1:48 Ju-88P

A bomber converted into a tank destroyer

In the P version a massive gun pod was slung under the fuselage of the Junkers Ju 88 and at a stroke a fast bomber became a heavily armed attack machine. The first form carried an anti-tank gun of 75 mm caliber, the next received a pair of 37 mm guns and the last a 50 mm weapon meant for use against four-engine bombers.

Its commitment showed the limits of the idea. The pod took away speed and agility, the recoil when firing shook the whole airframe and the machine became an easy target for escort fighters. The P version therefore served mainly on the Eastern Front, where the anti-aircraft defenses were weaker, and only a few dozen were built. As an attempt at improvised firepower, though, it is among the most interesting forms of the whole Ju 88 family.

The subject has extensive glazing: a glazed nose with many facets runs smoothly into the cockpit and the frames form an irregular net. Covering such an area by hand is an evening's work and one shifted strip is enough to blur the edge. The parts from the set are laid on field by field and the boundary of the paint comes out the same everywhere. Both sides can be covered, so the interior and the camouflage can be sprayed separately and without overflow.

• Subject: a German twin-engine machine with a slung gun pod.
• The P version was built in small numbers for fighting ground targets.
• The basis is the kit by the brand Dragon.
• The set covers the outer and the inner side.
• Suited to building machines from the Eastern Front.
• Paints and glue are not in the package.