Airfix 1/72nd Ju 87B-2

[Bish]

Start this a couple of weeks ago.This is my 7th 72nd Ju 87. While i do like the Fujimi kit, this new Airfix one is clearly a step up in detail. I know the Fujimi kit is a little oversize, i have not yet compared this one to scale plans but i will at some point. Going over the kit, there are a few things i think they could have done better, but to some degreee these are largely personal preferance. As its a Stuka, i do tend to be a bit picky.

 

 

I will be ading some Eduard PE and Quickboost resin.

 

The first thing i checked when i got the kit was the supercharger intake. At least one of the marking options is a Trop Stuka, but unfortunatly Airfix did not include the larger Trop intake. This still leaves only the Italeri kit with this option. This is not an issue for this build as i won't be useing the kit markings, but i would pike to have the option of doing Trop Stuka's and unfortuantly the AM market has still not provided any option for this.

 

As usual, i started with the pit. The kit detail is very nice as it is, so the PE spruces up whats there.

 

 

The gunners seat should just be a frame, but as i am adding the gunner, its not an issue.

 

 

This was a bit odd. Never seen this reccess underneath before, i had to look it up. There should be a fairing over this. Its a nice option for a dio scene, but it would have been better is the fairing was included. All the pics i have seen in flight show this covered and i can't imagine they would leave it open and rick damage to the wiring. I will use some filler for this.

 

 

After paint and dry brushing, i added the pre coloure PE.

 

 

 

And then got the fuselage together. The centre piece with the seats wil fit up from underneath later.

 

 

More soon.

[GREG DESTEC]

Great start. The internals look very nice indeed. Keep up the good work 👍

[Bish]

Thanks Greg. They are very nice.

[Brandy]

Nice start. My last Stuka was the old one I built as a kid, but I did "upgrade" it with reference to their 1:24 kit which I still haver in the stash. Also have one of the new ones to do at some time so I'll follow along to see how it goes!

 

Ian

[Bish]

Thanks Ian. I've got the 24th kit in the stash as well, i'd like to do that, just not sure where i would put it.

[Bish]

Time for another update. I got the cockpit fitted which go in from underneath. It was a very tight fit and i had hope to dry fit. But i couldn't remove it for risk of breaking somthing so i ended up clamping it in place as it could have done with some sanding down. One very nice touch on this kit is the addition of the pilots target viewing window. Its attache to a box structure which i had not seen before. I can find any pic of a B pit where you can see it. But i did find an image in a new book i recently got which show in from a training manuel. What is mssing is the external cover to the window which always seems to be closed when on the ground. Fortunatly the Eduard set has that part.

 

 

The recess around the centre bomb carrier was fille. Not perfect as there are a couple of small openings. But once the bomb is attached this should not be noticed.

 

 

 

And then all the final touches to get it ready for priming. The instructions only have you fit the siren mount but the kit does include the sirens. The only image of the aircraft i am doing is a profile in an Osprey book which only shows the mounts. But as i have no photo of it and there is no saying the sirens were not fitted and later removed. As i have no Stuka with the siren, i felt it was well over due. So i fitted it. I also added wing guns and pitot from Quickboost.

 

 

 

 

Now its all together, i can see that IMHO, this is the best 72nd Ju 87B. Clearly the detail is far better than the 30+ year old Fujimi kit. Other than sliding in the pit, the fit is very nice, just a touch of filler along the wing join with the fuselage. The addition on the window under the fuselage is a nice touch. There are just a few small things which stop this kit being perfect. A cover for the window and a larger Trop filter would be great additions. Its also missing the IFF antenna from under the fuselage. oddly Eduard does not include it even though they do on the set for the Fujimi kit and hopefully i have a spare Fujimi one in the spares box.

The one thing i really don't like is how Airfix mold the open canopy with the pilots section molded onto the fixed centre piece. Will have a pic of that next time.

[Bish]

Been a few weeks but here is an update on the Stuka. Got it all painte with Xtracolor getting pretty use to doing this scheme now.

 

 

 

Then decals. Stencils and crosses are from the kit. Codes and swastika's from the decal stash and the unit badge i printed myself. I like that Airfix included decals for the dive brakes.

 

 

 

 

I have started the weathering so should have this wrapped up soon.

[jean]

Hi Bish,

 

this is looking real nice indeed. Great job so far.

I have built the B-1 and this one will some day be on the bench.

These Stukas are superb kits.

 

Keep enjoying it.

 

JR

[Bish]

Tanks JR. I have the B-1 as well and am looking forward to building that.

[Bish]

Got the Stuka done a couple of weeks ago but just got round to getting the final pics today. Got it weathered with Flory washes and some staining and after that it was just a case of adding the final parts. So here she is ready to go on the base.

 

 

 

 

And then here is the end result. Simple dio with a couple of altered figures from Airfix. Also made a starting handle.

This aircraft was based in Greece in May 41 and i believe took part in Operation Mercury, the assault on Crete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, a nice kit. Detail kis deffinetly far better than the Fujimi kit and the fit is nice. A few let downs, a couple of which are minor and easy to fix, open area around the centre bomb crale and lack of cover for the pilts target viewing window. But the one piece open canopy just does work on this. It was fine for the Gladiator but not on a Stuka. And a Stuka canopy is not easy to cut open if the sliding pilots section is molded with the fixed centre section. And the lack of a Trop filter was a big let down.

 

But its a Stuka so i love it.