Revell / Monogram 1/48 Ju-52 3M

Started by Louis Gardner · 102 · 1 week ago
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    Louis Gardner said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    Pedro, @holzhamer
    The corrugated surface was a reason that never entered my mind. It is a valid point. What are your thoughts on the original Lufthansa colors ? I always value your opinion, since I consider you as one of our resident Luftwaffe "experten"...

    Yes,
    One of these kits I have actually comes with the Legion Condor markings, so you can bet I will be building that one with the dust bin... πŸ˜‰

    Today I looked at the plastic parts in each one of the Ju-52 kits. They all have the same parts. They each contain wheel spats, and the dust bin, so you have options. From what I have read, the corrugations on the wings and tail surface seem to line up nicely. The only problems I have read about was dealing with assembling the fuselage.

    Time will tell, and soon I shall find out first hand.

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    Louis Gardner said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    John, @j-healy
    I have 3 of these 1/48 Ju-52 kits. One of them came with the markings to build a plane from the Condor Legion. It sounds like we own the same kit.

    Like you, I have plans to build that version too. I think the Junkers 52 looks very cool in those colors, with the wheel spats and the dust bin... If you have time, why don't you drag your kit out, and we can build them together ? That would be fun and cool at the same time.

    Thanks buddy. Take care.

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    Louis Gardner said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    John, @johnb
    This is a big plane once completed, with a 24 inch wing span. It also looks very nice in the box. Should you acquire one, I do think you would enjoy building it. The "Tante Ju" was the work horse of the Luftwaffe, and no self respecting Luftwaffe group would do without one. πŸ™‚

    It also has a look that just screams resistance against the oncoming air while it is in flight. There's something about the corrugated surface that draw me to it, like a moth to the flame...
    So please stay tuned for updates. Thanks for stopping by.

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    Louis Gardner said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    George, @gblair
    Thanks for stopping by, and I appreciate everything you have done to assist me with this build. I hope that I don't let you down. "So please remain seated while the flight crew goes over the take off procedures with you. Overhead you will see... " πŸ™‚

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    George R Blair Jr said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    No sweat there, Louis (@lgardner). Looking forward to the build...

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    Gary Brantley said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    "This is very likely the exact same plane I saw, that you saw."

    Isn't that a cool coincidence!?! I do recall that the new paint was green (all over I believe) but I don't remember how the engine cowlings were done. It was most likely just as you described. Small world indeed! πŸ™‚

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    Louis Gardner said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    Gary, @garybrantley
    Yes my friend, indeed it is a very small world... and I truly believe the aircraft that you described was in fact "Iron Annie" as she was known at this time in her career. I have found a lot of pictures on my cell phone showing her current state, some of which have the wings removed as she was being transported to a museum in Germany.

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    Andrew H said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    Very cool story Louis! I'll have to look back at some of my pictures from a Dayton airshow many years ago... I believe it was the first Dayton Airshow that Glacier Girl premiered... I remember having taken a photo of a Ju-52 dressed up in Luftwaffe colors... I'll share them when I have time.. doubtful given the history, but I'd be cool to think that this could also be the old gal from your story. πŸ™‚

    When I got the invite to the GB, I declined on the basis that I thought I had no unbuilt Flugzeug in the stash... However, it dawned on me today that I have the Revell kit Ju-52 on the shelf! Perhaps I'll make that my one entry.

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    Louis Gardner said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    Andrew, @pb_legend
    Thank you for your comments. I would love to see the picture you have. Back then there were a few of these planes left that were still flying, so just seeing one would have been a memorable experience.
    I was extremely blessed / lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Some where in our family photo albums I have some pictures that I took from that day. These are now stashed away at mom's house. Some pictures were taken while it was flying overhead, and the rest were taken while it sat on the runway. If I'm ever fortunate enough to locate them, I will post them up and send you a copy as well. I'm fairly certain the Ju-52 I saw with my Dad went to Germany in the mid 1980's.

    There are not too many of these planes still flying in the world today, and quite possibly they might all be grounded now due to structural and corrosion problems that have been found after the crash of one several years ago in the Alps that resulted in 20 or so fatalities.

    By all means, should you decide to start your Revell Junkers 52, please do so. I think that it would be a wonderful addition to the ever growing group.

    Thanks for commenting.

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    George R Blair Jr said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    I just found one of these in my local hobby shop on consignment for a great price, so I couldn't help myself, Louis (@lgardner). It is now in line for a build in the near future. I will be following your article closely for tips on my eventual build.

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    Tom Cleaver said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    @lgardner - DO NOT attach the separate ailerons/flaps to the wing until you have done all assembly, painting and decaling. Make that the last thing you do. Otherwise, you will knock it off every time you unthinkingly grab the model with your fingers over the leading/trailing edge of the wing. Trust me, I speak from experience. Other than that, this is one of Monogram's better efforts.

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    Walt said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    Lois, @lgardner, as I mentioned I have this kit and really like the plane. I have been watching eBay and for a long time and have seen the 1/48 Master-X float kit a few times. Always too expensive to bid on but recently it has appeared couple times in a short period of time. The first time I was going to bid on on it but forgot as I was at work, then the second time I made sure not forget and won. I was happy with my price, and delighted with the quick shipping.

    The resin is nicely cast, and the struts have as stiff wire molded into them. Really a nice touch, because there is no way the resin alone would support the weight of the plane. I will be following your build to get some clues and hints about possible pit falls.

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Csaba said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    It will be a great looking Junkers, I am sure! This is an iconic type, also one of my favorites.
    I have seen the β€œIron Annie” in real life as well, back in 2014 in Flensburg, Germany. Oh, the old days when I still had time to go to air shows...

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    Louis Gardner said 2 years, 10 months ago:

    Some of you might have been wondering why I have not been posting much on Imodeler lately. To be perfectly honest I have lost my "mojo"... we have been dealing with my step son. He is 44 years old, a functioning alcoholic AND a diabetic. Topping things off he is homeless as a result of the booze, and now he lives out of his car. He was married, he had a good job, and he worked at the same place for 17 years, and they also had a nice home. The key word here is "had".

    Now he has lost everything I just told you about. He is no longer married, and he lost his job. Then he lost his house, and several body parts had to be amputated. He lost several toes one time on one foot. Then he lost a big toe on the other foot several months later...

    Recently he had his lower leg amputated just below the knee because of his diabetes not being under control. Now we find out he is going blind as well. He has lost the vision in one eye, and he is losing it in the other. I would not be surprised if he ends up totally blind, as we recently found out during one of his eye specialist office visits.

    My wife and I have been helping him out as much as we can, with food and such, never giving him cash... But enough is enough, we will no longer be an "enabler". We found out that he still would rather drink... His mom (my wife) recently found an empty Vodka bottle and one that was about 3/4 full stashed away inside his car. This happened after he had just told us that he was remaining sober and had been so for almost a year. When we confronted him with the bottles, he tried to lie his way out of it, as he has been doing for years it turns out.

    What a crock of total BS ! This lie he has been telling us was the final thing that caused my wife to realize that until he wants to change and help himself, he will continue to drink.

    Keep in mind that my wife recently has had a very aggressive cancer, called primary peritoneal cancer, and she has undergone several surgeries, and endured 8 rounds of chemotherapy, which caused her to lose all of her hair...yet she still was doing things for her son...

    and he would LET her ! I am SO furious at him right now. He took advantage of his mom who has since recovered from her cancer, but since it is so aggressive, it will likely come back at any time. They gave her a window of 2 to 2.5 years, and it has been 2 years now... This is why they didn't remove her chemotherapy port.

    Yet he would take advantage of his mom... Total loser in my book. So if anyone can learn from our experiences, please don't drink excessively. Moderation is the key, if you drink at all. Personally, after what we have witnessed with him, (as well as my former jobs working as a police officer and firefighter, / EMT) I don't drink. I have seen what happens to others because of alcohol. It can be devastating, so neither my wife or I drink.

    Now that I have this off my chest, I will try my best to get back to business as usual. πŸ™‚
    Sorry for the rant.

    George, @gblair
    This is great news ! I hope that my build goes well enough to be an example for others to follow. I have read various online build reviews, and only one has been what I would consider as difficult. The rest have been good experiences as best as I can tell.

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    Louis Gardner said 2 years, 10 months ago:

    Tom, @tcinla
    Your advice with the ailerons and flaps is exactly what others have mentioned as well, when I read about various builds online. Thank you for commenting.