Zvezda JU 87 Stuka kit 1/144 scale unboxing and review
Looking for some air support for my Germans for Flames of War, I thought I would get a Stuka. Zvezda do a Stuka model, and for only £3 I thought it well worth a look.
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, "dive bomber") was a two-man (pilot and rear gunner) German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, 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 recognisable by its inverted gull wings and fixed spatted undercarriage. Upon the leading edges of its faired maingear legs were mounted the Jericho-Trompete ("Jericho trumpet") wailing sirens, 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 g-forces.
Although sturdy, accurate, and very effective against ground targets, the Ju 87, like many other dive bombers of the war, was vulnerable to modern fighter aircraft. Its flaws became apparent during the Battle of Britain; poor manoeuvrability and a lack of both speed and defensive armament meant that the Stuka required a heavy fighter escort to operate effectively.
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 where Soviet fighter resistance was disorganised and in short supply.
Once the Luftwaffe 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.
Lets take a look inside the box at the kit.
In the box you get the main sprue with all the parts on, hardly any at all. A sprue with the flying base, a small instruction sheet, a card for the rules for the Zvezda game "Art of Tactic", and a bag with the decals and the clear plastic canopy in.
There are not many pieces so its a quick and easy build. As you can see the surface is very smooth, but all the parts are crisply cast, and there was no real clean-up needed. The detail Is a little sparse, but for 3 quid, its pretty fair to be honest.
The build was 5-10 minutes, it is a clip together kit, but I did use plastic cement. I think it looks rather nice built.
When you are looking at it from tabletop level it will be perfect, certainly after a paintjob.
It comes with the bomb as an optional part, but since I will use it as a dive bomber support I wanted the bomb load on it.
I have not glued the canopy on at this stage so I can prime it and paint it up, the more I look at it, the more I actually really like the kit.
For £3 its great value, builds fast, and comes with decals. The detail is not s good as some other kits, but they are at a minimum 2/3 times the price so I am very happy with it.
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, "dive bomber") was a two-man (pilot and rear gunner) German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, 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 recognisable by its inverted gull wings and fixed spatted undercarriage. Upon the leading edges of its faired maingear legs were mounted the Jericho-Trompete ("Jericho trumpet") wailing sirens, 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 g-forces.
Although sturdy, accurate, and very effective against ground targets, the Ju 87, like many other dive bombers of the war, was vulnerable to modern fighter aircraft. Its flaws became apparent during the Battle of Britain; poor manoeuvrability and a lack of both speed and defensive armament meant that the Stuka required a heavy fighter escort to operate effectively.
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 where Soviet fighter resistance was disorganised and in short supply.
Once the Luftwaffe 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.
Lets take a look inside the box at the kit.
There are not many pieces so its a quick and easy build. As you can see the surface is very smooth, but all the parts are crisply cast, and there was no real clean-up needed. The detail Is a little sparse, but for 3 quid, its pretty fair to be honest.
I have not glued the canopy on at this stage so I can prime it and paint it up, the more I look at it, the more I actually really like the kit.
For £3 its great value, builds fast, and comes with decals. The detail is not s good as some other kits, but they are at a minimum 2/3 times the price so I am very happy with it.
Great Thiết kế web Nghệ An
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog. Thank you for providing valuable information on Focke-Wulf Fw-190 in your blog. It will be helpful for those who are interested to know about the history of planes. It is really useful.
ReplyDelete