AMtech

1/72 JU-88S-3/T-3 Bomber/Recon model kit

Product # 729202

Product Article by Steve Bamford on July 9 2003

 

 

 

This kit from AMtech is of the JU-88S-3/T-3 Bomber/recon.  It was originally released as the AMT/ERTL Ju88.  It includes sprues of light gray styrene, one of clear styrene parts enough decals to make one of three different Ju-88's.  

The first thing I always consider when buying a kit is quality of the moulding.  This kit has delicate recessed panel lines.  

This kit has a different way of installing the wings.  The wings don't have the standard tabs that you'd stick into the fuselage.  Instead this kit has a plastic spar that fits between the fuselage halves and extend into slots in the wings.  This design give much more strength to the fuselage area and about the same strength to the wing root/fuselage joint.  I see no drawbacks to this design and if anything it is better.

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The decal options are for 3 different aircraft of quite different paint schemes.  Decal option #1 is a Ju-88S-3 of 3./KG 66 in France during 1944.  This aircraft RLM75 on top with RLM77 poka dots on the top surfaces.  The sides of the fuselage are covered with RLM74 squiggle lines.  the underside is RLM 76 with RLM 74 poka dots. Decal option #2 is a Ju-88S-3 of 1./KG 6 in France during 1944.   This aircraft is Black on the underside and RLM 76 on the top side with RLM 71 poka dots on the topside and fuselage sides.  Decal option #3 is a Ju-88T-3 in Germany during 1944.   This aircraft is RLM 65 on the underside and RLM 70 and RLM 71 on the top side in a standard looking Luftwaffe camo pattern.
Canopy parts include various pieces.....greenhouse canopy, glass nose and fuselage side windows directly behind the glass nose.  The detail on the clear parts is very well done and the clarity of the glass is quite good.  The greenhouse canopy will require the expected time and patience to mask and paint, but that is expected with Ju-88's.

Below are some details photos of various cockpit parts.  detail is quite good and will respond well to drybrushing.  the seats even have very fine seatbelts molded on them.

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guns and instrument panel etc seats cockpit sides

All panel lines are fine recessed lines....not too deep or wide.....just right.  Details on the various parts...such as the landing gear below is quite good and finely molded.

Click on images below to see larger images

This is a side view of the fuselage directly behind the nose.  It clearly shows the very nice recessed panel lines. 

I did some dryfitting of the major parts and the fit at critical areas such as the fuselage-wing root joint was very good and will require little if any filler and I expect this kit to build up quite easily.  

The instruction sheets includes 8 pages of instructions.  Line drawings are clearly laid out and include painting instructions.  Also included is a one page addendum of instructions explaining a mistake in the instruction sheets for the tail wheel doors.  Also mentioned is the fact the engines sit at the wrong angle and concerned modellers can file the parts to get the engine nacelles to sit at the correct angles to the wings.

This is a very nice kit and will build up to a very good model of the JU-88S-3/T-3 Bomber/Recon.

I'd like to thank AMtech for the review sample.

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford