Tamiya

1/72 Ju-87 B-2/R-2 Stuka

Kit Number: 60776

Reviewed by  Howie Belkin, IPMS# 16

MSRP: $21.50 Approximately 75 parts plus a 3 part canopy, waterslide decals build one of three aircraft. Review kit provided by Tamiya USA (www.tamiyausa.com). The Junkers Stuka needs no introduction, having become the icon for "dive bomber" sinking "…more ships than any other type of aircraft in history, and possibly destroyed more tanks than any other aircraft except the Soviet Ilyushin Il-2"*. The Ju 87B-2 was produced from December 1939 featuring an 1,100 hp engine with revised exhaust, hydro radiator flap, additional armor for the crew and wooden VS11 propeller. The R-2 long range variant came out in June 1940, increasing the range from 600 to 1,530 km. The kit captures the look of the Luftwaffe's famous dive bomber, has fine recessed panel lines, and a three part segmented canopy that allows you to pose the pilot's section open. The gunner's rear section would have to be cut away from the center canopy, and slid back on the fuselage, to expose his compartment. Step 1 and 2 are the cockpit and fuselage. The raised detail instrument panel paints and drybrushes well, even though the instruments are simple circles. The superb pilot's seat has molded on pads and seatbelts. The armor plate separating pilot from gunner has sink marks that are hidden by the pilot's seat. The radios on the gunner's side look like the radios they represent. The gunner's seat paints up nicely but the only way to truly model the open wire basket (he sat on this on his parachute) would be to use a photo etch part. The bin for expended cartridges has thick edges that I thinned down. The kit's weakest part is that there is no detail at all on the fuselage walls. Using my references, it was easy enough to add some detail. The most notable need is the many MG15 spare ammo magazines. The kit MG15 and one magazine provided may be dimensionally correct but there is no detail, so I replaced mine with one from Aeroclub. I had a bunch of round tabs attached to parts on another model, that two glued together looked like a magazine. I made several and, with various other bits, completed the gunner's office. The multi-part cowling captures the complicated shape of the real Ju-87 B-2 nose and makes it easier for Tamiya to model another Stuka variant. The radiator front and back faces are the best I've seen. The vent A43 provided is the first I've ever seen in a Stuka kit. The openings on top of the cowling are thin and open, and with this being a separate part it is tempting to leave it off and drop in an engine. I settled instead to use Quickboost exhausts trimmed to fit which were far superior to the choice of kit provided pipes. Note that there's also a choice of scoops depending upon which markings you use. Before cementing the wing halves, open up the appropriate holes for the external stores (one 250 kg bomb, two fuel tanks or four 50 kg bombs). The rear "second wing" is molded attached to the main wing which is great, though I admit this isn't the first kit to finesse this. The tail fin for the 250 kg comes molded as one already assembled part, but take care handling as it is fragile. Each 50 kg bomb is molded as a single part and though well done, they require clean up of the only ejection mark to be seen. You're instructed to paint the light bulb chrome silver inside the wing leading edge landing light. If you're ambitious insert an MV lens in the wing instead! Insert the wheel in each spat before closing them up. You have a choice of attaching the propeller generated siren to each spat or not. The small counterbalances are perfectly sized to handle and look right. I painted my model with enamels, using Freeman's Facial Peel Off Mask (Cucumber) to mask the green spots, before spraying my desert sand. This product was recommended by our Long Island chapter (LISMS) member Seamus Boughe during a clinic he gave. You get a lifetime supply in a store's beauty supply department for less than you'll pay for the modeler's equivalent. Just don't leave it on too long before you remove it or you'll need to soak it in water to get it off (don't ask how I know). When painting was complete, I gave it a protective coat of Future, allowing drying time between coats. I wiped on Windsor & Newton burnt umber oil paint then wiped it off, leaving it in recessed panel lines and suitably dirtying up my Stuka. Future sealed this and provided a gloss base for my decals. I use Future as my decal setting solution too. When all is dry I give a final Testors Model Master flat coat to dull it Decals are provided for 3 aircraft: splinter scheme III/St.G2, Russia, Hans Rudel's unit, perhaps one he flew, coded T6 R and subject of the boxtop artwork; desert yellow upper scheme of 2/St.G3, Sicily and my A5 HL that was captured in North Africa*. A photo of this aircraft appears in Profile No. 76 showing the codes as A5 HL not HL A5 as provided in the kit. A photo of a squadron mate is on the website referenced below. I used old ESCI /Polly S crow decals as the ones with the kit, again though perhaps dimensionally correct, appear too small for me. Decals are provided for the wing walk areas along with minimal stenciling, but there are no swastikas (I used ones from Micro Scale). The underwing cross decals includes separate decal slices for the dive brakes but you still have to trim the width of the crosses on the wing in order for them to slide under the dive brakes. Paints are called out in Tamiya equivalents. This is an all new mold of a state of the art kit, made by Italeri for Tamiya. Tamiya has other kits where they didn't separate the canopy sections enough to pose them open (i.e. Bf-109E-3). Aside from the "basic" MG 15, exhausts, no swastikas and lack of cockpit wall detail it is truly a Tamiya kit. This kit certainly is worthy of your collection and I certainly recommend it to all modelers. It's not often that I can state that this was "a fun build" and this certainly was! Thanks to Tamiya for the review sample. You can get yours at better hobby shops or go to (www.tamiyausa.com).

References: · I.P.M.S Quarterly Volume 13 #4 Details photos via Von Lutz · I.P.M.S. Journal Volume 19 #3 · Profile no. 76 The Junkers Ju 87A & B · Junkers Ju 87 - The Stuka Story by Heinz J. Nowarra · Luftwaffe Ground Attack Units 1939-45 by Martin Pegg · Hitler's Luftwaffe by Tony Wood and Bill Gunston · Warplanes of the Luftwaffe edited by David Donald* · www.luchtoorlog.be/ju87b_f2.htm photo of 'crow' in flight

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