This is the Hs-123A-1 by AMtech. The mold is ESCI and could be better but isn't too bad. At this stage, the fuselage is primed and ready to paint. The cowling and upper wing are already painted as you can see. Cowling and tips of underside of upper wing is RLM04, while the topside of the upper wing is RLM71 and the underside is RLM65. The fuselage and topside of lower wing will be RLM65. The final scheme will be of 4./Schg 2 on the Eastern Front, 1942.

Here are the pics. Comments or criticisms are encouraged:

Looked great, flawless build from where I look, can't wait to see it finished.

Hi Tin Can

I got my Hs 123 a few days ago and am looking forward to getting stuck in... :-)

From a dry-fit, there seems to be a fair amount of filling to do, so you've done a great job on smoothing it all out! I must admit I'll probably re-scribe all the panel lines to match what I lose in sanding. Nice job on the cowling! Was it fun getting rid if the seam!!:-)

Which version of the landing gear are you building... spatted or un-spatted? Either way, I can't help wishing AMtech had included new wheels... and some of the rather crude small parts (bomb-racks etc).

How did the resin interior go together... did you take any pics?

Looking forward to the next up-date :-)

All the best

Rowan

looks like a nice clean build so far, well done keep us posted on this

Brian looks great so far. I have to ask how was the seem on the cowling???? I'm dreading that on mine. any other tips on the build??? STUG

Thanks for the comments. To answer some questions:

Yes, there was a fair amount of filling to do-especially around the wing roots, and the machine gun section that drops into the fwd part of the fuselage. The rear stabilizers needed some fill as well. The area around where the wingroots curl under the fuselage at the leading edge of the wings took some extra care but turned out ok.

The cowling turned out much better than I thought it would. Besides the seam created when glueing it together, there are some problems with the mold that causes some 'scratches' in some areas. The seam from glueing it together took most of my time. To avoid having to use any filler, I made sure I got plenty of glue on the seam and squeezed it together good to get liquid plastic coming from the seam all the way around. That way all I had to do was file away the excess. A set of needle files will be needed to clean it all up. It turned out great when I was finished and you can't even tell it was two parts glued together. Whew!

I am building the unspatted version so I can use the parts AMtech molded for the kit because I'm doing this build as a review for them. The modification to the kit isn't hard to do and is explained well in the instructions. Just be sure you trial fit often when making the changes. Again, needle files are indispensable on this step.




The wheels look ok to me, at least they didn't come in two halves.

The new resin cockpit is great looking. The instructions are good on how to install it and it does look great. Unforunately, all of it besides the seat and a small portion of the instrument panel are hidden once you get the fuselage together.

One more thing. Be sure to prime before painting. I found a new product made by RuseOleum here in the states that's called a plastic primer meant for patio furniture and other plastics. The stuff worked great as a primet for this kit. It comes in a spray can and you can find it where ever paints are sold. I found it at Home Depot.

I'll be writing a full-build review and article when finished to detail the entire build.

Brian thanks for the quick response. I look forward to you reveiw on this kit. hopefully some more issues will be pointed out!!! STUG

Hi Tin Can

I'm glad the cowling isn't as fearsome job as it looks, and thanks for the tip about the cockpit being mostly hidden.:-)

I found a photo with some handy detail of the engine and undercarriage.



I agree it's a blessing the old Esci wheels aren't moulded in halves but I think they would look better with the tread rescribed... a boring job, and you just KNOW a resin aftermarket set will appear the moment you finish! :-)

Lovely job

All the best

Rowan:-)