Academy 1/72 Junkers Ju
87G-1 Stuka
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Background
The Junkers Ju 87 was designed as an interdiction aircraft, capable
of striking vital targets behind enemy lines. First flown in 1935, the
Stuka employed high-angle dive bombing to achieve its accuracy. First
employed in the Spanish Civil War and later in the early phases of the
blitz across Europe, the Stuka was very effective as a bomber, and with
the addition of whistles in the wheel spats, the sound of the diving Stukas
struck fear in its opponents. When confronted by enemy fighters, however,
the Stuka was a sitting duck.
Never throwing anything useful away, the Stuka was adapted to serve
in other specialized roles. The Ju 87G-1, for instance, was equipped with
a pair of 37 mm Flak cannons in underwing pods. These 37mm cannons were
highly effective against Soviet armor and pilot Hans Ulrich Rudel would
claim 519 Soviet tanks killed with his Stuka. In this case, the Stuka
became an effective 'tank plinker'.
The Kit
This kit is a re-issue of the Hobbycraft/Canada 1/72 scale Ju 87G. The
kit is molded in light gray plastic and is nicely detailed in this scale.
The parts are supplied on five trees (with an additional tree for the
nicely clear canopy parts). In addition to the gunpods, the kit features
your choice of closed (one-piece) canopy or open (four parts).
 
Details are finely scribed and will really contribute to an attractive
model. Assembly appears to be straightforward, with no problems in construction
evident.
 The
markings provided include:
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Ju 87G-1, Pz.J.Sta/St.G2 as flown by Hans Ulrich Rudel
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Ju 87G-1, 1/SG.1
Note that there are no swastikas included on the decal sheet, so you're
on your own for these markings.
Conclusion
This kit is a simple build, with more time required to mask and paint
the splinter camoflage than assembly. This kit is recommended for all
modelers. My sincere thanks to MRC
for this review sample!
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