AIRFIX 1/48 JU-87R-2/TROP STUKA

POLLY SINGH

I‘ve had this Stuka lying around for many years then I saw this scheme in a SAMI and new I just had to do it. Thanx to my friend Phil Camp journalist, historian, photographer and modeler extraordinaire who gifted me this sheet from ED models , I got down to try my hand at this tropical Stuka (I’d already done Hasegawa’s Rudel 87G). There are many versions of this snake including the 1/24 white/red one. But many say that’s a little far fetched, and the white/tan one is almost certainly the correct one.

Subtleness being the better part of modeling, I settled for this version. The aircraft was flown by Lt Hubert Polz of St.G 3 based at Tmimi, Libya in Aug 41. The camouflage was standard African front- farbton 78/79/80 except for the fact that the fuselage pattern was irregular rather than the splinter pattern on the wings and tail planes. Like most African front Stukas, this one was over painted in the field after arrival. The original European 70/71 pattern can be seen in the scuffed wing walkways.

The build was OOB except for additional side armour to the LLK rear gun mount. After the paint job (I mix my own shades, I don’t trust standard colors to replicate effects of sun and rain) I gave the lower surfaces and undercarriage a fine dusting of sand. Then the exhaust stains on the snake head. I overdid it first and then lost most of the snake head. A quick wipe up recovered a little of the snake, and I left it in what I thought was the best compromise between reality and artistic license.

The base is from a diorama for an Italian MC 202 Veltro (my next article) and the bomb loading trolley from Dragons Luftwaffe “Battle of Britain pilots and Ground crew”.