Ju 87 Stuka GB

Raven, that's a great looking engine up front. I'm too fighting the fit of the Italeri kit (D model). My fuselage fit like a glove, it was the wing halves and wing root that had some gaps. Look like your wings fit pretty good? I found the cowling fit pretty good if you take your time and do it in sections.

Completely agree with you Nathan on the Eduard color. I wonder how they came up with that? The MG magazines look particularly good. Lots of detail and the wash gives it a nice deal of depth. Thanks for the pics Greg.

Wow Greg, great job on the cockpit! Great detail, I love it.

Quick shot of the engine before I button it up.

And after closing it up.

I think it was partly the kit and partly me, but the engine cowling assembly didn't go together very well, and the fit to the fuselage was even worse. The bottom and sides weren't bad but there was about a 1/32" gap at the top, with the fuselage being lower. I filled it with some Squadron green putty mixed with glue, so we'll see. I'm figuring on losing some detail but I couldn't ignore that opening.

Nice Greg. Cockpit looks real nice. Great detail painting and nicely weathered. I used the kit pe panel and decal and I do like it over the strangely colored Eduard one. Not your fault though. You assembled it very well.

A thousand pardons for jumping in here with progress pics not having commented for while. Been out of town most of month. I'll get caught up. Promise.

Decided this cockpit is done. Tried to emulate Lawdog Joe's methods. Wanted to post this before I close her up.

As usual, not happy with the blue IP courtesy of Eduard, but that's not Joe's fault! Almost should have used the stock kit parts, they didn't look half bad.

Mike:That sucker is coming along really good.  I like to see a good paint job come together on these bad boys. I'll be watching............

Bish:Thanks for the link to Hannants on that masking set! It's interesting to see all the complex masking on those sheets. Wow! I can't ever see myself building a 1/24 scale Stuka but if I were to decide on building one, that would be the mask set I would use. Shoot I barely had enough display case dimension room to display a 1/48 scaler!!!

I made some progress, not a lot to see yet, I masked up the 65 and got the 71 on over the preshade, leaving the 70 areas more or less clear, though I'm not sure how much it matters as preshade may not show through 70 anyway...

I forgot the 71 areas on the wheel spats, so they'll be in the next round. I'll let this dry hard for a day or two, then start the main masking for the last shade.

Cheers, M/TB379

Thanks, SS! I got the 65 onto the underside today, it needs a splash more in a few places, which I'll get to tomorrow, then it's time to mask up for the 71

M/TB379

Nathan: The cockpit of your Stuka is a work of art! I'm sorry to hear the Italeri kit is acting up, but I'm sure you'll get things sorted out!

Mike: Looking very nice there! That sure as hell is a lot of masking on the canopy!

Ed: Nice work on the lower surfaces. I can't wait to see you tackle the splinter camo!

Thanks for that information and links !

I will check with Victory in the USA as I've picked up more than just the AIRFIX Ju 87B in 1/24 at swap meets. 

Thanks for the info on the masks Nathan. I had not heard of A to zee before, sounds like I missed out. I checked the Montex site, seems they are another Polish company, they do have 2 US suppliers, Victory Models and Design & Marketing Int’l

www.montex-mask.com/.../gdzie-kupic

This is their list of suppliers. Oddly, Hannants isn't on there, so there may be others in the US that stock them.

A to Zee models is a Montex dealer, and usually has a great selection in stock. Unfortunately, Alistar has announced he is closing shop, and his stock is going to Hannants. His prices were way better and shipping to the states was faster. I've used the canopy masks sets before, for the inside and outside. The results are pretty good. The masks usually fit well, but they are vinyl, and unlike Eduard Masks, they don't quite stick down as nice.

Hannants have them in stock. There are 4 sets. One is a basic canopy set and the other 3 are the canopy set along with masks for markings, including the snake insignia. I had not realised they include masks for both inside and outside of the canopy.

www.hannants.co.uk/.../index.php

Bish

............

But there are some other companies getting in on the action. And since my build, I have noticed that a company called montex are doing a lot of mask's, including one for the SH Ju 87A, so will have to get that for my other kit.

Yes, I've been noticing the Montex range, they are pretty impressive!

Well, I achieved today's painting target. The 02 and preshade are done, the only thing I forgot to do was two tidy-up strips of tape on the canopy -- too late now GRRR.

Target for tomorrow, lay on the 65, possibly mask the main wheels.

The canopy did not survive even the wash and air dry process, so the rubber solution was replaced with proper glue -- the canopy will be displayed closed.

Cheers, M/TB379

Ye, it wasn't pleasant. Unfortunately the A is so different from the later models, I decided trying to adapt a mask set would be more hassle than it worth. I have masked green house canopies in the past, but since the introduction of ready made masks, they are now a must have.

But there are some other companies getting in on the action. And since my build, I have noticed that a company called montex are doing a lot of mask's, including one for the SH Ju 87A, so will have to get that for my other kit.

Thanks, guys! Bish -- ouch! Doing a greenhouse canopy from scratch is almost enough to make you consider decal strips instead -- if there was any way to cut them without making a cheese-grater of their edges (even a new blade runs the risk...) I've masked Phantoms and Bf 109s from scratch, and they're bad enough...

M/TB379

Nice looking build Mike. Very tidy and cleaned up. Paint should look nice for sure.

Mike, nice work masking the canopy. Those Eduard masks are a real blessing, I had to do my A canopy the old fashioned way, a real pain.

I know that's right about tackling that thing with BMF. Yikes!

It was a formidable task -- the set also features masks for the landing light, the bomb sight, and the window in the bottom of the fuselage! Also there appear to be masks for two or three options as per the rear gun window configuration. I just kept it as simple as possible... I would not want to tackle this kit without the mask set!

M/TB379

Man I forgot how much masking off was involved in this canopy. Sheesh, it's as much as a Ju-88!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, tiny update, I finished masking the canopy. This is the most complex Eduard set I've ever worked with, and but for a couple of tidy-up strips of tape, the set fitted remarkably. The gun is masked with rubber solution and the sliding parts of the canopy are adhered with rubber solution, not very strongly, so I'll have the option of relocating them. I may have to secure them more strongly, I'm afraid the airbrush will blow them off!

Target for tomorrow -- final checkover, there's a tiny intake to add on the port side, possibly mask the mainwheels. Wash and air dry the model, then get the 02 onto the canopy and preshade the whole airframe.

M/TB379

Looking really nice, Nathan. Excellent job on that cockpit!

Thunderbolt did an awesome job on his light for sure. I fabricated one myself on here and had about the same results. Just can't leave an empty hole in the leading edge of a wing. What were those model manufacturers thinking?

Thanks Mustang. Seams weren't that bad actually. Got them all sanded and worked out. But the issue now is the landing light cut outs for both the top and bottom half of the wings don't line up any more cause I pushed the top half over a bit to close the gap at the root. So now I have to glue in the lens and fill around it, and then polish the lens out again....tedious...Thats why I hate landing lights in the leading edge! Guess I just need more practice at it. I'll have to take out a page from Thunderbolt's build!

Nathan T:Good work so far. Man I see you are battling it out with the seam blues. I'm building a Revell F4U-4 Corsair right now and if it weren't a build for a good friend of mine I would have already thrown it in the trash.

Thunderbolt:Great work so far as always.

68GT:Your assembly line looks great. 4 at a time is something I would never consider. I'd need a work bench the size of my garage. lol

Interesting thought, I hadn't considered that... kay, that's the story I'll stick with!

Hoping to finish the canopy very soon, then start to hit her with paint.

M/TB379

That's good news 68, now for the splinter.

Nice work there mike.

I would guess that those aircraft used in the Crete campaign without the yellow markings may have been replacements for losses during the Balkans campaign and there was no time to add them.

They all have 65 on their undersides as of this morning.