1:48 Junkers Ju 87D

The Stuka in its late form

The Junkers Ju 87 entered the popular mind with the siren under its landing gear leg and its steep dive attack, but the aircraft that crushed Poland and France that way was already out of date by 1942. The answer was the D series, on which the designers replaced the angular nose with a Jumo 211J engine in a deeper cowling, reworked the cockpit glazing into a smoother shape and increased the bomb load. Over the Eastern Front these machines served to the very end of the war, often only at night or in the role of tank destroyers with cannon under the wing. What stayed characteristic was the glazed cage over both members of the crew, which the model has faithfully shaped.

What the set contains

The grid of a Stuka cockpit is among the densest that appeared on single-engine aircraft of the time, and lining it by hand is a test of patience. The pieces included are laid on the glass, drop in between the frames and after spraying come away together with the layer of paint that settled on them.

• it masks the pilot's and the rear part of the cage, from outside and from the view inward
• the backing is flexible and takes mild stretching over a curve
• usable when spraying the camouflage as well as when toning the frames
• the package holds no kit and no bomb load

A building tip

The frames of the Stuka tend to be thin on a model, so it pays to apply the paint in several light coats rather than one heavy one, which would readily bleed under the edge of the mask. It is best to lift them with the tip of a sharp knife or a toothpick, not with a fingernail, so that the frame is not scratched.