Mushroom Model Publications

Henschel Hs-126

by  Robert Panek and Robert Peczkowski

Reviewed By  Floyd Werner Jr, IPMS# 26266

MSRP: $39.95 ISBN: 978-83-89450-40-1 Web Site: www.mmpbooks.biz Not as flamboyant as the Bf-109 nor as popular, the Henschel Hs-126 was designed before WWII as a photo recon aircraft for the Luftwaffe. Until now there has been very little written about this significant Army cooperation aircraft. With the release of two new Hs-126s the need for information has finally brought this aircraft some long overdue recognition. This softbound book contains 208 pages with over 350 black and white photos, most previously unpublished, as well as, over 30 color photos. Featuring 50 color profiles that cover every version and sub variant of this aircraft this is an inspiration for the modeler. Typical of the Orange Series, the Hs-126 is covered with 1/72nd scale drawings of every model and nuance of the aircraft. If that isn't enough, how about plenty of extracts from the wartime manuals? There are plenty of those as well. The text is easy to read and well written. The photos are exceptional in their quality and content. The drawings that are interspersed throughout the book are beautiful renderings and are accompanied with photos to highlight the particular feature. The second chapter is the Combat use by the Luftwaffe. This follows the aircraft throughout its use from the Condor Legion to the end of the war as a night attack aircraft on the Eastern Front. A section in this chapter covers the units that used the Hs-126. The next chapter covers the Hs-126 in Foreign Service. The Hs-126 was operated by Spain, Lithuania, Greece, Estonia, Australia, Sweden and the USSR. Ok so the Aussies used a captured one in the desert and the USSR used some captured Lithuanian aircraft, but there are photos of the aircraft. Detail photos are the next chapter which will be important to modelers. This section contains plenty of operational photos, however the best thing are drawings from the aircraft manual. Beautiful drawings of everything, and I mean everything, is included in the chapter. I think that this chapter alone could be a walk around book. It is broken down by section, fuselage, wings, tail, undercarriage, armament, engine, canopy and cockpit. If this isn't enough at the end of this section is a color section of Hs-126 from the Polish Aviation Museum and the only remaining sections at Berlin's Aviation Museum. Beautiful color profiles are included. This is the section that always motivates me when it comes to modeling. I like to have a picture of what my finished model will look like and there are certainly lots to choose from. Prototypes, four color scheme and the typical RLM 70/71/65 scheme as well as white wash and desert schemes will make deciding a paint scheme difficult. Never the glamorous aircraft like a fighter it nonetheless is an important aircraft, especially in the photo recon and Army cooperation roles early in the war. The Hs-126 proved to be vulnerable aircraft that continued to do its job until the end of the war despite the heavy losses. The photos and drawings will provide plenty of inspiration and motivation for the modeler. If you want to round out your Luftwaffe aircraft collection then this is a great book to start with. Let me sum this whole review up in one sentence. This is THE only book on the Hs-126 that you will ever need. It doesn't get much better than this. Highly recommended Thanks to Mushroom Model Publications for the review copy. You can obtain your copy via your local hobby shop or online distributor. It is distributed in the US by MMD Squadron. You can also obtain a copy on Mushroom Model website at www.mmpbooks.biz

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