Encore 1/72 He-112B-0/1
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KIT # |
1004 |
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PRICE: |
$ |
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DECALS: |
Three aircraft |
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REVIEWER: |
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NOTES: |
Reboxed Heller kit |
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HISTORY |
During the fighter competition of the mid 30's that saw the Bf-109 come to the fore, one of the other competitors was the Heinkel He-112. Though the aircraft was generally better in all areas to the 109, two factors were against it. First was that Heinkel was thought to be more of a bomber manufacturer than one who did fighters. Secondly, though a super aircraft, the Bf-109 was less expensive to build and as still goes on today, the government will sacrifice a bit of quality to get more of a cheaper product.
The He-112 was then released to be available for export, and except for a small number rushed into Luftwaffe service during the Munich Crisis of 1938, that is where the brunt of production went. Though small numbers were sent to Japan, it was Spain, Romania and Hungary that had the greatest use of the fighter. The Japanese did not like the rather high wing loading so soon relegated the planes to technical schools.
Though the aircraft was quickly outpaced by newer fighters, they did see use until the end of the war. A few Romanian aircraft were still in use post war, not finally being retired until the late 1940s.
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THE KIT |
Wheel wells are open and could
stand to be boxed in if desired. The weakest part of the kit is the landing gear
attachment. It is very flimsy and will undoubtedly break at some time in the
kits life. The only option is for an early or late exhaust. The early one is a
simple collector while the later version is separate stacks. This is
accomplished by a replaceable panel on the side of the nose and works quite
well.
Heller's kit of the 112 is one of the better done during their hey-day of kit
production in the 70s and 80's. Though it is a raised panel line kit, that does not detract
at all to the detail level. The kit is really simplicity in itself. There are
not a huge number of parts and only one real option. The cockpit consists of a
seat, stick, and instrument panel along with the usual floor and rear bulkhead.
There is some detail on the side walls. The canopy is single piece so cannot be
opened unless you bring out the razor saw.
Markings are provided for three aircraft. One is a Luftwaffe plane during the
Munich Crisis in what is shown in the instructions as being RLM 71 over RLM 65.
Another is a Spanish plane in post civil war markings in an overall RLM 63. The
third is one of the aircraft provided to Romania in a light grey over light blue
with yellow under wing tips and fuselage band. While the kit decals may be
beyond their prime, they are printed by Scalemaster so are superior to the
original Heller offering.
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CONCLUSIONS |
Overall, this is a very nice model. I built one many years back and don't recall any real problems other than the weak gear attachment point that I mentioned. Photo below. Since this kit was released and reissued, RS models has come out with a more detailed and more complex kit. For a nice addition to your shelf, this or the Heller boxing would be a good choice.
July 2025
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