Luftwaffe's Warthog: The Hs.129

[Uncarina]

With all of the Luftwaffe builds that have been taking place here I was inspired to finally start my Zoukei Mura Hs.129B-2 after a hiatus from aircraft builds. I'm a fan of the Zoukei Mura kits and have built five so far. This should be number six! I'll be building the B-2RIII seen on page 14 of the Concept Note, "Red T" apparently from SchG.1 at El Aouina airfield in Tunisia, in RLM 70/71/65 with an RLM79 pattern painted over:

 

 

Aftermarket:

 

 

My first task was to rivet the airframe:

 

 

Engines next!

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Dpgsbody55]

Cool.  This was my first Z-M kit and a very enjoyable build.  Looking forward to see what you do with yours.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

[Uncarina]

Thanks Michael!

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Gazzas]

 

Consider me very interested, Tom!

[Thunnus]

Glad to see you back at it on a LSP project!  I'm assuming that you primed the parts after riveting... the kit isn't molded in silver plastic is it?

[Uncarina]

8 hours ago, Gazzas said:

 

Consider me very interested, Tom!

Great! Glad to have you aboard.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Uncarina]

8 hours ago, Thunnus said:

Glad to see you back at it on a LSP project!  I'm assuming that you primed the parts after riveting... the kit isn't molded in silver plastic is it?

Thanks John, me too! The kit is molded in a sand/dark mustard color, for those who apparently assemble this kit without paint. Not sure why ZM did this, but it is a step up from clear plastic. I always prime with Tamiya AS-12 Bare Metal Silver: It has excellent adhesion on bare plastic, it reveals flaws, and the overlying paint can be chipped back slightly to indicate wear if necessary. I riveted after this to keep the primer from diminishing the rivets.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[tucohoward]

Looking forward to this one, Tom. Quite a challenging scheme.

 

Jay

[Uncarina]

Thanks Jay! It’s actually a similar scheme to this one:

 

 

Cheers,  Tom

[monthebiff]

Nice choice Tom, you will enjoy this one. Fit is excellent as you would expect.

 

Regards. Andy 

[tucohoward]

2 hours ago, Uncarina said:

Thanks Jay! It’s actually a similar scheme to this one:

 

 

Cheers,  Tom

Somehow I missed that one before but it’s a beauty! I have been thinking about your Ta-152 build lately. I was able to pick one up at a show recently really cheap, like $30. Your scheme was really striking. Also John (Thunnus) did a fantastic one as well. The 109 is my first Z-M kit and I am really enjoying it so may get into the Ta-152 next.

 

Jay

[Uncarina]

16 hours ago, monthebiff said:

Nice choice Tom, you will enjoy this one. Fit is excellent as you would expect.

 

Regards. Andy 

 

 

Thanks Andy! I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while.

 

15 hours ago, tucohoward said:

Somehow I missed that one before but it’s a beauty! I have been thinking about your Ta-152 build lately. I was able to pick one up at a show recently really cheap, like $30. Your scheme was really striking. Also John (Thunnus) did a fantastic one as well. The 109 is my first Z-M kit and I am really enjoying it so may get into the Ta-152 next.

 

Jay

Thanks Jay, you’re very kind! The TA-152 was the first airframe I’ve riveted in a while, and I loved the build. I agree about John’s work, especially since he had to work with the H-1 release, which is more challenging than my kit. I’m really liking your 109 build.

 

Cheers,  Tom

Edited November 23, 2022 by Uncarina

[Uncarina]

Thank you Maru! I always appreciate your support.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[mc65]

I'm a little perplexed about the ZM kits and their cost-benefit ratio, they seem too complex to me, with their very didactic internal details, but of little practical use.

but seeing your Ki-45, and waiting for the HS 129, both planes that I adore, I start to think about it...

 

I'm sure enough you already know the following photos, but having a folder "Hs 129" at hand, I hope to please you by posting them here. in case they bother you, tell me I'll take them off.

 

cheers, paolo

 

 

 

 

[Uncarina]

Paolo,

 

You are the man! Thank you so much for these photos, and any others you encounter. I also appreciate that my builds could inspire you. I know that the ZM kits aren’t for everyone, but every build I’ve completed has been satisfying and educational. For example, I began both the DO-335 and the Ki-85 builds not necessarily being fans of the respective aircraft, and by the end I was appreciative of the aesthetics of both airframes. The diligence, care, and obvious enthusiasm that ZM puts into their instructions, coupled with the generally excellent fit, makes each one worth the money to me.

 

Sincerely,  Tom