FINAL REVEAL!!--Airfix 1/48 Junkers Ju87B-2 "Stuka" (8.2.14)
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 11:26 am
Hello Guys,
Here are my final entry photos into the D-Day 70th Anniversary Group Build for my Airfix 1/48 scale JunkersJu87B-2 "Stuka" dive-bomber. I have also included a link at the end of this thread to my YouTube account "Final Reveal" video. If you haven't seen it, please watch and leave comments, including constructive criticism which is most welcomed. Also, if you subscribe and you have a YouTube account, I'll subscribe to you and we are then automatically alerted with each others latest update videos that we post!
Hope you enjoy?!
Well....there she is!
I hope you enjoyed the photos, and, forgive me for posting so many, but it's always difficult to choose which are my favorite photos with the best angles, lighting etc.
This was a typical old Airfix kit kind of build wherein every joint and seam required my worst enemy- filler! But, fortunately, one of my viewers following my YouTube build thread gave me an awesome tip, which was to use nail polish remover applied to the filler with a moistened cotton bud/Q-Tip. It worked a treat, removing the excess filler with just a couple of strokes and leaving the filler at the joints, which was then gently and easily sanded smooth.
Overall conclusions: The molded parts were reasonably molded, flash free (except some very small amounts on a couple of parts), no sink marks, no ejector pin stress marks on visual surfaces, no short shots, blemishes, splays or warping etc, but, no recessed panel lines and rivet details for pre-shading and highlighting. Instead lots of raised rivets and few raised lines. The clear molded canopy and light parts were thick and the top of the canopy parts looked wavy and not crystal clear, although the side windows were thinner and nice and clear.
The kit comes with three different paint and decal instructions in glorious color, a 5 page black and white instruction booklet with 13 assembly stages on the inside and a description and brief history about the "Stuka" in 5 different languages on the front page. The back page provides assembly instructions and assembly icon definitions, again, in 5 languages.
The decals are nice and thin and matted down, but they do not include the tail "Swastikas".
I built this kit O.O.B (Out of the Box), with the only additions by me being the radio antenna cable made from stretched sprue and the port-side leading edge navigation light, which I made by drilling a hole in the front of the leading edge, cutting a thin section of clear round sprue/runner and painting it silver, then inserting it into the pre-drilled hole before covering with the supplied lens.
I give this kit 6 out of 10 or 3 out of 5 stars, based on the two major issues during the build. The first issue being the raised surface details that are all over the place, making the plane look like it has an exaggerated case of the measles, and the second issue being the fact that the joints and seams do not go together well and required filler all over.
I also marked it down because of the canopy parts being thick and wavy and the decals not including the "Swastikas".
The kit also loses marks for accuracy; this is a dive-bomber that would intimidate its targets with screaming "Jericho Sirens" that were driven by small propellers on the front of the wheel fairings; this kit had nothing included to represent them. What is a "Stuka" dive-bomber without it's sirens?!
Quality of molded product = 5/10 ....all raised surface details, lots of it and the poor fits at the assembly stage requiring tons of filler!
Quality of assembly instructions = 8/10
Quality of painting instructions = 8/10 (color) Score could be higher if they included the references for alternative supplier paints
Quality of Decals = 9/10
Quality of packaging and box artwork = 8/10
Quality of fits = 5/10 too much filler required!
Quality of details of molded product including options = 5/10 No Sirens!
Would I recommend this kit? To the serious detail oriented modeler...NO, to a beginner not fastidious about detail and accuracy...Yes, just have patience with the filler requirements and enjoy the technique and skill building practice it will provide.
Would I buy this kit again...NO...I'd much prefer to buy a more expensive kit that has all the nice details one expects, and one that has after market options to further enhance the detail and realism of the craft.
Would I buy after-market accessories to enhance this kit? NO....it would be a waste of money on an old poorly detailed kit.
Here is the link to the video of this build....please leave comments and subscribe!
...and here is the link to the build thread within this forum, if you haven't already seen it. Included within this build thread are the links to my 3 build update videos on YouTube: http://intscalemodeller.com/viewtopic.php?f=261&t=7931
Thanks to those that have made comments on this thread and the build update videos, and I thank you for taking your time to read, look at the photos and do that when you could be doing something else, greatly appreciated!
Happy modeling!
Martin
Here are my final entry photos into the D-Day 70th Anniversary Group Build for my Airfix 1/48 scale JunkersJu87B-2 "Stuka" dive-bomber. I have also included a link at the end of this thread to my YouTube account "Final Reveal" video. If you haven't seen it, please watch and leave comments, including constructive criticism which is most welcomed. Also, if you subscribe and you have a YouTube account, I'll subscribe to you and we are then automatically alerted with each others latest update videos that we post!
Hope you enjoy?!
Well....there she is!
I hope you enjoyed the photos, and, forgive me for posting so many, but it's always difficult to choose which are my favorite photos with the best angles, lighting etc.
This was a typical old Airfix kit kind of build wherein every joint and seam required my worst enemy- filler! But, fortunately, one of my viewers following my YouTube build thread gave me an awesome tip, which was to use nail polish remover applied to the filler with a moistened cotton bud/Q-Tip. It worked a treat, removing the excess filler with just a couple of strokes and leaving the filler at the joints, which was then gently and easily sanded smooth.
Overall conclusions: The molded parts were reasonably molded, flash free (except some very small amounts on a couple of parts), no sink marks, no ejector pin stress marks on visual surfaces, no short shots, blemishes, splays or warping etc, but, no recessed panel lines and rivet details for pre-shading and highlighting. Instead lots of raised rivets and few raised lines. The clear molded canopy and light parts were thick and the top of the canopy parts looked wavy and not crystal clear, although the side windows were thinner and nice and clear.
The kit comes with three different paint and decal instructions in glorious color, a 5 page black and white instruction booklet with 13 assembly stages on the inside and a description and brief history about the "Stuka" in 5 different languages on the front page. The back page provides assembly instructions and assembly icon definitions, again, in 5 languages.
The decals are nice and thin and matted down, but they do not include the tail "Swastikas".
I built this kit O.O.B (Out of the Box), with the only additions by me being the radio antenna cable made from stretched sprue and the port-side leading edge navigation light, which I made by drilling a hole in the front of the leading edge, cutting a thin section of clear round sprue/runner and painting it silver, then inserting it into the pre-drilled hole before covering with the supplied lens.
I give this kit 6 out of 10 or 3 out of 5 stars, based on the two major issues during the build. The first issue being the raised surface details that are all over the place, making the plane look like it has an exaggerated case of the measles, and the second issue being the fact that the joints and seams do not go together well and required filler all over.
I also marked it down because of the canopy parts being thick and wavy and the decals not including the "Swastikas".
The kit also loses marks for accuracy; this is a dive-bomber that would intimidate its targets with screaming "Jericho Sirens" that were driven by small propellers on the front of the wheel fairings; this kit had nothing included to represent them. What is a "Stuka" dive-bomber without it's sirens?!
Quality of molded product = 5/10 ....all raised surface details, lots of it and the poor fits at the assembly stage requiring tons of filler!
Quality of assembly instructions = 8/10
Quality of painting instructions = 8/10 (color) Score could be higher if they included the references for alternative supplier paints
Quality of Decals = 9/10
Quality of packaging and box artwork = 8/10
Quality of fits = 5/10 too much filler required!
Quality of details of molded product including options = 5/10 No Sirens!
Would I recommend this kit? To the serious detail oriented modeler...NO, to a beginner not fastidious about detail and accuracy...Yes, just have patience with the filler requirements and enjoy the technique and skill building practice it will provide.
Would I buy this kit again...NO...I'd much prefer to buy a more expensive kit that has all the nice details one expects, and one that has after market options to further enhance the detail and realism of the craft.
Would I buy after-market accessories to enhance this kit? NO....it would be a waste of money on an old poorly detailed kit.
Here is the link to the video of this build....please leave comments and subscribe!
...and here is the link to the build thread within this forum, if you haven't already seen it. Included within this build thread are the links to my 3 build update videos on YouTube: http://intscalemodeller.com/viewtopic.php?f=261&t=7931
Thanks to those that have made comments on this thread and the build update videos, and I thank you for taking your time to read, look at the photos and do that when you could be doing something else, greatly appreciated!
Happy modeling!
Martin
