I like to get a collection of WW II German night fighters, and have finally got hold of a Dragon Ju 188. Just wondering if anyone had tried to convert it to a Ju 388J nightfighter.
I’m building the Planet 1/48 Ju-388K right now for the BomberGruppe group build and it would be easiest to convert that kit to the Ju-388J, mostly a different canopy and cockpit arrangement, but the wings and engine nacelles are the same. You could easily make the DML Ju-188E into a Ju-188R, which was just as real a project as the 388J since neither got past the prototype stage.
A quick look thorugh “German Aircraft of the Second World War” by Smith & Kay and William Green’s “Warplanes of the Third Reich” gave me some ideas about what’s involved. Ju 388J has BMW 801TJs, and just happens I have a 1/48 Do 217E-5 that I want to convert into Do 217N using Koster Aero conversion kit. I can probably graft Do 217’s BMW 801C (M?) engine onto the Ju 188. To be sure, it would require considerable work, but at least I’d have a framework. I hope. Then there’s the enlarged rear section of Ju 388 to accomodate gun barbette and whole new nose section (another graft from Ju 88G?) with its own unique canopy. I might just go whole hog and throw in the spare Morgenstern radar I have been kicking around.
Something to ponder while I wait for more definitive informations.
ETA: Jeaton01 - On second thought, maybe it’s easier to convert Planet Model’s Ju 388K to J, as you said. How much is the kit? Is it a full kit or conversion? And quality?
It’s a full kit, but it is pricey, at $100 list. I bought mine for less than that. The vacform canopy is a difficult fit, and the fuselage halves took some adjustment due to the kind of warpage you can get with resin, but overall it is very good, very detailed. Very few molding defects.
The nacelles for the 801TJ’s are quite different in appearance, they seem longer to my eye, and the turbo outlets are on top, with a large air intake underneath, where the earlier 801 installations had exhausts exiting in the cowl flap area. I think the props and spinners are unique to the 801TJ as well.
its definitly possible but you’d need to be good with moulding your own canopies,regardless of the 388 version you have chosen. the resin kits available are very expensive but there is also a conversion made by heritage avaition in england; i am currently building one using the revell ju-88a4 as the donor kit. i’ve got to say it hasn’t filled me with joy; the casting is mediocre at best, the fit varies between acceptable ( nose and tail sections) to dire (new engines). the canopy was formed over a dirty mould and is also a “challenging” fit. the instructions are almost,but not quite,completly useless. it came in a nice sturdy box,though. i don’t usually do bombers but fancied this as the ultimate of the 88 family and was also curious as to how much i could use towards the nightfighter conversion; i think i would rather go for a proper,from scratch conversion rather than wrestle with another pair of these engines. enjoy? i don’t think so! however,if someone does succeed in doing one- either from scratch or using some or all of this kit-i’d love to see it.