Eduard 1/144 Junkers Ju 87B
By Matt Bittner
It has been over ten years since it was originally released so thankfully nothing has been left out of the re-release of the Eduard 1/144 Junkers Ju-87B. Unfortunately there hasn't been anything added, either. It would have been nice – given the amount of framing in the windows – if they would have created and included their famous masks for the kit's canopy. Alas, they didn't so there is quite the chore in store for the modeler to mask the canopy themselves.
While there isn't a lot to the kit, it isn't one of Eduard's easiest. This is due to the photoetch pieces included. On the photoetch fret are pieces for the stabilizer's underside struts, rear machine gun and leading edge slats. In addition you receive brass for the bomb-release mechanism as well as the antenna.
Since there is no cockpit the actual assembly of the kit goes quickly. Glue the fuselage halves together, attach the wings and the stabilizers and you have an airframe. After painting the cockpit "area" black attach the canopy and the landing gear, then after you add the pieces to the wing's undersides at the trailing edge you're ready to paint. Once the main painting is accomplished then add the last of the model pieces, apply the decals and you have a finished 1/144 Ju 87B.
Decals are for three aircraft and appear to be in register:
- Ju 87B-1 flown by Major Alfons Orthofer of II./StG 77 and features a sharkmouth on the nose
- Ju 87B-2 trop of 2./StG 1 in Libya, October 1941, finished in overall sand over RLM 65 and is coded A5+MK
- Ju 87B of 5. J/88 of the Condor Legion in Spain in 1939, camouflaged in RLM 70/71 over RLM 65 and is coded 29-6
Be aware that if you do want a cockpit you could pick up the RetroWings resin cockpit and after some "plastic surgery" you'll have a Stuka with a decent interior. If you do that, though, you may want to squash-cast your own canopy so you won't hide all of that detail with the somewhat-thick kit canopy.
Conclusion
This is a welcome re-release for the 1/144 world and will not take long to finish. Hopefully the aftermarket world will show some more options for the kit past the RetroWings cockpit.
A definite "thank you" to Eduard for sending this to review.