JU 87 G2 Stuka Applique Armor

I am dubious as to whether it was fitted. I have recently built 2 kits of the aircraft in your pic, one in 72nd and one in 32, and will soon be doing another in 48th. The best pic i could find of that area on the aircraft was the one in white wash, and it doesn't look as though its fitted. If you look at this pic of a different subject, you can see it is not there.

This image is Rudel aircraft, the one the model you posted portrays.

Same aircraft with white wash.

I have not found any hard evidance. But i believe the extra weight of the armour plates was to much when added to the weight of the cannons.

On my 72nd kit the armour was molded on and i just left it. But on the 32nd and 48th they are fitted seperatly and i left them off the 32nd one and will do the same on the 48th.

Thanks for that information Bish -- I  remember Rudel mentioning in 'Stuka Pilot' how sluggish the JU87 handled after the cannon were fitted  , so that makes a lot of sense -is your 1/48 kit the Italeri ?

Regards,

Dog-

PS I found a link to a pdf of 'Stuka Pilot ' to inspire these builds!

http://www.jrbooksonline.com/PDF_Books/Rudel%20Hans%20Ulrich%20-%20Stuka%20Pilot.pdf

Its been a while since i read it, but rings a bell. No, my kit is the Hasegawa, its part of a larger hans Rudel project i stared working on last year. Hope to start the last stage, which is the 48th kit, a 144 kit, a figure and a bust, at the end of May.

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/173863.aspx