Hasegawa 1/48 Hs 129B-1/2 and Ju 87G-2 Tank Busters Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Hasegawa has a very diversified portfolio of kit subjects in various scales. They removed many of these kits out of their regular catalog so they could be put into their limited release series, which takes a given kit and pairs it with a limited run decal to offer subjects that may not have been addressed in the aftermarket. Every now and then, Hasegawa bundles two or more kits in a box to create an interesting themed set. Such is the case with this new offering.

This is the Hasegawa 1/48 Luftwaffe Tank Busters kit which pairs their Henchel Hs 129B-1/2 with the Junkers Ju 87G-2. What both of these subjects have in common are the add-on ventral tank-busting cannons which allow for attacking allied armor from above where the armor plating is thinner.

The Ju 87G-2 kit is molded in light gray styrene and presented on 16 parts trees plus one tree of clear parts (duplicate parts trees not shown). Like many of their later kits, the Ju 87 tooling is modular to allow for more variants to be produced by swapping out parts trees as needed. The detailing in this kit is nicely done though not overly complex. The more experienced modeler will want some aftermarket details for the cockpit including crew restraints for the seats and a color-printed instrument panel to enhance the visual details in the front cockpit.

The Ju 87G kit is very straightforward with the only real options being to open or close the front and rear canopies. Given the fit of the canopies, you may need a vacuformed front canopy to position it over the center section for an open canopy option.

Like the Ju 87, the Hs 129 is also a straightforward build with few options. Molded in light gray styrene, this kit is presented on five parts trees plus one tree of clear parts. The kit has the following features and options:

• Nice cockpit
• Positionable canopy
• Choice of Hs 129B-1 or Hs 129B-2 cowlings
• Choice of Mk.101 30mm cannon (B-1) or Mk.103 30mm cannon (B-2)
• Optional bomb load on outboard wing pylons

Markings are provided for two examples for each aircraft:

• Ju 87G-2, S7+BU, 10.(Pz)/SG3, Lituania, 1944
• Ju 87G-2, T6+NU, 10.(Pz)/SG2
• Hs 129B-1, G, 5.(Pz)/Sch.G1, Eastern Front, 1942
• Hs 129B-2, L, 10.(Pz)/SG9, Eastern Front, 1943

This is a beautiful kit straight out of the box and the distinctive bare metal worn by this aircraft will make for an eye-catching model.

My sincere thanks to Hasegawa USA for this review sample!