{"product_id":"special-hobby-plastic-model-kit-heinkel-he-59b-1-72","title":"Special Hobby Plastic Model Kit Heinkel He 59B — 1:72","description":"\u003cp\u003eManufacturer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSpecial Hobby is a Czech model-kit manufacturer known for producing aircraft subjects that are often overlooked by larger manufacturers. Its earlier limited-run kits commonly combined short-run injection moulding with resin components to provide subjects that would otherwise be commercially difficult to produce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe SH72033 Heinkel He 59B was released around 2014 and is specifically catalogued as a 1:72 He 59B. Contemporary retailer records list the kit at £41.99 including VAT, while current specialist-retailer catalogues continue to identify SH72033 as the He 59B.\n\u003cbr\u003eKit contents\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit is a limited-run injection-moulded plastic kit supplemented by resin details. Contemporary modelling documentation specifically describes SH72033 as:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Limited-run injection-moulded plastic parts\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Resin detail components\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Parts for the distinctive twin-float configuration\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Cockpit\/interior components\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Clear parts\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Decals and assembly instructions\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 59B's large biplane configuration, twin floats and open\/partially enclosed crew positions make it a particularly distinctive 1:72 subject. The kit is intended for the experienced modeller rather than as a simple snap-together model.\n\u003cbr\u003eFull-size aircraft history\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Heinkel He 59 was a German twin-engine floatplane developed during the 1930s by Heinkel Flugzeugwerke. It was designed as a multi-purpose maritime aircraft and could undertake reconnaissance, bombing, torpedo-carrying and air-sea rescue duties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft had a large biplane configuration with two floats beneath the fuselage and two engines mounted in nacelles between the wings. Its substantial size gave it good endurance and the ability to operate from water, making it useful for maritime patrol and rescue operations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 59B represented one of the important production versions. It was used by German maritime units before and during the Second World War, particularly for reconnaissance and air-sea rescue. The type's ability to land on water made it valuable for recovering downed airmen over the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 59 also gained operational experience during the Spanish Civil War. Aircraft were supplied to the German Legion Condor, where they were employed in maritime reconnaissance and other duties. Contemporary references to the Special Hobby kit specifically note the aircraft's Spanish Civil War connection and its association with the Legion Condor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGermany subsequently employed the He 59 during the Second World War. Its maritime role included reconnaissance and rescue operations, while some aircraft were used in bombing and torpedo-related roles. By the later war years, however, the aircraft's relatively slow speed and obsolescent biplane design increasingly limited its usefulness in heavily contested areas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 59 is particularly notable historically because of its association with German naval aviation and air-sea rescue. It was one of the aircraft used by the Luftwaffe's maritime rescue organisation to recover personnel from the sea, a role in which its floats and ability to operate from relatively sheltered stretches of water were important.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft also had an unusual international connection with Finland. Finland leased He 59 aircraft from Germany in 1943, using both He 59D and He 59B aircraft. The Finnish machines were employed for long-range reconnaissance and the insertion and recovery of patrol personnel behind Soviet lines.\n\u003cbr\u003eThe He 59B variant\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe B-series aircraft represents an early major production configuration of the He 59. Its twin-engine layout, large biplane wings and twin floats give it an appearance quite unlike the more familiar single-engine German aircraft of the period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft could carry crew and equipment appropriate to its particular mission, and the large fuselage provided useful internal space. Its versatility was one of the reasons the design remained in service despite its relatively low performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor a modeller, the He 59B is therefore an interesting subject because it combines several unusual features: twin engines, biplane wings, twin floats and a large maritime fuselage. These features make the finished 1:72 model substantially different from the single-engine fighters and bombers that dominate WWII aircraft modelling.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Special Hobby","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57504169034108,"sku":"SH72033","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0432\/8584\/0033\/files\/AAD14DC5-2544-4602-AEDD-95746B02E29C.jpg?v=1790404574","url":"https:\/\/sussex-model-centre.co.uk\/products\/special-hobby-plastic-model-kit-heinkel-he-59b-1-72","provider":"Sussex Model Centre","version":"1.0","type":"link"}