Dragon

1/48th Ju-88A-6 Balloon Cutter

Kit Number: 5513

In-Box Review by  Floyd S. Werner, Jr, IPMS# 26266

MSRP: $48.00 Review kit provided by Dragon USA (www.dragonmodelsusa.com) The Ju-88A-6 is an oft-overlooked version of the famous workhorse of the Luftwaffe. Dragon's newest kit is not your same old Ju-88 kit. Dragon has taken this kit to the next level. Following the desires of modelers, Dragon has spruced up this kit with the addition of two photo-etch frets. One fret is pre-painted with seatbelts, instrument panels, and various small parts for the cockpit. The detail will add dramatic results to the cockpit with minimal work. The other photo-etch fret is designed around the balloon cutting system and more stuff in the cockpit. The long support struts for the balloon cutter are going to be a challenge to get straight and keep straight. It is hard to pick up the fret without it bending. This part will test the modeler, but the instructions are very clear on how to accomplish this. In addition to the photo-etch frets are the superb decals for one aircraft from KG30 in France 1941. The box art shows this paint scheme off to good effect and is very inspirational. The actual kit contains 14 sprues of light grey plastic that is blemish free with fine recessed panel lines. There are plenty of parts that will not be used which is a good thing if you have other Ju-88 kits. Three sprues of clear parts are included. The Ju-88A-6 has two barbettes in the back of the cockpit area and these are provided for. I've built two of Dragon's Ju-88s and here are a couple of tips for you. First, the wings. The wing tips are separate pieces and the instructions would have you put them together and then insert them in the slot at the end of the wings. DON'T DO IT! Attach the lower part of the extension to the lower wing and the upper one to the upper wing. This will result in a slight gap at the leading edge which is a whole lot easier to deal with than the filling and subsequent loss of detail by doing it the other way. The same thing goes for the cockpit assembly. First attach each cockpit sidewall to the fuselage halves and then assemble them as a complete fuselage half. The rest of the assembly is straightforward model building. The addition of the photo-etch to the cockpit will add greatly to the model and make the whole area come alive. The price of the kit is quite reasonable, especially with the photo-etch and colorful decals. The kit is a lot of plastic but it assembles well. The photo-etch will greatly enhance the model and Dragon should make it available to upgrade their other Ju-88 kits. Highly recommended.

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