The Ju-88 is one of those subjects I’ve always liked. Kind of like the HE 111. They just seem menacing to me, probably because of the nation that conceived them. I got this guy cheap at a model show a few years ago and I kind of forgot I had it. Truth be told, I intended to build a Battle of Britain version of the Ju-88 then discovered no A-4 variants fought in the battle…doh! Apparently there is an A-1 conversion set out there but its hard to find and not all that great to begin with. I decided I’m just going to, for the most part, build this one right out of the box and I may even use the kit decals. I’ve read that this is a challenging build with fit issues. I suppose I’m due for something to try my patience…
I started with the cockpit. Its actually pretty nice as is. I added some photoetched seatbelts from my spare PE stash I painted it my own mixture of RLM 66 by combining XF-63 German Gray with a touch of XF-66 Light Gray. I think Tamiya’s RLM 66 is a shade too dark. I painted it with the mixture then handpainted the smaller details. I did my normal process of post shade, gloss coat, wash, and then dull coat. I didn’t get too carried away with the cockpit because most of it will likely be hidden once the greenhouse canopy is in place.
Ohhh sweet! I love the 88! I build Dragon’s G-6 awhile back. The fit is actually pretty good, the main issue I found was the panel lines on the fuselage halves don’t line up, so it looks weird when you give it a wash. Its tough to re-scribe without starting over on some of the panel lines. Watch the clear parts! They are brittle. I broke mine in half and had to resort to a Vac canopy for the rear portion. The engine nacelles don’t fit that great to the wings either. At least you have the Promodeller boxing. Those instructions are wayy better than Dragons! I had to watch out on the landing gear assembly, as dragon didn’t tell you there was a specific left and right for all the landing gear and bulkhead components! I like your cockpit, you made the pe belts really stand out! Goin for any AM? Decals at least?
Nice I started this about a year ago I got it all the way up to putting the decals on then found out the kits was unusable. The smaller decals go on alright but the bigger ones just fell apart as soon as micro sol hit them.
I’m almost finished with the Dragon Ju-88 P1 varient. The cockpit looks very similar to the Dragon kit. Same molds perhaps? I have pics in the Reich Defenders GB if you want to see them. Like your start on this.
Thanks folks. Steve, I’ll have to go over there and check it out. Yes I do believe its a re-boxing of the DML Dragon kit. The more build articles I read about this kit the more anxiety I’m getting. It sounds like its going to be a real pig assembly-wise. I may get Monogram P-61 flashbacks. Alot of ill-fitting parts and huge gaps. Speaking of gaps, I just got some “Mr. Surfacer 500”. Does anyone know how to use it? Will the acetone trick work on it? (For those not familiar, you fill a gap, such as a wingroot, then wipe the left over putty off with an acetone soaked Q-tip…works great on Squadron putty). Any information would be appreciated.
Rambo, thanks for the tip on the decals. I’m actually considering the ordinary version (without the squiggles) from the Russia front, but I’m still perusing decals though. Ebay doesn’t seem to have much and I won’t touch Techmod.
Wait this isn’t a single engine fighter. Joe you’re slipping. Just teasing looking at this WIP with great anticipation. Have 5 of these in the stash but no A,-4. John
I use the acetone trick with their Mr. Dissolved Putty but I’ve never tried it on the Surfacer 500. Not really sure if there is a difference in material or if its just a thickness difference.
Joe- I use the same trick with Mr. Surfacer, only I use Mr. color lacquer thinner. Acetone might work though? As far as decals, Eagle Cals just released a few sheets for A-4’s in 1/48. Also, check out AirDoc and AIMS.
