Oxford AC044 German Henschel Hs 126A-1 Reconnaissance Aircraft - A88 Legion Condor, Spain, 1938 (1:72 Scale)
"I urged him [Adolf Hitler] to give support [to Franco] under all circumstances, firstly, in order to prevent the further spread of communism in that theater and, secondly, to test my young Luftwaffe at this opportunity in this or that technical respect."
- Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring at the Nuremberg Trials, discussing the Luftwaffe's participation in the Spanish Civil War under the guise of the Legion Condor
The Henschel Hs 126 was a German two-seat reconnaissance and observation aircraft of World War II that was derived from the Henschel Hs 122. The pilot was seated in a protected cockpit under the parasol wing and the gunner in an open rear cockpit. The prototype aircraft frame was that of a Hs 122A fitted with a Junkers engine. The Hs 126 was well received for its good short takeoff and low-speed characteristics which were needed at the time. It was put into service for a few years, but was soon superseded by the general-purpose, STOL Fieseler Fi 156 Storch and the medium-range Focke-Wulf Fw 189 "flying eye".
Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Henschel Hs 126A-1 reconnaissance aircraft that was attached to Legion Condor during the Spanish Civil War in 1938. Sold Out!
Dimensions:
Wingspan: 5-3/4-inches
Length: 4-1/2-inches
Release Date: September 2014
Historical Account: "Day of the Condor" - Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor" (KG 53) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II. Its units participated on all of the fronts in the European Theatre until it was disbanded in May 1945. It operated three of the major German bomber types: the Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111 and the Junkers Ju 88.
During the invasion of France and the Low Countries, I./KG 53 flew support missions against supply and rail targets in the Reims area. Later targets in Abbeville, Amiens, Rouen and Arras were attacked. I./KG 53 recorded zero losses in the first two days. II./KG had 36 He 111s on strength and participated at the Sedan breakthrough, attacking targets around Lille, and supported I./KG 53.