D-Day GB- Airfix 1/48 Junkers Ju87B-2 Stuka Update #3

[UKguyInUSA]

Hello Guys,

After completing my Hawker Typhoon for this GB and finding out that you can place more than one entry into a GB, I decided that with the time left until this GB ends, I'd make a start on another plane; the Airfix 1/48 Junkers Ju87B-2 "Stuka"

This will be my second German aircraft build since I started modeling in January of this year, the first was a BF109E-4.










So here goes the start of this thread with a little History courtesy of Wikipedia;


The Junkers Ju 87 or "Stuka" (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, "dive bomber") was a two-seat (pilot and rear gunner) German ground-attack aircraft. The Stuka first flew in 1935 and made its combat debut in 1936 as part of the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War.

The aircraft was easily recognizable by its inverted gull wings, fixed spatted undercarriage and its infamous Jericho-Trompete ("Jericho Trumpet") wailing siren, becoming the propaganda symbol of German air power and the "Blitzkrieg" victories of 1939–1942. The Stuka's design included several innovative features, including automatic pull-up dive brakes under both wings to ensure that the aircraft recovered from its attack dive even if the pilot blacked out from the high acceleration. Although sturdy, accurate, and very effective, the Ju 87 was vulnerable to modern fighter aircraft, like many other dive bombers of the war. Its flaws became apparent during the Battle of Britain: poor maneuverability, lack of speed and defensive armament meant that the Stuka required heavy fighter escort to operate effectively.

During the "Battle of Britain" movie there is a scene wherein Michael Caine plays the Wing Commander of a Spitfire Squadron, who is called upon to seek and destroy Stuka's that are attacking the southern based Radar sites. The pilots blow the Stuka's out of the sky easily because of their lack of speed and maneuverability and two Pilots say "Easier to hit than a barn door" and "It's like shooting rats in a barrel"! Which emphasizes the weaknesses of those aircraft against the more modern fighter planes.

Here's a link to that scene:

The Stuka operated with further success after the Battle of Britain, and its potency as a precision ground-attack aircraft became valuable to German forces in the Balkans Campaign, the African and Mediterranean Theaters and the early stages of the Eastern Front campaigns. Once the Luftwaffe had lost air superiority on all fronts, the Ju 87 once again became an easy target for enemy fighter aircraft. In spite of this, because there was no better replacement, the type continued to be produced until 1944. By the end of the conflict, the Stuka had been largely replaced by ground-attack versions of the Focke Wulf Fw 190, but was still in use until the last days of the war. An estimated 6,500 Ju 87s of all versions were built between 1936 and August 1944.

Some notable airmen flew the Ju 87. Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel was the most successful Stuka ace and the most highly decorated German serviceman of the Second World War. The vast majority of German ground attack aces flew this aircraft at some point in their careers. Below is a photograph of Rudel....



General characteristics:

Crew: 2
Length: 11.00 m (36 ft 1.07 in)
Wingspan: 13.8 m (45 ft 3.30 in)
Height: 4.23 m (13 ft 10.53 in)
Wing area: 31.90 m² (343.37 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,205 kg (7,086 lb)
Loaded weight: 4,320 kg (9,524 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 5,000 kg (11,023 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Junkers Jumo 211D liquid-cooled inverted-vee V12 engine, 1200 PS (1,184 hp (883 kW))
Propellers: Three-blade Junkers VS 5 propeller, 1 per engine Propeller diameter: 3.4 m (11 ft 1.85 in)


Performance

Never exceed speed: 600 km/h (373 mph)
Maximum speed: 390 km/h @ 4,400 m (242 mph @ 13,410 ft)
Range: 500 km (311 mi) with 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb load
Service ceiling: 8,200 m (26,903 ft) with 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb load

Armament

Guns: 2× 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun forward, 1× 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun to rear
Bombs: Normal load = 1× 250 kg (550 lb) bomb beneath the fuselage and 4× 50 kg (110 lb), two bombs underneath each wing.

More information can be read by clicking this link to the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_87

That's it for now guys....I will be following up with an "In-Box-Review" of this kit showing images of the contents, a description and a link to my YouTube "In-Box-Review" video.

Thanks for watching guys and I hope this thread proves interesting and enjoyable for everyone to follow

Cheers,

Martin

[Nige201980]

Great choice mate if I remember correctly it goes together ok the only problem is all the raised rivet detail and panel lines it a bit OTT in my eyes.
Best of luck with it mate.

[UKguyInUSA]

Great choice mate if I remember correctly it goes together ok the only problem is all the raised rivet detail and panel lines it a bit OTT in my eyes.
Best of luck with it mate.

Hello Nige, thanks for the heads up. I did do an In-Box review video last week and that was the first time I had opened the box and took the sprues out of the bag. I spoke about the raised details, but, until you build it, you have no idea how it's going to go together....so, I'm glad that you've let me know it's ok!

I hope to make a start some time this weekend if I get alone time.

Cheers,

Martin

[UKguyInUSA]

In-Box-Review:

Hello Guys,

After opening the box, I took some photos of the contents then did a "In-Box-Review" video which can be found on my YouTube channel. The link to the video will be posted at the end of this posting.

This Airfix model is their kit # A05100 which is a re-boxing of an older kit supplied with nice newer decals.

A photo of the box art depicting Stuka's dive bombing allied ships:







The contents of the box include the following items.

1. One large sealed polythene bag with three light grey sprues in.
2. A smaller sealed polythene bag with one clear sprue inside. This bag was retained inside the larger bag.
3. A 5-page assembly instruction booklet including a brief history of the aircraft on the front page, 13 stages of assembly on the inside 3 pages and assembly icon instructions on the back page.
4. A 2-page painting guide with color and decal options for 3 squadron markings;
i) Junkers Ju 87B-2 5 Staffel/Stukageschwader 2 "Immelmann", Lannion, France, August 1940. This versions occupied a full page of the paint guide.
ii) Junkers Ju 87R-2 239a Squadriglia, 97`Gruppo, Italian Air Force, Lecce-Gelatina, Italy, April 1941.
iii) Junkers ju 87B-2 Trop 4 Staffel/Stukageschwader 2 "Immelmann", Tmimi, Libya, June 1941

The last two versions occupied half a page each on the paint guide.
5. A decal sheet for the 3 versions.
6. A "Airfix Club" flyer.


























Observations;

1) There were three parts loose within the large bag of sprues- a pilot, half of a bomb and a rear stabilizer strut.

2) Parts have raised panel lines and rivet details, indicating that this is an older kit.

3) There is some flash in places, but only light...which will require some cleaning up before painting and assembly.

4) There are no sink marks, warped parts, cracked parts or missing parts

5) The instructions are in black and white but clear and easy to understand

6) The painting guide is in color

7) The decals look really good- matte finish, no shine and thin.

8) The cockpit and rear gunner bays are reasonable in detail but could be improved with some additions, although the inside walls of the fuselage halves have quite a bit of detail.

9) There are ejector pin witness marks visible that are recessed into the inner side walls of the cockpit. These would require filling and smoothing to make them disappear.

10) The Stuka was famous for it's screaming "Sirens" when it dive-bombed, a tactic to put fear into the enemy. These sirens were located on the front of each wheel fairing. This kit doesn't have any, which is a let down considering it is one of the most notable features of the Stuka. Maybe it's time to do some scratch-building?!

11) The two main clear canopy moldings are thick on the top, but thinner on the sides. This creates a wavy appearance in the thicker sections, but they are clear along the sides.

12) The kit includes a 550lb bomb that fits to the swing frame underneath the fuselage and two 110lb bombs, one under each wing. It also includes the 0.312" MG 15 Machine Gun operated by the rear gunner. Two MG 17 0.312" Machine Guns were fitted- one in each wing.
















Well, that's it for now- I'll try to make a start on her soon and will up-load my build updates as I progress. In the meantime, if you'd like to watch my YouTube Channel "In-Box" review for this kit, then click on the following link:

Thanks for watching guys and happy modeling!

Cheers,

Martin

[Nige201980]

Have fun with that canopy mate lol

[UKguyInUSA]

Have fun with that canopy mate lol

Ohhhh.....now you have me nervous!

[Navcom]

Nice! Looking forward to how this kit works out. Should be a blast!

Have fun with that canopy mate lol

Ohhhh.....now you have me nervous!

After having just did the birdcage on a P-51B, I second UKguy's comment...good luck! If it were me, I'd be searching for a masking kit!

All kidding aside, I'm sure you'll do fine! Put us all to shame!

[UKguyInUSA]

Nice! Looking forward to how this kit works out. Should be a blast!

Have fun with that canopy mate lol

Ohhhh.....now you have me nervous!

After having just did the birdcage on a P-51B, I second UKguy's comment...good luck! If it were me, I'd be searching for a masking kit!

All kidding aside, I'm sure you'll do fine! Put us all to shame!

After seeing your P-51B along with the other incredible builds on here....I don't think I'll be putting anyone to shame! But. I'll try my best to reach the same standards!

[Nige201980]

Just take your time with the canopy if I remember correctly the frame is quite thick so it should make masking easier.

[UKguyInUSA]

Just take your time with the canopy if I remember correctly the frame is quite thick so it should make masking easier.

Hey, Nige....yeah, when I did my "In-Box-Reiew" video, I noticed the canopy sections were thick around the top portions, which made them have a wavy appearance and not crystal clear. But, the sides were thinner, so they looked clear.

Well, it's Sunday night time and I didn't get an opportunity to make a start on her yet. Hopefully I'll be able to grab a few hours during the week...we'll see. I really wanted to make a star on her this weekend, so it's been frustrating for me. Like a kid knowing there's my favorite candy on the top shelf of the pantry but I can't reach it!

[UKguyInUSA]

Well guys, yesterday I managed to get a few hours in along with a couple more today, therefore, here is my first Build Update Report #1:


So, the build started with a wash of the parts in warm soapy water. I let them soak for 30 minutes, then took them out and let them air dry over-night:





I then started to build the sub-assemblies, which included the main wing assemblies, stabilizers, wheels, cockpit tub, bombs, propeller, Pilot and Rear Gunner:











I then airbrushed a base-coat of Tamiya XF-1 Flat black mixed with 40% Isopropyl Alcohol to the fuselage inside walls, the cockpit tub, the insides of the wheel fairings, the wheels, the front radiator, the instrument panel, the upper engine cowling and internal support walls:




I then air-brushed a misting of Tamiya XF-54 Dark Sea Grey to the fuselage walls and cockpit tub, along with the internal wall supports and the instrument panel:








I then painted some of the internal wall details, the instrument panel and the cockpit tub and gave the wheels a dirty mud wash:








I also applied a reddish brown wash and some dry-brushing with Tamiya X-11 Chrome Silver:





Followed by a coat of Matte / Flat varnish to seal everything in:





My next step, tonight, will be to fit the cockpit into the starboard fuselage, along with the instrument panel, support wall, bomb-sight window, side window, rear wheel and front radiator. Then close the fuselage by gluing the port-side fuselage half onto the starboard side. I'll tape them together and let them set overnight, then tomorrow morning, I'll glue the wings and stabilizers into place and fill and smooth where necessary. I'll also airbrush the propeller to finish it before assembling this into the fuselage halves, along with completing the wheel assemblies and airbrushing the outer faces of the wheel assembly fairings.

Until the next update #2, thanks for looking guys. Please leave comments, including constructive criticism, and, if you'd like to see my Build Update #1 Video, here is the link to it on my YouTube channel:


Cheers,

Martin

[UKguyInUSA]

Hello Guys, I managed to grab some time on my build yesterday and therefore here is my latest Build Update #2 report for my Airfix 1/48 Junkers Ju87B-2:

The cockpit tub was assembled into the inside wall of the starboard fuselage half.....







Followed by fitting the Bomber Sight window into the floor of the Port-Side fuselage, along with a side window....





The insides of the wheel fairing halves were given a mud wash before gluing the wheel assemblies....





The propeller was painted and located into the starboard side fuselage half, along with the rear wheel, then the two fuselage halves were glued together and taped to hold them until the glue was set. The wheels were assembled within their fairings and painted, along with the 5 bombs....





When the fuselage halves were set, the tape was removed and joints inspected. they weren't very good and filler would be required all around. It was now time to fit the upper engine cowling to the fuselage assembly. When dry-fitting it, it hung over both sides because the sides of the fuselage halves were bowed in. To rectify this I cut a tooth pick to a length that I could push between the two walls and stress them out so that they aligned closely with the Engine cowling sides. I then fitted that in place with some needed filing and glued and taped it into location....








I then glued the wings onto the fuselage assembly. When dry-fitting them, there were large gaps at the wing root to fuselage joint. I wanted to minimize the gap on the upper side as much as possible so that the gap was on the underside where I wouldn't be as concerned about filling, then sanding down and losing some of the surface detail. I wanted to preserve the surface detail on the top side as much as possible....





I then glued the rear stabilizers into place. The underside stabilizer strut location point was back to front to the illustration, and therefore, I had to glue the tip of the strut to the edge of this feature instead of being able to fully locate it within the feature. Trying anything other than that would have resulted in the stabilizers not being horizontal....








I then fitted the wheel assemblies to their underwing mounting points. Another problem arose here; the surface of the mounting points was angled, so when the wheels were put in place, they were angled outwards from the center-line of the plane. This is incorrect and the wheels should drop down vertically at 90` to the horizontal floor line. Therefore, I had to sand the mounting points flat, along with the ends of the wheel assemblies that locate to these mounting points. This is because they had draft angle on them to help them release from the mold and if this wasn't sanded flat, it would have left a gap all around the joint. I then applied filler to every seam and joint area, which was a bummer after the last 3 models I built didn't require any filler.














So, that's it for now. I presently have my Grandson with us until tomorrow evening, so no more time on her until then, wherein there will be a lot of unnecessary sanding and maybe some tidy-up filler work prior to priming and moving to the next stage. Bloody Airfix kits and their badly engineered models leading to poor fits and frustrating extra efforts!

Hopefully my next build update will be the middle of next week, but before then, please feel free to watch my YouTube Video Build Update #2 by clicking this link:



Thanks for looking and watching and if you have any helpful hints, constructive criticism, then please comment.

Cheers,

Martin

[Joesdad]

Some guys actually LIKE building 'vintage' or 'nostalgia' kits! Not for me Mart. You've just gotta do your best and don't worry about it I've found.
Looks like, tho mate, your making a bit of a silk purse there buddy...... Really good

[UKguyInUSA]

Some guys actually LIKE building 'vintage' or 'nostalgia' kits! Not for me Mart. You've just gotta do your best and don't worry about it I've found.
Looks like, tho mate, your making a bit of a silk purse there buddy...... Really good

Hey Tim....those can guys can be as happy as they want to be building old vintage, but not tis guy. I got her sanded down smooth, washed and primed tonight....so, tomorrow, all going well, I'll get the RLM 65 Blau on the underside.

Your Harrier is coming on real nice now. great job on the Canopy and the pre-shading shows through nicely

[UKguyInUSA]

Hello Guys,

Since my last build update report #2, I've progressed a fair bit with my Junkers Ju87B-2. The following photos show the different stages in the process leading up to where I'm at now;

Using cotton buds / Q-Tips moistened with Nail Polish Remover, a nice tip shared with me by DarthPhotek on YouTube, I wiped away the excess filler leaving the joints /seams clean and just requiring a gentle filing with a fine sanding stick. With all the filler that I had to use....on every joint, I was having nightmares that it was going to take ages to do all the sanding and smoothing down, and on top of that, the fear of sanding away surface details. But, the Nail Polish Remover wipes it all off in easy swipes, like magic!!





It was time to mask in preparation for a coat of primer....





I used Model Masters Grey Primer with some Testors thinners....





When the primer was dry, I pre-shaded the plane. With this being an old kit, there are no recessed panel lines and rivet details, instead it's all raised rivets.....lots of them and very close together. I highlighted the lines of raised rivets....








I then masked the plane in preparation for air-brushing the underside surfaces with RLM 65 Blau....





...and then air-brushed using Humbrol 65 toned down with 20% white and thinned with 40% Testors thinners....





When the underside was dry, I masked the upper side with the splinter Camo-pattern for the lighter of the two greens, the Dunkelgrun...





I airbrushed the lighter green using Humbrol 117 US Light Green toned down with 10% white and thinned with 40% Testors thinners...





When it was touch dry, I removed the masking to check how it looked, and everything seemed okay. I then masked the front canopy and glued it in place.....





Followed by masking the rear canopy and gluing that in place, including the rear machine gun...





I then masked over the previously air-brushed Dunkelgrun to leave the areas exposed that needed to be air-brushed with the darker of the two greens....





I then air-brushed Humbrol 91 Schwarzgrun thinned with 40% Testors thinners....





I then removed the masking when it was touch dry to see how it turned out and I was pleased with the results....




















Well....that's it for now, my next update will be the final reveal. Before sitting down to write this...I applied a gloss clear coat onto her and tomorrow, I will apply the 53 decals, followed by another coat of clear. I'll then apply weathering, chipping, washes, stains etc, then seal it all in to complete her with two coats of a clear Matte/Flat coat.

Until my final reveal, thanks for watching and commenting and if you'd like to see my Build Update #3 video report on my YouTube channel, here is the link to that report video:

Happy modeling

Cheers,

Martin

[Nige201980]

It's looking great mate you've done a fine job on her buddy. Doing older kits like this helps with ours skills and your really smashing it.

[UKguyInUSA]

It's looking great mate you've done a fine job on her buddy. Doing older kits like this helps with ours skills and your really smashing it.

Thanks Nige, appreciate you taking time to look and comment. I've progressed a lot since posting this update....I clear coated her the night of this posting, then yesterday I added all the decals, then before I went to bed last night I put another clear coat on to seal the decals. Today, I started to weather her, but need more time to finish the weathering. If I get any time tomorrow (Friday), I should be able to complete the weathering, then all that will be left is a final matt clear coat and adding the tiny pieces on the underside, along with the pitot tube, the navigation light lens and the aerial with a stretched sprue antenna. I'd like to get that all done by the close of day tomorrow so I can make a video on Saturday and get the final release on YouTube and here.

Take care...
Cheers

Martin

[HistoryRider]

Hey Martin!

Really great work there! Did you use the white to change the color of the paint or to use the "Scale Color Theory"?

I really liked your approach to the splinterflage, the last one I did, I brush painted it, so now I have some influences to step up my game! Good call on the gap filler, I had to use a metric CRAPton of it on my Avenger, so I know the feeling of getting stuck with a stinker.

Cant wait to scope out your videos!

Great Job!!!!

[UKguyInUSA]

Hey Nolan,

Thanks for checking in and commenting, greatly appreciated. Yes....filling and bad fits, a modelers nightmare!

Well, I got through t in the end and I've just completed the model....so, I'll be taking some photos soon to make a Final Reveal posting along with a video.

Cheers,

Martin

[AchtungPanzer]

Wow ! I know this model . Glued it 17 years ago (Airfix only in 1:72)...execution was rig .







Your model looks great - vey good work with interior . I look forward to finish mate