Teddz, that probably more that what would usually be allowed for a started kit, but seeing as you have just joined the forum, I think it would be harsh to turn it away, so welcome aboard.
I have not come across this boxing of the D-5 before. What marking options come with that.
Your now added to the roster alongside Shooters 24th B kit.
thanks 
markings for the following
Stab. I./SG5 Jan 1944 & Stab. III./SG1 Winter 1943-1944
I’ll be marking it up for the Stab.I./SG5 since it’s the nicer of the two.
Interesting. I was thinking about getting the other D-5, but this could be a nice option.
And I almost forget, welcome to your first GB.
From now on, escape is impossible.
Teddz, welcome aboard. Is that the 1/48 Hasegawa kit? or 1/32?
Thunderbolt- Thats a really nice looking cockpit. The darker wash came out perfect. I find it hard to weather a cockpit painted in RLM 02. Its just so light a color.
1/32… I find WW2 aircraft are just better at 1/32 scale. 1/48 is too small.
So 1/72nd is a definite no no then [:)]
1/72 only if it’s a bomber and even then it’s on the small side. I have 2 aircraft at that scale… an Avro Lancaster and a B-17. They’re ok, but small.
I have a 1:48 F-4U corsair that’s pretty good on detail, but it’s so small… It gets lost next to the 1:32 models.
There’s also a 1/32 P-47D and a 1/8 P-47 Razorback that are awaiting building and detailing. I just find the detailing on larger scale aircraft easier.
Zvezda – nice looking Italeri! I see the artwork features bombs on all five stations – was this correct? I thought I read somewhere that it would be the heavy bomb on the centreline station or the lighter ones on the wing racks, but not both…
Teddz, welcome aboard, and like Bish says, once into group builds it’s tough to get out!
Nathan T – thanks, it was Flory Dark Dirt brushed over the 02, and I added some brown oil wash in a few places.
It’s early morning in Aus and I’ll be pressing on with the Stuka today.
Cheers, Mike/TB379
Teddz, welcome to your first GB!
Svezda, I’m back to drooling a little again, this time about your pre-shade work. Sweet.
Mike, that office is looking grand, mate.
Thanks, Greg! It’s not so dressy compared to come in this GB, but may be my most detailed pit yet.
Well, the pit is complete today, I added the harness from etch, and mounted the sidewalls. Here she is at that point:
I then closed up the fuselage and dressed the joints. I mounted the instrument panel to the coaming and added it, and my target for tomorrow is to add the small part under the front end of the fuselage, dress the joints and tackle the landing light scratch work on the wing. I thought it best to do that before joining the major subassemblies. After that, I should quickly have main construction complete.
M/TB379
Mike: That’s a nice question, that got me thinking of several parameters [^o)][I].
The kit supplies one 500 kg (1.100 pound) and four 50kg (110 pound) bombs.
As the B-2 had a maximum bomb load capacity of 2.205 pounds, theoretically it could carry the full set of five bombs. The configuration, I suppose, eventually depended on the required range of the mission .
A typical range/bomb load combination was 370 miles / 1.000 lbs bomb load (see pages from Squadron’s book, below).
I cannot find any data of what the range would be for a full bomb load of 1.540 lbs. Let us make a rather pessimistic approach and assume it drops to half, approx 180 miles.
And now let’s go to the comments of…
Bish: From what I have understood during research, Argos was certainly occupied and used by Sturzkampfgeschwader’s from late April 1941.
As the attack on Crete was building up, Fliegerkorps VIII moved Stukas to hastily prepared airstrips in Molaoi and in Milos island, southwest and to the big Italian airfield on the island of Karpathos,southeast. The location confusion gets even worst!!![*-)]
For the plane I want to build of III Gruppe / StG.77, the only clear source I have found is this link: http://www.ww2.dk/air/attack/stg77.htm , claiming that the Gruppe was stationed in Argos for May and early June 1941 (period of the battle). I cannot verify the full validity of this.
Argos lies 270 km (168 miles) from the closest target, Chania - Suda Port vincinity (see map), which is marginal but within the full-loaded range estimated above.
So there is a great possibility that III/StG.77 planes took off from base, fully loaded with 1+4 bombs, in order to hit targets during the Battle of Crete.
That’s how I am going to depict the machine. Basically I would so, even if it was way off range, because I like those hanging bombs very much [:D].
The last photo, of a StG.2 machine (they probably operated from Molaoi, much closer to target) clearly shows both 500kg and 50kg bombs waiting to be loaded.
Enough with my techno-operational rumbling.
Cheers
Zvezda – that’s a nice b it of technical deduction! Well, inside the range for full bombload… It turns out the markings in mine are for a Stab III/StG. 77 bird, so they’d be flying the same attack route. Hmm, maybe a full load is warranted! Now to work out the colour for them…
Cheers, M/TB379
With my calculations, let’s hope we don’t swim our way back [:P]
A good deduction indeed. Its highly possible that the HQ remains at Argos while aircraft operated from closer airfields as needed. The problem with operating from these Island airfields is that the Germans would have had to get supplies, namely bombs and fuel, out there, at a time when all the transports were needed for mercury itself. While the closer airfields would seem logical, shorter flying time and quicker turn around of aircraft, the problems it caused may well have cancelled those out. One likely possibility could be that the closer airfields were used as emergency landing strips for damaged aircraft. Argos seems by far the most sensible option.
Now she’s looking like a Stuka!
I went ahead and got the wings and stabilizers glued on using testor tube glue and good ol’ super glue, I wound up snapping off the tail wheel in the process but it’s a clean break and a easy fix. I do have a few gaps which will need to be filled but it’s slowly coming together. 
I set the engine in the mounts to check the fit and it looks like I may have some issues with the upper cowling but I will most likely have all the cowlings off to showcase the engine. 
One thing for sure, she’s a big girl! 
Scott
Not just a Stuka, a really BIG Stuka, Scott!
I was kinda hoping you’d leave to engine cowling(s) off or opened or removable (whatever works) to show off that great detail!
Yo Scott, I have a question (an imposition, really).
Do you happen to have a shot including the rudder pedals of your big bird?
Reason I ask is I’m a bit put off at how they install on my kit. They appear unrealistically close to the IP, extending straight down from the back side of it. Thinking of making a stand off for them, but that’s another story. Just curious how they look in relationship to the IP on your big bird.
I have no idea why I am obsessing over this so. Nobody will ever see them on my 1/48th kit anyway.
And speaking of rudder pedals on Stukas, anyone happen to know if the floor window box thingie is actually supposed to be in between the rudder pedals? I’ve looked for pics, no joy.
Sorry about the 3 posts in a row, guys.
Awesome, Angel! I once heard it called the best model kit ever produced, that would be in the late 70s. It sure looks good!
The window thing has me puzzled too!
Scratching the landing light today…
M/TB379