SPECIFICATIONS
Model type: Fun Scale ARF
Skill level: Intermediate/advanced pilots
Wingspan: 40.6 inches
Airfoil: Semisymmetrical
Length: 34.3 inches
Weight: 2.75 pounds (with 1,800 mAh LiPo battery)
Power system: 3536 850 Kv outrunner brushless motor; 30-amp ESC
Radio: Six-channel minimum (recommended); test model: AR6210 Spektrum receiver
Retail price: $149.99 (kit version); $189.99 (plug-n-play)
PLUSES
• All airframe parts are molded from foam and are prepainted.
• Servos, motor, and ESC come factory installed.
• Low parts count makes assembly quick—only a few hours.
• A battery hatch is located behind the cowl for easy access.
• Lower wing incorporates effective flaps.
• It flies much “larger” than it is and is extremely aerobatic.
MINUSES
• The instruction manual is the kit’s weak point. A couple of steps are in the wrong order or left out entirely.
• FMS calls for an 1,800 mAh battery. Regardless of the brand, it would not fit without modification to the battery area.
The people at FMS have exploded onto the aeromodeling scene with a wealth of smaller, foam ARF kits. One of the company’s newest kits in its warbird series is the FMA Henschel HS123 ARF.
The full-scale Henschel Hs 123 was a single-seat biplane dive bomber, close-support, and attack aircraft flown by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War through the midpoint of World War II. FMS has not only captured its looks, but also incorporated many small details to make it a great Fun Scale design.
When I opened the box, I was surprised by how few parts there were. All of the major airframe components (fuselage, wings, and stabilizer halves) are molded from EPP foam. The molding is good and you’ll see plenty of hatch and panel detail molded in. Each of the control surfaces mimics the look of fabric covering, just as the full-scale used.
The smaller parts are mainly injection-molded from polystyrene, the same type of plastic used in typical plastic kits. Some pieces require assembly, such as the outer wing struts that come in two halves, plus an upper and lower mount. Others, including the two main landing gear, come preassembled and only need a couple of screws to attach them to the airframe.
One of the kit’s main features is that, with the exception of the receiver and the power battery, all of the other radio equipment is included and is factory installed. The upper wing housed the two aileron servos, the lower wing housed the two flap servos. The elevator, rudder servos, ESC, and brushless motor are premounted in the fuselage.
Construction
I’m not going to detail all of the construction steps; however, I will point out a few things. The manual is the FMA Henschel HS123’s weak point. As product reviewers, we are instructed to build review models as per the instructions—no deviations without a good reason.
If you were to follow the HS123 manual literally, you would be unable to properly install the receiver. The first step calls for attaching the lower wing to the fuselage and completely covering up the small radio compartment.
You must pay attention when assembling the Henschel and use common sense to make sure you do things in the proper order. Let me give you a few pointers from the benefit of hindsight.
Skip mounting the wing as the first step. Instead, attach the stabilizer halves using the supplied adhesive. While waiting for the glue to set up, locate and mount all of the control arms to all of the control surfaces.
Now you’ll need to determine the neutral of all the preinstalled servos. You’ll probably have to do this in several steps: fuselage, top wing, then the lower wing.
I found that the preinstalled elevator pushrods needed some slight adjustment after everything was assembled. I had the painstaking job of figuring out how to disassemble the model enough so that I could get to the elevator servo arm. Checking and adjusting the neutrals will save a headache later.
With the neutrals properly set and the elevator and rudder pushrods set to the right place, you’re ready to mount the receiver. Because the radio compartment is small, it’s best to first attach all of the connectors to the receiver, and then work on mounting the receiver in the airplane. You’ll also need to connect the long Y harnesses for the ailerons and the flaps.
After all of that is finished, you can go back to step one of the manual and begin assembly. Most of the remaining assembly is straightforward, because many of parts are held in place with screws. The wheel subassemblies bolt on to the bottom wing, and all of the struts are bolted into position.
Only a handful of parts are glued into place, including the upper and lower mounts for the outer struts, the center fuel tank, and the pitot-tube attachments on the outer wing struts.
Take care when threading the aileron extension wires through the bottom wing, the outer wing struts, and through the top wing. This isn’t difficult, but you don’t want to twist the wires or have them in a position where they could be crimped and/or cut.
There’s no mention of attaching the cowl during the assembly. Obviously it has to be done, and it slides on over the motor. Make sure that you have it properly aligned with the top of the cowl facing up. It takes some force to push the cowl back to its correct position and you may not be able to get it off if things are misaligned. Holding the cowl in place, I chose to use two of the longer, leftover, self-tapping screws.
There are several scale accessories provided to finish the HS123. They won’t make it fly any better, but they add to its looks. On the bottom are two pairs of bombs on sliding racks so they can be removed.
On the center of the bottom wing, there is a spot on which the center fuel tank is glued. There are also the pitot-tube parts I mentioned earlier, as well as an antenna on the center of the top wing, the windscreen, pilot, and a couple of steps that mount below the cockpit on the edge of the fuselage.
Other than attaching the propeller and the spinner nut, that nearly completes the Henschel. However, there was one problem I had to figure out. The manual (and the Diamond Hobby website) calls for a 1,800 mAh LiPo battery for power. Thunder Power provided batteries for our review project, however, they didn’t fit.
I tried a few other brands and none of them fit. The batteries would slide into position inside the fuselage, but the hatch couldn’t be closed without breaking it.
After studying the situation, I saw that there was plenty of foam under where the battery would rest. I powered up my trusty rotary tool and began slowly removing the foam. After a few passes that lowered the battery resting position 1/4 inch, the battery hatch could seat properly. Not only that, but I could also use a few of my own 2,200 mAh batteries as well!
When finished, the FMS HS123 weighed 23/4 pounds and balanced close to the position noted in the manual. It is slightly nose-heavy.
Assembly required roughly three hours, not counting time for the glue to set. I built the model in two evenings. I glued in the parts on the first day and completed the rest on the second.
Flying
Not knowing how much sky the FMA HS123 would need, my first flights were at my club field. With its paved runway I could check out its pleasing ground handling. The steerable tailwheel rotates more than the rudder, so the Henschel will turn in nice, tight circles, which is perfect for taxiing.
Powering up for its first takeoff, the model accelerated nicely and lifted off in approximately 50-60 feet without flaps. It tracked nearly straight, but I needed to steer it to keep it pointed down the runway.
After a couple of trim and photo passes, I quickly started having fun with the little airplane. This is not a 3-D or a Pattern aircraft. The full-scale Henschel was a dive bomber, so a roll or a loop was probably a rare occurrence.
Its power system has more muscle per pound than the full-scale aircraft, so the FMS version makes a great a barnstormer. Loops, rolls, snaps, and even a nearly presentable Hammerhead turn are part of the fun. Any of them can be entered at level flight, throttling up as you climb and then decreasing power as you level out.
Depending on the throttle position, an average flight is 8-10 minutes. Cruising around slowly with flaps extended, flight times can approach 12 minutes. I would advise setting a timer to warn you when the time is close, because the FMS HS123 isn’t a glider. It won’t drop out of the sky when the power runs low, but it does drop enough that you won’t get another pass.
The only thing it really struggled with was inverted flight, but that’s not what a dive bomber should be doing.
Landing on pavement wasn’t a problem, but I rarely had a landing where at least one of the two wingtips didn’t drag on the pavement. The narrow gear can keep you on your toes trying to keep the HS123 straight and upright.
I found better results when I switched to flying at a local baseball field. The infield dirt made the perfect runway and the field was large enough in which to fly.
Conclusion
I’ve had fun with the FMS Henschel HS123. It checks off many boxes on my wish list for a model: great scale looks, a good flier, good ground handing, and it flies great at slower speeds.
It is not another “me-too” design, so it won’t be mistaken for yet another P-51 or P-47 warbird at your club. The FMS HS123 is small enough to fly in larger parks and the nearby baseball field makes a great place to fly.
When the weather permits and I can’t make the trip to my club field, the FMS HS123 is one of my go-to airplanes to throw in the car after work and tear up the sky.
