Pavla Models 72004 1/72 Henschel Hs-129A

The experience of the Spanish civil War made German aviation experts rethink aircraft for close-support role. They again started to speak about an aircraft capable of attacking an enemy armor vehicles. In spring 1937 the Technische Amt of the RLM issued a requirement for a Schlachtflugzeug, specifying the use of two engines, minimal dimensions, armor protection of both cockpit and engines and a strong armament of 20mm cannon and machine guns. The requirement was submitted to a few aircraft producers. In October 1937 Henschel Flugzeugwerke proposal designed under Dipl. Ing. Nicholause supervision was accepted. He proposed a small conventional single-seat aircraft with two Argus As 41 OA inverted-vee engines. The shape of armored cockpit ,, bathtub "gave fuselage an unusual triangular cross section.

After mock-up was accepted the project received designation Hs 129 and building of prototype begun in October 1938. The HS 129 V-1 was flown for the first time on 20th May 1939 and shortly proved to be a poor aircraft. It had a heavy controls and insufficient climb. Risky take-offs and landigs resulted from the totally inadequate view from the cockpit. RLM ordered twelve pre-production Hs 129A-0 and sixteen production Hs 129A-1 models. Several pre-production aircraft saw limited service with the training unit in France. Hs 129A-1 series was canceled in behalf of more powerful Hs 129B.