HA-1112 M-1L Buchon

Special Hobby, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

Special Hobby’s 1/72 HA-1112 Buchon is available online from Squadron.com

The Hispano Aviación HA-1109 and HA-1112 are license-built versions of the Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 developed in Spain during and after World War II.

The final variant was the HA-1112-M1L Buchón (Pouter), which is a male dove in Spanish. It first flew 29 March 1954.

The 1112-M1L was equipped with the 1,600 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 500-45 engine and Rotol propeller, both purchased as surplus from the UK. This engine had a chin intake, that altered the lines of the Bf 109's airframe visually. As such, this plane was an improvised assembly of outdated components for the specific purpose of controlling Spanish colonial territories in Africa where a higher level of technology was unnecessary, and moreover not available in isolated Spain at the time.

Its armament consisted of two 20 mm Hispano-Suiza 404/408 cannons and two Oerlikon or Pilatus eight-packs of 80 mm rockets.

It remained in service until 27 December 1965 and HA-1112-M1Ls remained in flying condition until the mid-1960s. This made them available for theatrical use, masquerading as Bf 109Es and Gs in movies like Battle of Britain, Der Stern von Afrika, Memphis Belle, Dunkirk and The Tuskegee Airmen.

Remarkably, Buchons also played the Bf 109's opposition, the Hawker Hurricane, in one scene in Battle of Britain.

The HA-1112 have also flown in the film Battle of Britain alongside the CASA 2.111 bombers which were a Spanish-built version of the Heinkel He 111 German bomber. They had the same engines, the Rolls Royce Merlin 500.

Source: Wikipedia

Special Hobby's 1/72 scale HA-1112 M-1L Buchon comprises 62 parts in grey plastic (including two parts not for use), Six resin parts (incl. two not for use), one photo-etched fret with 33 parts, a printed acetate film for the instrument panel and markings for three options.

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This is a good quality limited run kit. Although little luxuries such as fuselage locating pins are not present, the parts are cleanly moulded for the main part, and sprue attachments quite modest, so parts removal and cleanup will be fast and easy. You won't find the tall ejector pin towers that older limited run kits suffered from either!

The fuselage and wings are specific to the Buchon, with the Merlin forward fuselage and the cannon mounted in the leading edges without the need for tricky inserts.

Surface textures are well done, especially the finely recessed panel lines, although one line on the top of each wing sems to peter out in the middle of the panel.

Trailing edges are adequately thin. There are a few scuff marks on one fuselage side, but this wil be easy to buff off with a fine sanding stick.

Interior detail is enhanced with photo-etched parts including the instrument panel (along with dials on printed acetate film), trim wheels, rudder pedals and harness straps. Exterior details are supplied on the photo-etched fret too - notably radiator and oil cooler faces, plus the prominent wing fences.

Resin parts are offered for the exhausts - really impressive in this scale with hollow ends and bolt head detail - and muzzles for two styles of wing cannon.

The canopy is a single part, but there is no shortage of after market vacform replacments if you prefer to pose the canopy open.

Markings

The decals are printed in the Czech Republic by Aviprint. Colours look good and registration is perfect.

Markings are supplied for three Spanish Buchons in a variety of schemes.

Special Hobby's 1/72 scale HA-1112 M-1L Buchon is nicely detailed, cleanly moulded, features subtle surface features, makes effective use of resin and photo-etch and if you have a few kits under your belt you won't have too much trouble with the absence of locating pins.

Just take your time aligning parts, test-fit frequently, and you'll have an attractive result.

Recommended.

Thanks to Special Hobby for the review sample.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2017 by Brett Green
Page Created 20 July, 2017
Last updated 20 July, 2017

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