1:72 MG 81J

The MG 81J aircraft machine gun in 1:72 scale

The MG 81J accessory in 1:72 scale from 3DF replaces the crudely shaped weapons from the box with a finely made part. It fits the flexible gun positions of German Second World War aircraft, and a builder will value it wherever the weapon is seen close up: in a glazed nose, in a dorsal or in a ventral firing position.

The weapon the part represents

The MG 81 was a German aircraft machine gun of 7.92 mm caliber, developed at the end of the 1930s as a cheaper and more quickly manufactured replacement for an older design with a drum magazine. The ammunition was belt-fed, which made the gunner's work easier in a cramped space, and a high rate of fire made it the usual defensive armament of bombers and reconnaissance machines. The J in the name is the designation used by the maker of the accessory.

Fitting tips

Take the thin printed parts off the frame with a sharp scalpel and never snap them out. Level the marks left by the supports with fine abrasive paper and water, and degrease the whole part before painting. For a metallic look a dark undercoat and a light overspray in a graphite shade work well; the barrel can be picked out at the end with the lead of a graphite pencil.

Where the accessory comes in

• on models of German bombers with a glazed nose
• when building a diorama with an open gun position
• as a replacement for a simplified weapon from an old mold
• for modelers who collect small details in 1:72 scale