Surprise, I´m asking a Ju 88 question - another one!

[vppelt68]

Having been mainly interested in the A-4 variant so far I was very happy with the Revell 1:72 kit. Lately I raised an interest in earlier A-5 and D-2 variants. I thought Zvezda would cater me with their A-5/A-17 kit - that I have yet to see and handle the plastic - good enough. Taking a closer look at many interesting subjects from the Mediterranean and North Africa I noticed the earlier Linsenlafette instead of the later Bodenlafette 39 variants. I haven´t been able to find out in the Zvezda kit reviews if the Linsenlafette in included or not? If not, is it available from cottage industry?

Thanks in advance, V-P

[vppelt68]

Oh drop the Linsenlafette idea then.

I just became "mildly" obsessed in FuG 200 Hohentwiel radar in a Ju 88. In a book by Hannu Valtonen about the Luftwaffe´s Northern Flank in Finland and Norway, he quotes the Westa 5 historic (Wetterflieger in der Arktis) which states that in the early hours of 14.9.1942, while hunting the PQ-18 convoy, they were replacing on patrol duty an airplane being "a rare stalker at sea: a Ju 88, with a new kind of electronic seekerdevice, with which ships could be spotted in total darkness or flying in clouds" (that was my liberal translation to English from Finnish translated from German ). I think that device was the FuG 200. And then I got interested in what might that plane actually look like. Yep, Hasegawa had even made a kit of a type they called A-6/u. With Jumo 211J cowlings that the real A-6 never had.. That's also an incorrect and post-war nomination. There never was a Ju 88 subtype specified for the radar equipped planes. They just added "Ho" in it - as in a Ju 88 A-4 Ho. And the Hasegawa kit, apparently very nice one, was molded in unobtainium, not styrene plastic. But, I found out Aims do the PE set for the Ju 88 antennae! Believe me I´m not a PE compatible person. So I discovered my all plastic option would be to acquire a Revell Fw 200 C-5/8 kit and bash its Hohentwiel antennae in a Revell Ju 88 A-4 kit. Yes, the plastic is thick and clunky compared with PE. But in theory, that kitbashing should be doable?

With that problem solved, I must admit there will be a lot of what-if/prototype free lancing in possibly finishing this project. A-4/5/6 or D-1/2 basic airplane, BoLa or not, drop tanks or not, upper mg positions, unit, theater markings, camo scheme... Oh woe is me .

V-P

[JWM]

Is it that one?

[vppelt68]

Thanks!

 

That is a FuG 200 equipped Ju 88 but which subtype, whose and where, I can´t tell...  Are the location and date of this pic known? The engines are 211J and there´s no ventral gondola. Two very interesting details would be the straight vs. kinked rudder top and bulged or not rear mg positions, which can´t be seen (at least with my Mk.68 eyes). The early rudder would more or less confirm if it´s an upgraded A-5 or A-6, or not. Bulged rear canopy could be added to early versions, but I doubt not vice versa. Or it could be a single mg one, which would make me even more clueless.

 

Best regards, V-P

[Hook]

You can view the sprues and instructions of the Zvezda A-5/A-17 here (although I don't recommend this shop for actually ordering, I got ripped off):

 

https://www.super-hobby.com/products/item_name-2053991.html

 

Cheers,

 

Andre 

[vppelt68]

A big   Andre! To me, that looks a lot like a Linsenlafette - it´s definitely not a Bodenlafette 39 variant. Best regards, V-P

 

[JWM]

Here are two photos from Norway

http://modelwork.pl/viewtopic.php?p=419510

The most close on bottom photo seems to have two MGs in rear of main canopy. 

Like here also

here we have one MG

 

And here again single

http://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Ju-88/KG26/pages/BW-photo-Junkers-Ju-88A17-KG26-is-equipped-with-Hobentwiel-FuG-200-search-radar-01.html

and here also

http://www.ww2incolor.com/german-air-force/Ju-88A-6-U-2.html

Looks that many variants were converted to have FuG 200...

J-W