RS Models 1/72 Heinkel He 112
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Introduction
The Heinkel He112 was designed by Dipl.Ing. Heinrich Hertel, in response
to a 1933 RLM specification calling for a monoplane fighter design. The
He112 was one of four planes built to the requirements of this specification.
The other three competitors were the Arado 80, the Focke-Wulf FW 159,
and the Messerschmitt Bf109, which ultimately emerged as the winner of
this competition The Heinkel He 112 V10 was a prototype for a proposed
export version of the He 112 series, and was to be powered by the Junkers
Jumo 211A. Due to limited availability of this engine a Daimler-Benz DB
601Aa was installed instead. The V12 was the only other He112 to be so
powered. The V10 was an unarmed prototype, although earlier prototypes
carried both wing mounted cannon and cowling mounted machine guns. The
He112 V10 prototype, coded D-IQMA, crashed during flight tests at the
end of 1938, and was written off.
The export production version of the He112 derived from the V10 was
the He112B-0, of which 30 were sold to the Japanese Naval Air Force. Following
delivery of the first 12 airplanes in spring of 1938, the Luftwaffe impressed
the remaining 18 for service in the Sudetenland. When that crisis had
passed, 17 were returned to Heinkel. The Japanese would not then accept
late delivery of the balance of their order and Heinkel sold them to the
Falange Nationalists in Spain for use in their revolt against the Republican
government. Heinkel built a further 30 He112s for export sale. Rumania
bought 24 of them; 13 as B-0 and 11 as B-1. Hungary bought three B-1s
and the V9 prototype. Heinkel’s last export sale was of the V12
to Japan.
The Kit
 The
kit comprises 39 parts, 29 of which are limited run injection molded plastic.
The rest of the parts are cast in resin, and there is a single vacuform
canopy. The plastic parts are molded in a harder plastic than one normally
finds in a limited run kit. These parts have recessed panel lines, which
are particularly well done. The wheels, which are identical to those of
early 109s, are “weighted,” and well detailed. There is some
sidewall detail molded into the fuselage halves, and the cockpit is well
detailed with a floor, rear bulkhead, seat, control column, and rudder
pedals. A gunsight is also provided, which makes the featureless instrument
panel a disappointment.
The resin parts-propeller spinner, prop blades, oil cooler/radiator
shell, exhaust stacks, and replacement nose-are well molded, finely detailed,
and free of air bubbles. The resin parts are direct replacements for the
kit parts, and out of the box the later V11 protoype can also be built.
To use the resin parts the forward fuselage must be removed, and the instructions
show where to make the necessary cuts. The instructions have a logical,
albeit somewhat cluttered build sequence, and include a numbered parts
map and a color profile with paints indexed to Agama and Humbrol paints.
Federal Standard numbers are also included for those who use other brands
of paint.
The decal sheet has markings for both the V10 (D-IQMA) and V11 prototypes
(D-IRXS). The decals include the codes for the upper and lower wings and
the fuselage sides, fuel type triangles, Heinkel logos, swastikas on white
circles, and red bands sized to fit the fin and rudder. The swastikas
are printed in halves, to skirt the European ban on the display of that
insignia, and are to be applied on top of the red bands. The decals have
a large amount of carrier film, which should probably be trimmed, prior
to application, to prevent silvering.
There is only one color option, for the V10 prototype, which was painted
in overall RLM 63 light grey.
The kit dimensions state that the V10 had a wingspan of 9.1 meters (29.85
feet) and a length of 9.3 meters (30.5 feet). Jim Schubert kindly converted
these dimensions into 1/72nd scale for me, giving a span of approximately
4.975 inches and a length of approximately 5.085 inches. The kit has a
wingspan of slightly less than 5 inches, and a fuselage length of 5.75
inches, so if my measuring is accurate, then the kit is very close to
the given dimensions. I am a firm believer in checking kit parts against
scale plans when A) I have access to them and B) when those plans are
accurate. I did not have access to plans this time, but the kit does capture
the somewhat muscular and chunky nose of the V10 very well indeed.
Conclusion
RS Models’ Heinkel He 112 V10 is a high quality kit, and the patient
modeler will be rewarded with a fine replica of a somewhat obscure but
very attractive aircraft. I definitely recommend it!
Many thanks to Robert Schneider of RS Models for providing the review
sample.
References
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Warplanes Of The Third Reich: William Green, Doubleday,
New York, 1970, Library of Congress #88-29673
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Warplanes of the Second World War – FIGHTERS Volume
One: William Green, Doubleday, New York, 1965, No ISBN or
Library of Congress numbers
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