ICM 1:32 Henschel Hs 123A Legion Condor

[Fran]

1:32

Henschel

Hs 123

Legion Condor

 

 

ICM

Catalogue number 32016

Price: around 53,99€

 

 The Henschel Hs 123 was a rugged German biplane dive bomber and close air support aircraft developed in the early 1930s, entering Luftwaffe service in 1936. Despite its dated biplane design, it excelled in maneuverability, short-field operations, and survivability during low-level attacks, seeing combat in the Spanish Civil War (as the "Legion Condor" variant), the one that we are reviewing here, the invasions of Poland and France, and extensively on the Eastern Front until 1944. Production ended in 1938 after about 1,100 units, but its simplicity kept it relevant.

ICM release now the early version, that was present in the Legion Condor.

  We, at Large Scale Modeller, already reviewed the Late version here.

Both share identical sprues (about 200 parts in medium grey styrene, plus clear parts), differing only in decals, instructions, and minor optional parts for historical accuracy, as the headrest.

The kit arrived in ICM's sturdy, lift-off-top box with attractive artwork, please Revell, do it as well.

 

Inside the box, eight grey sprues (A–G, with F duplicated for undercarriage/bombs), one clear sprue, a single decal sheet, and a 20-page A4 instruction booklet.

The plastic is in gray color, a bit soft on touch,

  So, on the sprue A we got fuselage halves with excellent panel line detail, no rivets, upper front decking, external fuel tank.

 

 

  Sprue B and C, the Upper and lower wings with one-piece lower wing with flaps and separate ailerons/elevators for posing. The wings also have some really nice surface detail.

 

 

  Now the sprue D brings control surfaces, optional early/late hinge mounts, with the subtle internal structure details.

 

 

 As for the Engine, everything is in the sprue E and also for the cockpit.

 

 

You got the BMW 132K radial engine (detailed cylinders, separate exhaust stacks, valve covers, and triform cowling braces) and tailplane.

 

The engine cowling is supplied in nine parts. I personally don’t appreciated so many parts on the cowling but it`s probably the only way to open it to display the engine.

 Here you also find the headrest used on the late version.

 

Concerning the cockpit, two instrument panels are included with raised detail to simulate instrument placement. You can choose if you want to paint or decal.

 

The OOB cockpit detail is quite good as all ICM release with a minus, the seatbelts. There are none on the box and the seat don’t have them engraved.

The sprue F comes in duplicated as it bring us the undercarriage legs, wheel spats and bombs.

 

  As for the G sprue, the final parts are the struts (as this is a biplane) for the cabane and interplane. These structs are quite thin and well-ejected. Here we also find some smaller detail like a flare gun, engiens exhauts, cockpy stic, elevatores etc.

 

 

The decals, as usual are very good in color saturation, solid color, quite thin and perfect registration.

 

 

 

All three options, all in pre-war RLM 61/62/63 splinter over 65:

1. Hs 123A "24 3" VJ/88, Spain, 1937

 

2. Hs 123A "24 4" VJ/88, Spain, 1937

 

 

3. Hs 123A "24 5" VJ/88, Spain, 1937

 

 

 

The Clear parts

As usual are pristine and very clear with no distortion at all. Also in this clear part, of course, the wingtip nav lights.

 

A masking template of the windshield is given. In this model, is a minor job and not hard to do.

 

 

The instructions.

The usual standard from ICM with a booklet with the first and last page in satin paper and the rest in normal paper.

It has 70 building steps with exploded views, color call-outs (ICM paints only). Its quite clear and easy to follow.

 

 

A side note for the engine assembly and those eight cowling parts, as take your time with dry fit and alignment of all parts.

 

The color table chart only have ICM paint range so you can get the full range at Art Scale Kit

Anyway, the instruction manual is detailed and easy to follow. It includes step-by-step assembly diagrams, color callouts, and decal placement guides.

 

Conclusion

ICM's 1:32 Henschel Hs 123 is a beautiful model kit, with very good detail out of the box.

I really love the painting of the Legion Condor.

So, if you like Legion Condor, 1:32 scale and biplanes you must get one of this beauties

VERY Highly recommend this to intermediate modeler

 

My thanks to ICM for making this fantastic model.