1/32 Hasegawa Ju87D-3
I love the Stuka, but my first foray into 1/32 was a 1/32 Hasegawa Spitfire VB that I refurbished- an old friend gave it to me when he decided he wasn't interested in kits anymore- it was shortly post High school, it was stripped of its Acrylic paint, and reworked, painted and decalled. I will post it on imodeller the next time I have some free time from work.
I have had a few 1/32 kits almost started for a while now- this was one of them. Over February Break I pushed to get a few kits off the workbench, this one is probably the one I am most proud of.
There are no hobby stores in Bermuda, so the only way I can get enamels for modelling is to pack them in my bags when i go on trips to the US. The Stuka started a few years ago, but then horror of horrors I didn't have any interior dark grey. I tried to mail order some acrylic (only Testors acrylic is allowed by air- Tamiya is deemed "Flammable"). Sadly, the bottle of testors acrylic was off and I could never get it to brush and spraying it was not possible- testors has an acrylic thinner that can't be shipped by air! Double horror and wasted money!...So, the kit languished until I got luft interior dark gray. It then sat a while longer due to a few life issues.
February break this year I was focused and snatched it off the "started" pile, determined to get it done. I wanted a 1/32 SC250 bomb rather than use the kit supplied behemoth centerline bomb. Aftermarket SC250's only seem to be sold in pairs. I have no other 1/32 Luft in the collection that would use an SC250 bomb, so with some drawings i scratch built one using an Otaki 1/48 Zero drop tank, and the spinner from a Tamiya 1/48 Me 109E kit, and plastic card. I had purchased a Rutman resin replacement prop blade set when i first got the kit (and money was more available!) so that got put together, and all the airbubbles and sink marks were filled and smoothed out for each prop.
After getting the kit painted, and things were heading to the decal phase, I suddenly realized that the Stuka I was modelling from a photo (using the Revell Stuka kit decals) had a strange exhaust stack- I learned that the early D models had a fairing over the front of the exhaust stacks. I saw that there was a resin part available, but figured I could do it myself. I ended up using two halves of a 1/72 GBU from an Italeri B-57 kit! I was really happy that the touch up is not noticeable at all, considering I carved away kit plastic, added the bomb halfs as fairings, then shaped a bit and brush painted.
It was very interesting to research the centerline bomb crutch as well. From what i saw in the research, the arms of the bomb crutch could be adjusted to fit different sized bombs. I added a strap to the bomb, and bent wire to match the subtle "s" curve arms. I wasn't sure if they would be black or the underside colour, so went with the camouflage colour.
Another area that was very indistinct (in instructions and in photographs of models or the real thing) was how the rear turret was configured, which is why I included pictures of what I did- to help other people.
One overlooked detail for D Stukas as well, is the intake on the cowl on the Starboard (right) side. At rest it seems like it could be closed or partially open. Closed seemed more often the case, so I closed mine and added the two hinge arms that are shown on the door when closed- something Hasegawa missed.
After brush painting the canopy frames on the inside of the canopy, I coated with Future, and brush painted the exterior frames- I always leave the canopy frames to very near the end of the build, not sure why! I am also proud of attaching the armoured glass panel to the windscreen with future floor polish-it took some careful application but I did get a clear attachment with no fogging!
So here it is- my 1/32 Stuka.
Next in 1/32 for me; a partially started Trumpeter 1/32 F4U-4 is on the bench, and I hope to post pics of it finished during the early part of my summer break!
Thanks for your time!
Very nicely done!
Thanks Rob!
Beautiful work...ya dun gud ! 🙂
Thanks again Craig!
I've had this kit in the stash for a few years, seeing yours all built-up makes me think... Yep, really need to do this, and soon !
Lovely clean build.
Ian.
I was going to do the Hasegawa D-5 markings, but then I saw the Revell box top...Unfortunately, they show the early exhaust fairings on the box top, but no kit parts to allow you to model them! I did not notice the discrepancy until after painting as i recounted!
Very nice model, Dan. What I enjoyed even more is reading the story you're telling about getting paints in your country. It's comparably difficult to get Mr. Color paints from Gunze in mine. I especially appreciate their varnishes because of their ruggedness against all sorts of solvents that I use for weathering. Though this currently seems to be changing, for a long time importer the suppliers refused to send them by mail. I therefore bought as much as I could carry at a business trip to Japan and ... you may imagine the rest of the story.
I always give the lids a good extra twist, use a little packing tape to fix the lids to the jars, then bag the jars with some of the shopping bags I get on the trip. If the changes in air pressure cause a leak, the bags catch it. I am usually more worried some overzealous TSA person will confiscate my paints!
I always give the lids a good extra twist, use a little packing tape to fix the lids to the jars, then bag the jars with some of the shopping bags I get on the trip. If the changes in air pressure cause a leak, the bags catch it. I am usually more worried some overzealous TSA person will confiscate my paints!
TSA - hiring the otherwise-unemployable to make a good impression of America for everyone not from here.
My kid just got the word he starts at the TSA next month, Logan Airport. A career, yay! We are all rather happy our college grad landed himself a govt job.
Nice job, Dan.
Thanks Rob, much appreciated coming from you! A big fan of your work and knowledge!
Looks great! Brings back old memories...the old Revell 32 Stuka was the first and only 1/32 model I ever built - and did so as a kid. It was also the first time I experience the new MM flat paints in the larger jars - back then it was Testors as the only thing I could get or used - and gloss at that. I remember the angst of seeing the decals not laying down on that flat paint - had no idea about the difference between gloss and flat as a grade-school modeler! I do remember that I loved seeing that monstrous beast hanging from my ceiling amidst all the smaller scale stuff!
thanks Greg! I really don't know why my 1/32 kits are just sitting as much as they are, but with this done, I am excited to do more. I was always enamored by the Airfix 1/24 kits. If they had done an F4U instead of the Typhoon this past year, I would have bought one for sure! Buidling it would be another story...
a nice looking venture, Dan. I gave my last Stuka away to a friend at that club that Greg and I belong to. I doubt that we will ever see it in the construction stages. grand job none the less.
Thanks very much Paul, I did consider converting the kit to a G, but after seeing the Revell markings I was hooked. I even considered another 1/32 Stuka kit, but I have a selection of marks in 1/48, so I am satisfied with one in 1/32.
THAT is sweet. The Stuka D model is one of my favorite birds. Alot of folks prefer the early B's but i think the D's are even meaner looking. Great build.
I had considered getting a B- the classic look of the BoB dive bomber, but my brother gave me a revell 1/72 Ju87G kit when i was about 12 and I was in awe of the huge wings and shark nose! So I decided on the D model for my 1/32 build.
Super job, quite the back ground story with the paint and such.
Thanks Robert, I appreciate the compliment. I hope I didn’t turn my build post into a soap opera with all that backstory!
Thanks Robert, I appreciate the compliment. I hope I didn't turn my build post into a soap opera with all that backstory!
Not at all, I think it's interesting.
Good job Dan , taking in to account the fun you had with her.
Well done mate.
Thanks Simon, the trick now is to avoid the urge to do another 1/32 Stuka, most likely a G!
However, i have a build stream i want to maintain and not get a bunch of other kits- the stash is far too large!
I enjoyed reading about your build almost as much as I enjoyed admiring the finished product. Living in China I have similar supply problems to you, it's such a huge country but this hobby is only seems to be enjoyed by relatively few people.
Thanks George, and for me its such a small country with no real evidence of other modellers! Even so close to the US postage is pretty high, so I need to watch my pennies and work through my stash!
Dan.
Nice work on the model.
Thanks very much Tom!