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1/72 Revell Ju-88 A-4 camo question


jan_cz

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Hi everyone,

I am building Revell's 1/72 Ju-88 A-4. The kit features a colorful bird (4D+DT) from the 9 Staffel of III/KG 30. The instructions suggest that the engine cowlings, rudder, and the elevators should be yellow, while lower wingtips and fuselage band should be white. I have tried to find some photos for this color scheme, but have come short thus far.

So here is my question, can any of you confirm the overall yellow engine cowling and elevators? To me, this seems odd, but not unfeasible.

Any help is appreciated.

TIA


Jan

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This question just came up on another forum. The answer is that Revell picked a colorful, but not probable scheme. The yellow cowls were an identity feature for the Balkans campaign and the Ju 88 units involved did not yet have the Ju 88A-4 version

 

Here is what GR Morrison, a noted Luftwaffe historian said to post identical to yours:

"What the artist has done is use the style of yellow recognition markings (cowl, fuselage band, rudder & elevators) seen on the LG 1 machines during the Balkans / Greece / Crete campaign of April/May 1941 -- but no Ju 88A-4 wore these, they were using the Ju 88A-5 (different cowls/radiators/props, different fin/rudder without the 'step near the top). It makes for a dramatic box top painting, but not accurate for an A-4. The A-4 was just a bit late for the Balkans, still undergoing testing: the first combat losses for the A-4 would be after the beginning of the Soviet campaign in late June 1941.

The tail decoration with ship silhouettes was applied by a variety of units, on Ju 88A-5s, Ju 88A-4s, and Heinkel 111s (both P and H - again, different motors/cowls). The marking in the kit is "sort of" like that which was carried by the Ju 88A-5 "4D+MR" (white 'M') of the 7./KG 30, which was likely Helmut Weinreich's aircraft. AIMS had this one available on one of their Ju 88 decal sheets. It was a 'camera magnet' with a number of pictures surviving, and it also was the 'cover plane' for an issue of Signal magazine [the caption of which falsely claims these were sunk, but the crew's own labeling includes a 'T' next to the dates, indicating 'Treffer' - 'hit'].

So, bottom line, if you want a yellow-cowl & rudder on a Ju 88, you'll need to get an A-5 (Zvezda has one). As to Revell's 1/72 beauty, well there are many markings options possible, as it served from the North Cape of Norway to the sands of North Africa, the Atlantic to the Black Sea.

Good luck with your build - it's a great kit,

GRM"
 

Edited by Chuck1945
typo correction
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What Chuck says is correct, but I understood that the particular example had been identified as operating from Sicily in this odd mix?  I'm a little surprised that Revell Germany would produce an artificial mish-mash on such a well-recorded type.  A quick check would be if the markings provided are correct for such a unit?

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Thank you guys for your replies and thoughts on the matter. Chuck, this does provide some further clarification to this issue, and I agree with Graham that it is a bit odd for Revell to produce a "combined" scheme. It would be interesting to know where they got the materials for it. Now to go make some decisions :)

 

Thanks again,

 

 

Jan

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