This new book from Mushroom Models Publications is on the Henschel Hs-129, a type that isn't as glamorous as some Luftwaffe types, yet was an aircraft that provided sterling service during its somewhat short operational career. Ground attack planes generally have a somewhat short lifespan, and the HS-129 was one that saw many of the aircraft built lost in training accidents or in combat.

Throughout its life, the aircraft was chronically underpowered. Never getting the BMW engines that were promised to it, it went through its service life with French Gnome-Rhone radials. Early Argus powered planes were even more lethargic and these never saw any combat. Well armed, the Hs-129 was able to wreak havoc on Soviet armor in areas where the Germans had local air superiority. Though rather maneuverable, the 129 was no match for an aggressive fighter pilot and it was only thanks to its armor plating that many a pilot survived.

This book on the 1269is superbly done, as are all in this series. There is a full development history along with the subtypes produced. Then the book goes into a description of the airframe itself, including the various systems and armaments carried.

The meat of the book is in its operational history. Most of this is with the Luftwaffe in the Eastern Front, though some saw service in North Africa in the closing months of that campaign. The aircraft was also flown by the Rumanian Air Force who, after switching sides in 1944, used them against their former allies. In this section of the book are many well done photos and as one would expect, there are pilot stories and an assessment of the aircraft from the Soviet point of view.

Next section is as much of a 'walkaround' as one can get without a fully extant airframe. Period photos and diagrams from the technical manuals come in very handy in this section. There are artifacts of the aircraft which exist and photos of those bits are included. Perhaps one day a full airframe will emerge. Of course there are many pages of superbly drawn profiles, something these books are well known for providing.

In all, it is another exemplary book from the folks at Mushroom Models Publication. The finest I've seen on the type and one that I know you will enjoy reading and find useful for your projects. A bonus is that this one is a full 160 pages and includes full drawings of the aircraft in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale; a real boon to the modeler.

April 2010

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