{"product_id":"matchbox-40132-pk-132-heinkel-he-70-f-2-g-1-he-170-a-1-72-scale-plastic-model-kit","title":"Matchbox 40132 \/ PK-132 Heinkel He 70 F-2\/G-1 \u0026 He 170 A — 1\/72 Scale Plastic model kit","description":"\u003cp\u003eManufacturer: Matchbox\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Kit number: PK-132 \/ 40132\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Barcode: 4009803401324\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Aircraft: Heinkel He 70 F-2 \/ He 70 G-1 \/ He 170 A\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Scale: 1\/72\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Original tooling: 1988\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Matchbox reissue: 1992\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Status: Out of production\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Later reissue: Revell, 2005\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Subject: German 1930s fast transport\/reconnaissance aircraft and military derivative\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe original Matchbox tooling was produced in 1988 and received another Matchbox release in 1992. The same basic tooling was subsequently issued by Revell in 2005 with new decals.\n\u003cbr\u003eManufacturer and kit history\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a later-generation Matchbox kit rather than one of the company's famous 1970s orange-box aircraft. The PK-132 numbering places it in the final major generation of Matchbox aircraft kits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Heinkel He 70 was an unusual but historically significant choice. It was a highly advanced fast monoplane when it appeared in the early 1930s and influenced later German aircraft development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMatchbox's tooling is particularly useful to collectors because it does not restrict the modeller to one aircraft. Parts are supplied for several closely related versions, allowing construction of the He 70 F-2, He 70 G-1, or military He 170 A. The kit's decal sheet provided three different marking possibilities, including German, Spanish Nationalist and Hungarian subjects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe two Matchbox box-art versions correspond to the 1988 initial release and 1992 reissue.\n\u003cbr\u003eKit contents\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit is a conventional injection-moulded plastic aircraft kit in 1\/72 scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe principal contents include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    fuselage halves;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    one-piece\/sectioned wings;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    tailplane and rudder;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    inline-engine installation;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    propeller;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    cockpit;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    canopy;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    undercarriage;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    engine cowling components;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    military equipment appropriate to the different variants;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    alternative parts for the F-2, G-1 and He 170;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    decals;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    assembly instructions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe different versions require differences in the cockpit, canopy and engine arrangement, and Matchbox included the necessary alternative components in the moulds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit is regarded as one of the more interesting vintage Matchbox subjects because the He 70 was an uncommon choice for a mass-market 1\/72 kit.\n\u003cbr\u003eThe real aircraft — Heinkel He 70 Blitz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Heinkel He 70 Blitz was a German single-engine fast transport, mail and reconnaissance aircraft developed during the early 1930s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe name Blitz, meaning \"Lightning\", reflected its outstanding speed for its period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt was developed in response to the need for a fast commercial aircraft capable of carrying passengers and mail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHeinkel designed a highly streamlined aircraft with a low-mounted elliptical wing and retractable landing gear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts appearance was significantly more aerodynamic than many contemporary aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe result was an aircraft that could achieve speeds comparable with, or greater than, some contemporary military fighters.\n\u003cbr\u003eLufthansa and the civil aircraft\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 70 initially had an important civilian role.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDeutsche Lufthansa operated the aircraft on high-speed mail and passenger services.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft's speed was its principal attraction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the early 1930s, airliners were generally much slower than the He 70, and the aircraft established several speed records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts aerodynamic design subsequently influenced other German aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Matchbox kit's civil marking option is therefore historically important because the He 70 was not originally conceived solely as a military machine.\n\u003cbr\u003eDesign\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 70 used an all-metal structure with fabric-covered control surfaces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts aerodynamic design included:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    streamlined engine cowling;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    retractable landing gear;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    enclosed cockpit;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    low-mounted elliptical wing;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    streamlined fuselage;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    single inline engine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft's exceptionally smooth shape is one of the most attractive aspects of the Matchbox model.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1\/72 scale, the long fuselage and elliptical wing give the completed model a very distinctive appearance.\n\u003cbr\u003eEngine and performance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 70 used several versions of the BMW VI liquid-cooled V-12 engine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDepending upon the particular version, power was around 750–850 hp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft could reach approximately 360 km\/h \/ 224 mph, with some specialised versions achieving higher speeds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis was remarkable performance for an early-1930s transport aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 70's speed made it useful for reconnaissance and courier work after it was displaced from the commercial aviation market by larger and more practical aircraft.\n\u003cbr\u003eMilitary development\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Luftwaffe became interested in the He 70 because of its combination of speed and range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 70 F was developed for reconnaissance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe F-2 represented one of the reconnaissance variants and is one of the aircraft represented directly by the Matchbox kit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 70 G was another civil\/transport-related development, with the G-1 represented in the kit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft was also developed into the dedicated military He 170.\n\u003cbr\u003eHe 170\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 170 was essentially a military reconnaissance derivative of the He 70.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt was designed to improve the aircraft's suitability for reconnaissance work and was associated particularly with German and Hungarian service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 170 retained the He 70's streamlined configuration but used a different engine installation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Matchbox kit therefore provides a particularly useful representation of the development path from fast civilian aircraft to military reconnaissance machine.\n\u003cbr\u003eSpanish Civil War\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 70 saw combat during the Spanish Civil War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGerman aircraft were supplied to the Nationalist forces, and He 70s were used for reconnaissance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis explains the Spanish Nationalist marking included with the Matchbox kit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft's speed made it useful in the reconnaissance role, although by the late 1930s it was becoming increasingly vulnerable as newer fighters entered service.\n\u003cbr\u003eHungarian service\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHungary also operated the type.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 170A became particularly associated with Hungarian service, and Matchbox's decal options include a Hungarian WWII aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHungarian He 170s were employed in reconnaissance operations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis gives the kit considerably more historical variety than its relatively small size might initially suggest.\n\u003cbr\u003eLuftwaffe service\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy the beginning of the Second World War, the He 70 was already becoming obsolete as a front-line military aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Luftwaffe therefore used surviving examples mainly for:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    reconnaissance;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    communications;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    liaison;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    training;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    transport;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    secondary duties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts high speed remained useful, but the aircraft lacked the armament, protection and performance necessary to survive against modern fighters.\n\u003cbr\u003eInfluence on later aircraft\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most interesting aspects of the He 70's history is its influence on later aircraft design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts highly streamlined configuration demonstrated the potential of aerodynamic refinement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft's design was subsequently studied and its characteristics influenced the development of later German aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Japanese Aichi D3A \"Val\" is sometimes discussed in connection with the broader influence of contemporary German aerodynamic design, while the British Miles M.20 and other designs demonstrate the wider international movement toward clean, streamlined monoplanes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe most direct German development from the He 70 was, however, the Heinkel He 111 family, although the relationship was evolutionary rather than a simple direct conversion.\n\u003cbr\u003eProduction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOnly a relatively small number of He 70s were produced compared with later German aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eApproximately 324 He 70s were built across the various versions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis relatively small production run, combined with the aircraft's unusual appearance and short front-line career, makes it a particularly interesting modelling subject.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe military He 170 was produced in much smaller numbers.\n\u003cbr\u003eFull-size aircraft specifications\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRepresentative He 70 figures are approximately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Crew: 2–5 depending on configuration\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Engine: BMW VI liquid-cooled V-12\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Power: roughly 750–850 hp\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Maximum speed: approximately 360 km\/h \/ 224 mph\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Range: approximately 2,100 km\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Length: approximately 11.7 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Wingspan: approximately 14.8 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Role: transport, mail, reconnaissance and military liaison\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe precise dimensions and performance vary between the civil He 70 and military derivatives.\n\u003cbr\u003eFull-size aircraft selling price\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike some later military aircraft, the He 70 does not have a well-established modern market price because no complete original He 70 survives in normal flyable private-market circulation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical aircraft prices are also complicated by the different civil and military configurations and the fact that many aircraft were purchased as part of broader government\/military contracts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor catalogue purposes I would record:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCurrent full-size selling price: No meaningful current market price — surviving examples are museum\/heritage assets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 70 should therefore not be assigned a modern \"aircraft value\" in the same way as a currently supported warbird such as a Spitfire or Mustang.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Matchbox","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57512972517756,"sku":"Matchbox-40132","price":18.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0432\/8584\/0033\/files\/5387A756-A91D-4D51-946D-4BEC10D1853D.jpg?v=1790662064","url":"https:\/\/sussex-model-centre.co.uk\/products\/matchbox-40132-pk-132-heinkel-he-70-f-2-g-1-he-170-a-1-72-scale-plastic-model-kit","provider":"Sussex Model Centre","version":"1.0","type":"link"}