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• InternetModeler.com • 2011-03-06
• Amazon.co.uk customer review • 2011-03-06
• AIR Modeller no 30 • 2011-03-06
• Revi No 80 • 2011-03-06
• Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank • 2011-03-06
• cybermodeler.com • 2011-03-06
• ModelingMadness.com • 2011-03-06
• reviews.firetrench.com • 2011-03-06
• Amazon.com customer review • 2011-03-06
• www.aerostories.org • 2011-03-06
• Military Aircraft Monthly 06-2010 • 2011-03-06
• Amazon.com customer review • 2011-03-06
• Amazon.com customer eview • 2011-03-06
• IPMSUSA.org • 2011-03-06
• Aeroplane August 2010 • 2011-03-06
• scaleplasticandrail.com • 2011-03-06
• Skrzydlata Polska 05/2010 • 2010-06-11
• MiniReplika 66 • 2010-06-11
• Scale Aircraft Modelling 05/2010 • 2010-05-22

• InternetModeler.com • 2011-03-06

  By Will Riepl

  Mushroom's newest book is on the Henschel Hs 129. The Hs 129 was a dedicated close-support and anti-tank aircraft in service with the Luftwaffe in WW2.

  The Mushroom Orange series combines both developmental and operational histories of the Hs 129, from the Hs 129 A-0 to the Hs 129 B 3, the last of the Hs 129. Also the book describes the design, development and operations of the aircraft.

  The book has 160 pages and contains many period photos of the Hs 129 in the services of the Luftwaffe and Rumanian Air Force, including pictures of the US and RAF captured Hs 129s. With 16 pages of color profile illustrations as well as fold-out pages with plans for 1/72 and 1/48 scale planes. There are 14 pages of details of the Hs 129 that will make any modeler a happy camper. These details include very good information on the cockpit from the technical manual and ordinance that the aircraft carried. The Hs 129/B carried the BK 7.5 cannon.

  This is a great general reference on the Henschel Hs 129 that will appeal to modelers who would like to detail up the Hs 129. The high quality of the drawings and the good selection of color profiles and pictures of the Hs 129 in service with the Rumanian Air Force give a good idea of what it must have been like to fly this aircraft. There is a chapter dedicated to the operational missions and the high casualty rates. For the modeler who is interested in the history behind the model, this is a very good read full of great information.

• Amazon.co.uk customer review • 2011-03-06

  4.0 out of 5 stars

  A very Useful Guide tp the Hs 129, 27 Sep 2010

  By Mr. R. D. Nicholls (England)

  A very useful guide to something of a rarity as far as the history of the Luftwaffe types is concerned, the book provides a thorough history of the Hs 129, plenty of excellent drawing and illustrations (including 1/72 & 1/48 drawings for the modellers) and plenty of photos.

  A very good buy for anyone interested in the less explored aircraft types of the Second World War.

• AIR Modeller no 30 • 2011-03-06
  
• Revi No 80 • 2011-03-06
  
• Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank • 2011-03-06
  
• cybermodeler.com • 2011-03-06

  By Ray Mehlberger

  Date of Review April 2010

  Mushroom Model Publications is based in the UK. A lot of their books are printed in Poland in the English Language. Some also go under the publishing name of Stratus, whom is a partner of Mushroom Model Publications.

  This new book is about the German Henschel Hs 129. The Henschel Hs 129 was a dedicated close-support and anti-tank aircraft, the only aircraft specifically designed for this role to see service with the Luftwaffe in WW2. This book describes the design, development and operations of the type, including the many problems with powerplants which dogged the design throughout its career.

  Built in relatively small numbers, and suffering huge losses in operations, the Hs 129 nevertheless proved an effective “tank buster” and lingered on in service until the end of the war.

  The Hs 129 was always limited by the lack of suitable engines. Because it was built in small numbers, the type was never able to make a significant influence at the front because of poor serviceability and a high casualty rate in training and on operations. Nevertheless, the Hs 129B proved to be an able tank-buster on the Russian Front, and soldiered on in service until the end of the war.

  The book covers both the Argus-engined Hs 129A (only used in training) and the operational Hs 129B. Service with both the Luftwaffe and the Romanian AF are covered, including the short-lived and unsuccessful foray into North Africa. First hand accounts from German pilots are presented, plus the Russian assessment of Hs 129 tactics. All aspects of the airframe are illustrated, both internal and external, backed up with a cut-away drawing.

  The book is profusely illustrated with 118 black and white wartime photos, and one color one on the cover. There are 42 color profiles in the back of the book. Three of these are 2 views. Two of them are 3 views. One is a 4 view and four are 5 views. One of the 5 views is in captured US “Foreign Eval” markings. One of the 3 views is of a captured Hs 129 in British marks. Finally, four profiles are of Hs 129 in Romanian markings.

  The book also contains 33 1/72nd scale line drawings of variants of the Hs 129. There are 10 information lists and 58 illustrations out of the German wartime tech manual for this aircraft. The book is 160 pages long and in a 6 ½” x 9” page format.

  As a bonus, there is inserted loosely into the book a large 23” x 16” sheet that has 1/48th scale line drawings of the Hs 129-1, 2 and 3 printed on both sides. This is folded a few times to fit inside the book. A real nice aid for modelers of this aircraft.

  This book will prove to be an invaluable reference source for aircraft historians, modelers and aircraft enthusiasts.

  I want to thank Dr. Roger M. Wallsgrove, Editor-in-Chief of Mushroom Model Publications (MMP) and the folks at Stratus, who sent me this book for him for this review sample.

  Highly recommended.

• ModelingMadness.com • 2011-03-06

  Reviewer: Scott Van Aken

  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 129 is 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. T

  he 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

• reviews.firetrench.com • 2011-03-06

  This is another great value book from MMP in their Orange Series.

  The production follows their high standards for images, both photographs and drawings, including some excellent colour drawings. As one objective of the Orange Series is to produce detailed information to assist model makers and model engineers, there are 1/72 scale plans of the subject aircraft in the body of the book, but loose inserted at the front of the book is large (A3 ish) sheet that carries on both sides high quality 1/48 scale plans that will be much appreciated by modellers. Having said that the production quality of the book is excellent, it remains to confirm that the contents are equally good. The author has carried out diligent research and produced what is probably the definitive history of an unusual aircraft. The Luftwaffe had taken an early interest in ground attack aircraft, producing the first armoured ground attack plane during the 1914-1918 War. The Ju 87 was developed in the enthusiasm of the 1930s for dive bombers and its primary purpose was close support for Panzer formations advancing more rapidly then artillery. Essentially it was used as a flying field gun, but using iron bombs as its main weapon augmented by two rifle calibre machine guns with a third gun for defence as a flexible mount in the rear of the glasshouse. It was soon appreciated that heavier guns would be more effective than bombs in attacking armoured vehicles and the Ju 87 was to be fitted with two 20 mm cannon in the wings in place of the machine guns, and later with two 40 mm guns in under-wing pods. As an adaptation, the Ju 87 was to continue surviving through the 1939-1945 War and achieving considerable success against Russian tanks. The top pilot Oberst Rudle achieved a score in excess of 1,000 Russian tanks and probably scored many more because Hitler ordered him to stop flying. Rudle continue to fly combat missions even after losing a leg, but his kills were credited to other pilots under his command to conceal the fact that he was ignoring orders. It was therefore only natural that the Luftwaffe should think of a ground attack aircraft with heavier guns, twin engines and an ability to carry bombs. The result was the Hs 129 that started with the impediment of two Argus engines and was then given Gnome-Rhone 14M radials in its B form. The initial armament was to be twin heavy machine guns and twin 20 mm cannon, mounted on either side of the pilot. There were some field modifications that have not been well documented, but official armament included a four machine gun belly pack, a single 30 mm cannon in a belly pack, and 75 mm cannon in a large belly pack. For the Hs 129, the heavy guns became the main armament and the 75 mm cannon ersion was in several respects equivalent to the British Mosquito in its 57 mm Molins gun form. Where the Mosquito was an attempt at an anti-ship aircraft, the Hs 129 was used against tanks in very low level attacks. The difficulty with mounting heavy anti-armour guns was that only a small quantity of ammunition could be carried. Particularly in the closing stages of the war, it was not unusual for Ju 87 and Hs 129 aircraft to take off, attack tanks approaching their airfields and then return to rearm as the tanks reached the airfield perimeter. Where the Germans continued to use heavy guns in aircraft, the British switched to using unguided rockets and that became the standard approach to anti-armour ground support, developing into guided bombs and rockets in the years after 1945, the exception being the American Thunderbolt II with its 30 mm Gatling gun firing depleted Uranium shells, introduced on the experience of providing close support in conditions of air superiority. The Hs 129 introduced not only heavy guns, but also considerable armour protection. The casualties were still very high and relatively small numbers of Hs 129s were built, but they did achieve some high kill rates against Russian tanks. The author has captured this well and the book will be another Orange Book series title that sells well to modellers but also well to aviation enthusiasts.

• Amazon.com customer review • 2011-03-06

  Detailed book about a surprising airplance., March 5, 2011

  By John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV)

  The Hs 129 was designed to meet a specification originally issued by the Luftwaffe in 1937. During the Second World War, the ground attack aircraft was a rather new addition to the air force bag of tricks. Little thought had been given to the possibility of using aircraft as tank killers. In designing a tank you are limited in the amount of armor you can have, too heavy and you can't move the thing to the battleground. So you make the armor thicker on the front of the tank where you expect to take the most hits. This means that the sides, the back, and especially the top are thinner. An attacking aircraft, of course is up above the tank and is shooting at the weakest part of the tanks armor.

  A surprising point is that Henschel won the contract. They were much better known for manufacturing locomotives and tanks (the Tiger was one they designed and built) in short heavy manufacturing of things with a lot of steel in them. A flimsy (relatively) airplane, made of aluminium seems to be outside their area.

  The book does a good job of covering the Hs 129, including all of its problems (especially with engines) and its use in Russia, Africa and Italy. As is common with MMP publications there are hundreds of photographs from World War II, and numerous drawings showing details that are not visible in photographs.

• www.aerostories.org • 2011-03-06

  The Hs129 was designed as a dedicated ground attack aircraft and was one of the few aircraft of that category to have been used in operations during WW2. Even if it is not the first book written on the Hs129, the last serious publication has been released for a long time, and thus, this publication gives the opportunity to many to have another good reference on this aircraft.

  The author, who also wrote the ‘Squadron Signal in action’ on the Hs129, is known to have a deep knowledge on the aircraft which served with the Luftwaffe but also in Romania. This and the fact that the book is published in to the ‘Orange’ series, that guarantees to have a very good stuff in hands at a very reasonable price, what MMP used to offer in last few years.

  For a monography, the book is classically divided and is profusely illustrated with plenty of photographs (around 120) and colour profiles (around 40) as well scale drawings which includes 1/48 and 1/72 scale plan in a separate sheet. Furthermore, the technical part gives a lot of details giving at the end of the day a very true reference to any modelers and historian alike. Phil Listemann

• Military Aircraft Monthly 06-2010 • 2011-03-06
  
• Amazon.com customer review • 2011-03-06

  Excellent addition to Mushroom's Orange Series, June 20, 2010 By Jim Davis

  This fine book is the 10th (No. 8110) in Mushroom Model Publications' Orange Series. Like the others in the series it is a 6-1/2" x 9" cardcover. It has 160 pages and one large unbound foldout with 1/48th scale line drawings. If buying secondhand make sure this foldout is part of the deal.

  The book is divided into three sections. The first 100 pages concentrates on the design history, development, and service history of the aircraft. Most of the text is in this section but it is well supported by line drawings, tables, and black and white photographs. T

  he second section (28 pages) concentrates on the aircraft details with drawings from contemporary technical manuals and close up photographs. This section is about as good as can be expected since there are no surviving examples to photograph.

  The last 32 pages are color profiles of the aircraft in service with the Luftwaffe and the Romanian Air Force. In addition there are profiles of captured examples in RAF and USAAF colors. The only color photograph in the book depicts an aircraft in USAAF markings. The "color" photo on the cover looks suspiciously colorized. A

  ll that is not very good is excellent. Only a few things caused raised eyebrows. On page 72 there is a caption that reads in part "Soviet anti-aircraft fire brought it down in Pl. Qu. 234 on 27 May 1943." I have no idea what "Pl. Qu. 234" is supposed to mean. On pages 52 and 53 there is what purports to be a Soviet Air Force document but it reads much like a Luftwaffe document. After making a big issue out of not using specific Rustsatz numbers such numbers are used on drawings and in tables.

  It may be noted that this is author Bernad's second book on the Hs 129, the first being a book in Midland's Military Aircraft in Detail series in 2006. There is a fair amount of overlap between the two books. The previous book is better on the nuts and bolts details of the aircraft if for no other reasons than the larger format and the Arthur Bentley drawings. The current book has a much better service history and many more color profiles. If one has the previous book take this into account before buying the current book. B

  ut none of this is meant to denigrate the present book which can easily stand on its own. It is clear that Bernad has done much research into this aircraft. Highly recommended for modellers and general enthusiasts alike.

• Amazon.com customer eview • 2011-03-06

  this is it!, June 27, 2010 By RT

  This book is a must for HS129 reference. Absolutely well researched and illustrated.

  Hope to see more of these series in the future.

• IPMSUSA.org • 2011-03-06

  Reviewed By Phil Pignataro, IPMS# 17254

  Don't let the diminutive size of this book fool you, its 178 pages are packed full with valuable information. Logically, the author begins with a detailed look at the Luftwaffe's specifications for this aircraft, its conception, and early development. These specifications sounded very much like what I imagine the current USAF A-10's specs were: close air support of ground troops and the destruction of enemy armor. Bernard discusses the early testing and subsequent employment of the early "A" model through the later "B-2" and "B-3" versions. Engine problems plagued the Hs129 throughout its career and these difficulties are thoroughly documented. Details abound here and all of this discussion is supported by numerous photos and 1/72 scale drawings (a 1/48 scale drawings fold-out is also included separately). Next, the aircraft's operational deployment to Russia and its brief appearance in North Africa are covered with in-depth accounts of some of the bigger battles. Hs129 pilots and ground crews worked under extremely harsh conditions very close to the front lines of the fighting.

  The author provides a "Details" section, consisting of twenty-eight pages of drawings and close-up photos of various parts of the aircraft. These appear to be taken from contemporary training and maintenance manuals of the aircraft. This particular section is a wonderful reference for any modeler wanting to enhance a kit of the Hs129. There are also thirty-one pages of color profiles of the various camouflage schemes and unit markings. A couple of the field-applied winter schemes have whetted my appetite to get started on my Italeri Hs129.

  I whole heartedly recommend this book. It should be of great value to the historian, modeler, and anyone interested in WW II aviation. My thanks go to Dr. Roger Wallsgrove of Mushroom Model Publications and John Noack of IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this publication.

• Aeroplane August 2010 • 2011-03-06
  
• scaleplasticandrail.com • 2011-03-06

  This book needs no more elaborate title. It is essentially a detailed history of the Henschel Hs 129 from its RLM requirement, through to inception and into battle, and onto demise.

  The Hs 129 was borne out of the Luftwaffe’s need to have a close ground support aeroplane that could coalesce with the troops over a battlefield. No other aircraft the Germans had as the time could take on such a role, whether it be the Bf 109, or the Fi 156 Storch. These aircraft were both unsuited due to speed, armament or rigidity. With this in mind, in 1937 the RLM issued a rather open-ended requirement to several companies not already engaged in the production of major aircraft types, for a machine to fulfil this role, with the only stipulation being the use of the Argus As 10C powerplant. The necessity of this was brought on by the fact that more powerful and common place engines were already being used en-masse by other aircraft, namely fighters, and these themselves were undergoing shortages, in both numeracy and reliability.

  Three main designs for the new RLM requirement were submitted by Henschel, Focke-Wulf, Blohm und Voss, and Fiesler, but the latter two companies, who submitted the amazing looking Bv 141, and the twin boomed Fi 168, were canned by the RLM, probably due to their unusual design. While the Bv 141 prototype was constructed and flown with great success, the Fiesler machine never even saw this level of completion. When one looks at the semi complete prototype within this book, you can easily understand why it never progressed.

  The race was now on between both Focke-Wulf, with their newly re-engineered Fw 189, and Henschel with their now assigned ‘129’. Both machines had advantages and disadvantages in design and application, as was shown with no outright winner at this stage, for this particular tender. The Fw 189 modified airfame was a little disappointing overall compared with the more conventional Henschel machine, despite the Focke-Wulf machine being a variant on a machine already in use, and thus being in a position to be able to manufacture it more quickly due to current jigging and tooling.

  The overall winner of the RLM’s tender was Henschel, with a machine which was both rugged, if not a little ‘agricultural’ looking, and with the ability to withstand serious damage in the battlefield, and still be repaired. The main problem with this machine still lay in its Argus engines, which seriously underpowered the type, now known as the Hs 129A-0

  This book takes you through the trials of the A-0 machine and its deficiencies, and even shows you one unfortunate pilot killed in an A-0 crash, though the photo is quite grisly.

  The A-0 type needed some serious remedial work in order to make it less deadly to pilots; upgrade it to a more powerful machine, and also to make it slightly easier to produce. The RLM did order an upgraded cockpit for the machine too, as the current one had extremely poor vision, leading to accidents. The new cockpit, despite still being very cramped, offered far better visibility and protection for the pilot, and gave the He 129 its now distinctive shape. The wings were also redesigned so the leading edge had no taper, but was entirely straight. One of the most obvious changes was the uprating of the engines to Gnôme Rhône 14M radials. This completed the look of the machine that we are now familiar with. The new powerplants didn’t give the airplane the real power it needed, and still had a degree of unreliability. So through an intermediate B-0 version, the now more common B-1 was borne. This was now, the machine, that through several other sub-variants, was to see service on several fighting fronts, and also with several different airforces.

  I feel I have said enough to give a basic insight into how the Hs 129 initially developed, and only touched the detail given in this book, but what I will not go into more detail about are the many sub types of this machine, through to the tank busting variants. You really do need to read this fascination information published within this book. Trials of the various sub types at Rechlin, and in action on various fronts are well documented here, and immaculately illustrated. I have seen so many pictures of the He 129 in my life, but we are presented here with so many new photographs of the type in action, and those of machines which had come to grief through their service. This book has been lavishly published with so many line drawings in both 1/48 and 1/72 scales, which clearly show the variant revisions which were built.

  With regard to modellers, then again, there is no better book. The latter part of the book, entitled ‘Details’, is furnished with close up photographs, drawings and cutaway illustrations that any modeller would be proud of. Several kits of the He 129 exist in all scales, right up to the Jerry Rutman 1/32 resin model, and any modeller who would want to add detail to these, or see a way to modify/accurise them, really should invest in this book.

  One of the crowning jewels of the book has been left until the last pages, and these are the many colour profiles showing different schemes and sub variants. Schemes include those used on differing fronts such as the Eastern and African theatres. Romanian machines are also illustrated.

  So what do we think?

  MMP’s book is an absolute mine of information and Illustration with regard to this machine. I have long been a fan of the Hs 129 and read articles in the past with regard to its development etc, but nothing has been published which is as concise and thorough as this book. Despite the sheer quantity of information present, along with the superb photographs and pull out drawings, this book is both a delight to read, and easy to digest. So many books make you want to read the last chapter again so you can correlate information presented, but not here. As a source of information regarding the type, then there is no better book around. Very highly recommended.

  Overall: 10/10

• Skrzydlata Polska 05/2010 • 2010-06-11
  
• MiniReplika 66 • 2010-06-11
  
• Scale Aircraft Modelling 05/2010 • 2010-05-22