Junkers Ju88C-6 ‘Nachtjager’ - 1:72 Hasegawa

[Paul A H]

Junkers Ju88C-6 Nachtjager

1:72 Hasegawa

Designed originally to fulfil a Reich Air Ministry requirement for a fast bomber, the Junkers Ju88 was developed in the mid-1930s. By the end of the war in Europe almost a decade later, it had evolved into one of the most versatile aircraft of its generation, fulfilling roles such as diver bomber, torpedo bomber, night fighter and photo reconnaissance as well as conventional bomber. The aircraft of the 'C' series were the first of the heavy/night fighters to be developed from the flexible airframe.

The C-6 was the definitive variant in the series, and over 900 of the type were produced in total. It was based on the A-4 bomber, with powerful Jumo 211J engines and a metal nose containing forward firing machine guns and cannon. It enjoyed reasonable success as a night fighter, although it was not as capable as the later, purpose-built G series, which was fitted with more advanced air intercept radar equipment. The Ju88C-6 had a maximum speed of over 300mph and a service ceiling of up to 18,000 feet. Armament varied depending on whether the gondola had been converted to carry additional forward firing cannon, but was comprised of a mixture of MG 81Z (for defensive purposes), MG17 and MG 151/20.

The latest incarnation of Hasegawas abundant Ju88/188 series arrives in a top-opening box which is literally jam packed with over 140 parts spread across 27 sprues. This sounds like an awful lot, but many of the sprues are quite small or hold only one or two parts each. A significant number of parts are not used either, so there will be a generous handful left over for the spares box. Instructions, a set of poly caps and a sheet of decals completes the package. The quality of mouldings is typical of the Shizuoka-based manufacturer; clean and crisp with beautifully rendered panel lines. The plastic is smooth and shiny and there is no evidence of sink marks or flash.

As is the case with the other kits in Hasegawas Ju88 series, the breakdown of parts is quite complex because the kit has been engineered in order to allow the maximum number of variants to be squeezed from a common set of moulds. Construction begins with the superbly detailed crew compartment. The cockpit itself is made up of a floor, seats for the pilot and observer/gunner, rudder pedals, control column, instrument panel and radio set. The instruments and controls on the instrument panel and sidewalls are endowed with delicate, raised detail, with decals also provided as an option.

The cockpit and the front fuselage section are entirely separate from the rear fuselage. Once the cockpit has been assembled and sealed within the front fuselage halves, it can be joined to the rear fuselage, which is itself formed around a double wing spar and the tail wheel. I personally dislike having to add the tail wheel at this stage as it means it is left sticking out, ready to be broken off during the rest of the build process.

The wings and engine nacelles are next up. Dealing with the engines and nacelles first, poly caps are provided which allow the propellers to be fitted without the need for adhesive. These sub-assemblies are each made up of eight parts exclusive of propellers and options are provided for night fighter exhausts. The wings themselves are made up of upper and lower halves, with separate wing tips (again due to the use of the same basic parts for multiple variants) and parts for the main landing gear bay roofs. Once the wings have been assembled, they should slide onto the spars without any difficulty. The horizontal and vertical stabilisers are each made up of two parts, split vertically. The rudder and elevators are moulded in place.

Once the basic components of the airframe have been assembled, attention turns to all of the fiddly bits. The undercarriage is complex but highly detailed, and there are nice moulded detailed on the inside of the gear bay doors. The elevators are moulded as separate parts, complete with delicate actuators. The gondola is made up of four parts plus the defensive twin machine gun and the nose is made up of nine parts including the nose gun barrels.

The transparent parts feature delicate raised details and appear to be very well executed. You will need to take care when fitting them though, as the main canopy is split into five clear parts (for one of the aircraft provided on the decal sheet) in order to preserve the correct shape.

Three marking options are provided:

• Ju88C-6 (early type) of 1./NJG2, (R4+HH), Sicily, early 1942. This aircraft is finished in overall black, with RLM04 yellow lower engine cowlings;
• Ju88C-6 (early type) of 3./NJG2, (R4+FL). This aircraft is finished in overall black; and
• Ju88C-6 (late type) Schrage Musik test aircraft (DU+GO). This aircraft is finished in overall RLM76 light blue with mottles of RLM74 grey on the upper surfaces.

The decals look nicely printed, with clear, bold colours. Swastikas are included for the vertical tailplane.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that this is a high-end kit. The quality of the mouldings is exceptional and the whole package has the look and feel of a premium product, which of course it is. On the downside, construction is made more complex as a result of Hasegawa's design choices, and pricewise it is considerably undercut by the recent (and very good) Revell offering. If you can get one for a good price though, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for

[Antoine]

Thanks Paul,

Nice review, as usual.

[Rudolf Korachkin]

Thank you for the review!

The Revell's kit seems a bit more impressive but its an option too