Stew Dapple Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I've just finished this; the Zvezda Ju88A, modified to a late A-1 with the shorter-span wing: I've been waiting for a very long time for one of the kit manufacturers to produce the Battle of Britain A-1 version of the Ju88 with no joy so far, so I made an attempt at converting an existing kit. I've had the Zvezda Ju88A-5 kit in my stash for some time (two of them if I am to be absolutely honest about it) and decided to use this as the basis for an A-1 as it already includes much of what is required; the non-offset hinged rudder, the engine undersides without the intercooler bulges, narrow-blade propellers and the two-gun non-bulged rear canopy which was introduced with the A-5 although at least some A-1s were modified with it. I cut the wings down using the plans supplied with the Kagero Topdrawings No.16 Ju88 Bomber Variant book, this was actually quite - surprisingly - easy to do. I used the Eduard mask set designed for the Zvezda Ju88A-4 which meant I still had to do the rear canopy masking but was worth every penny just to get me out of having to do the nose glazing. The decals were from the Techmod Ju88A-1 set 72142 which provides what appears to be a complete set of stencilling too, needless to say I only used a part of that. The aerial wire was made from EZ Line fine black. I used the Precision Paints Luftwaffe colours 70/71 Black Green over Dark Green over 65 Light Blue and they applied very nicely as always. I finished off with Xtracolor Satin Varnish and did some exhaust staining with Xtracolor Matt Varnish stained with some dark grey and brown. The aircraft represented is from the Stab/II KG.30 based in the Netherlands during the Battle of Britain; I was under the impression that this A-1 was retro-fitted with the A-5-style rear canopy but I cannot find what reference led me to this idea and all the evidence indicates the early one-gun unbulged rear canopy so I am probably mistaken... however since it is impossible to prove a negative I think no-one will be able to prove that this aircraft did not have the modified canopy Incidentally, apart from having most of the features necessary to convert the kit to an A-1, the Zvezda kit also includes the finest crew figures I have ever seen: They were so nice I had to use them with the exception of the ventral gunner who somehow prevented the gondola from fitting properly so was discharged to the spares box. Thanks for your attention, Cheers, Stew 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 This is incredible, Stew! I've often wondered if it would be possible to make an A-1 out of the Zvezda A-5, but you had the guts to go and do it! The mark of a good conversion, to me, is that it looks like the kit was always meant to go together that way, and I think you've signally succeeded here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EXPrompt Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 (edited) Окна не достаточно справа от гондолы на брюхе Edited October 23, 2014 by EXPrompt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 Thanks PC, I was very pleased at how easy it turned out to be, if I had known I would have done it years ago - of course, having a 'spare' in the stash did reduce the element of danger of ending up with nothing EXPrompt, thanks, I neglected to remove a couple of bits of the masking on the underside - have now done so and replaced the offending picture Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moaning dolphin Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 A very nice build and a stunning finish! EXPrompt, thanks, I neglected to remove a couple of bits of the masking on the underside - have now done so and replaced the offending picture Cheers, Stew I did that too with mine, never noticed until a kind BMer pointed out the 'armoured window panes'! Great kit! Cheers now Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 You`ve done an excellent job there Stew,......it looks superb and the crewmen are fantastic,.......with .beautiful paintwork throughout! Cheers for sharing this beauty with us, Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Very nice done, indeed! - I will try to follow you - good idea to use Zvezda kit for this conversion Cheers Jerzy-Wojtek 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 A shapely machine, beautifully rendered. Impressive build! Kind regards, Joachim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 Thanks Bob, nice to know I am not alone in this; I plead "Kabuki fatigue" Thanks very much Tony, that's very kind Thanks Jerzy-Wojtek, I think it's the best kit for the job by far, but hopefully now I have done mine, Zvezda or Revell will produce an A-1 Thank you Joachim Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordfunker Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Great looking 88. I think this only about the second Zvezda 88 I've seen built. Karl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Excellent 88 Stew! I agree with you about the figures and you've done a great job with them. Another great Dapple production! Well done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Fabulous! Love the crew and the lightly weathered finish especially. There wasn't a lot of room in those cockpits. I've always liked the look of the Zvezda kit but I have two(!) Airfix Ju88s in my stash so it would be wrong to buy one.... Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ c Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Great conversion and build, looks great 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batcode Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 nice job, looks great 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 Thanks Karl, I think the Zvezda kit was rather overshadowed by the Revell A-4 released around the same time if I recall, which got very good reviews and is around the same price Hey Stix, thanks mate Hi Adrian, thank you very much, I thought as a Gruppenstab aircraft it would probably be kept fairly clean but the weathering process sometimes has an unpredictable outcome anyway The crew figures were exceptional but as you note it was a tight fit in the cockpit and was a bit of a struggle to get the canopy on with the crew installed - however my modelling allies Brute Force and Ignorance assisted as usual and I prevailed Thank you very much Russ Thanks very much Batcode Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Very nicely done and the crew figures highlight how small the cockpit really was. I would have dirtied it up a little more if it had been mine but that is just personal taste. Duncan B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 25, 2014 Author Share Posted October 25, 2014 Thanks very much Duncan I was tempted to weather a bit more, but I didn't want to find I had overdone it and ruin a project that had such a long gestation... my excuse, ready invented, is that these aircraft were still quite new in 1940 and that as aircraft of the Stabskette they were possibly more likely to be kept clean and tidy... but the real reason is I don't trust myself not to muck it up Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 No, I don't like the looks of this - I love it! V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawel Szczudlyk Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Great job Steve you doing big progres every time that you post your build in rfi. Cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulR Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Hallo there! Fab model, and I too am very keen for a BoB A1 to be released keep hoping revell will issue this version, as from what I understand the a4 version is set up to be able to do this. Fingers crossed bearing in mind that is the 75th anniversary next year!! Paul 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Thanks very much V-P Thank you sdk_uk, putting your models in RFI certainly provides an incentive for improvement Thanks Paul, it would be great if Revell were to release an A-1 but since the absorption of Revell AG Europe into Revell USA (or whatever the specific detail of that deal was) they seem to have seriously curbed their new releases. Incidentally the Zvezda kit seems set up to produce an A-1 too, as noted above most of what is required is included in the A-5 kit and the outer wing panels are provided as separate parts, so new wingtips and clear parts would be really all that was needed... however I am not sure how interested Zvezda would be in producing an A-1 as it was phased out of frontline service before the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War began and also I would imagine that due to the virtually simultaneous release of Revell's Ju88A-4 the sales of Zvezda's A-4 and A-5/A-17 kits might have been a bit disappointing Still, sooner or later some enterprising manufacturer will surely notice that there has never been a mainstream 1/72 kit of the A-1 and act appropriately Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Since this must have been a very pleasant build for you, I´m sure you´d like to sign in the Junkers Ju 88 Single Type Group Build and build an other one, although that´d happen in 2016... Hmm for some reason I can´t add any smileys but imagine the whistling one right HERE :-) Regards, V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Very nice Stew, you have made a lovely model here. Your painting of the crew is pretty amazing as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Great Ju 88, your crew is outstanding! Currently i am doing a Ju 88 A-1 in 1/32 from Revell. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Haha V-P, you don't by any chance work in advertising, do you? I will probably sign up for the Ju88 build nearer the time, but we've got the Bf110 group build to do first Thanks very much Nigel , the figures were very well moulded which I think always makes them easier to paint Thank you Bernd, I hope you have a happy and successful build Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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