not a lot will be seen..................

I'm not going to spend any time on the back of the engine, as you can't see it anyway ( hence the seams left untouched )
Dave

 

[Dave W]

Looks a nice kit of an interesting subject. Ive picked up the italeri boxing in my local hobby shop and looked at it a few times. Might have to get it after seeing this. The ICM instructions look bad.

 

[Dave Ward]

Dave,
the instructions are alright, as far as they go, but leave a lot to the imagination! The worst part is the poor marking profiles. The ICM version has two finish options, and a bomb rack, but the Italeri has 7 decal options - a nice choice
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

All the bits added to the sidewalls - lot of them!

The engine mount - a bit flimsy!


For the camo finish, I'm going to use this

I don't think that I would have got this far without the Italeri instructions - at least not as fast! I have the seats, panels and floors etc to add before I can even think of priming!
Dave

 

[Steve Brodie]

looking good

 

[Dave Ward]

Ready for priming the interior - the pilots seat & panel are still loose, as I have to add the panel clear bits

There are a lot of parts that will not be seen when the fuselage is closed, but hey-ho!
Dave

 

[Armorguy]

The office looks pretty detailed Dave.

 

[Dave Ward]

Some of the assemblies are way over engineered - I still have to make up the observer's machine gun - which consists of 6 tiny parts!
I'm going to leave this until really late...............
Dave

 

[Jim R]

Hi Dave
Another unusual model from your good self Good that you found the other instructions. Interested to see what you think of the paint set.
Jim

 

[Dave W]

Nice cockpit detail. Should be able to see it through all that glazing

 

[Dave Ward]

I've primed the interior, and a/b RLM 02 Grau ( Vallejo Model Color 886 Green Grey ), and detail painted -

An ink wash, and the fuselage will be ready to close.
Engine - aluminium,, black pushrod covers, dk grey gearbox, and overall wash............

I primed the wings top & bottom, sprayed the wingtips white then masked them off. The underside has been sprayed with RLM 65 Hellblau ( AK Air AK-2003 ).
I'm going to prepare masks for the top wing, after spraying with the lightest colour, might be a bit fiddly...
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Next up - the mask I drew round the wing, onto masking film, then drew out the camo demarcation lines, using the centre line and the ailerons/flaps as datums.

I've sprayed the wing with the lightest colour, RLM 63 Lichtgrau ( AK Air AK-2034 ). Then the masks marked '1' will be applied. I'm not sure about which colour to do next, as green and brown are of a similar colour density - I'll have to experiment - and I musn't forget the tailplane! ( The wing looks shorter, 'cos the wingtips are missing - all white! )
Dave

 

[stillp]

Interesting masking technique!

Pete

 

[Dave Ward]

The wing is easy enough, it's flat. The fuselage, though, may be a bit more problematical, and may take a bit more time!
The fuselage is at the moment clamped together - it was a bit of a struggle to get the halves to mate nicely - I think that filler will be needed!
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

First mask applied!


I'll spray the next colour, then wait at least 12 hours before adding the 2nd mask, and the final colour. Any faster, and the chance of lifting the underlying coat is greater.
Dave

 

[Jim R]

Hi Dave
That masking is very clever. Hope it works out OK.
Jim

 

[Dave Ward]

I sprayed green yesterday, then applied the second mask......................
I'll give the final brown coat shortly - then wait for it all to dry before the anxious business of peeling all the masks off!
Dave

 

[papa 695]

Just seen and caught up on this one Dave, it looks a very nice and detailed kit. Nice work so far and a great idea with the masking.