Junkers Ju 87G-2 Stuka 'Kanonenvogel' by popeye the sailor - Fujimi - 1:72 scale

[popeye the sailor]

I started on this one a while ago too........nothing major really.  this is a model company with an extensive history.   Fujimi mokei kits were imported for U.S. sales as far back as the mid 60's by companies UPC and AHM.  during the 70's,  Bachmann Industries imported the kit,  and in the '80's,  Testors Corp. imported kits.   an interesting thing here,  is that all of these companies boxed their kit with their logos.   this particular kit doesn't have any U.S. logo,  although it was imported by IMS Trading.  research into the company was fruitless,  although I did find that the company has been sold off.......I forget when.  other companies at the time,  like Revell......and I think Monogram did too.....boxed kits made from Fujimi molds.    this kit is an direct import from Fujimi.....right down to the text instruction sheet....printed in 1987.    the stuka was the workhorse of the German Luftwaffe......it was a superb tactical fighter plane,  as well as a dive bomber.  though it had a shortcoming of not being a long range bomber,  it had the ability to get in and get out quickly.  an interesting feature of these planes,  was that they were fitted with a siren,  that emitted a piercing screaming sound ,  to intimidate and sometimes even strike fear,  into the troops on the ground.   the bombs themselves were also fitted with an apparatus to emit sound as well.   gull wings allowed the Stuka to carry larger ordnance,  than the Focke Wulf or the Messerschmitt {though produced later to supersede the Stuka}.   this made the Stuka an all purpose aircraft.   it was used extensively during 1935 through 1942.  used in a number of conflicts to date,  it became clear that maneuverability was an issue........it was poor in the close combat arena {up there}.  by 1945,  the Focke Wulf FW 190 had replaced the Stuka in many ways,  but it was used until the end of the war.  

   one roll that the Stuka was very good at,  was air to ground attacks.   the Stuka went through different variants,  until they rolled out with the G variant.  this variant was fitted with a pair of 3.7 cm {1.46in} Bordkanone gun pods.  the Kanonenvogel { cannon bird} is a 'tank buster',  used at the eastern front.  originally born from the 87D variant,  it was used to destroy Russian tanks.  it did a fair job,  though it had some handling problems.  the G-1 variant addressed some of these problems.......and when the developed the G-2,  they had come up with a tool against the Russians.  it made its debut at the Battle of Kursk,  although the D variant was used in greater numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

the landing gear can be seen here....the sirens are shown attached to the outer shells.   on this model,  they are to be cut off per the instructions,  which indicates that the G-2 may not have had them fitted.

 

 

I was hoping for a larger model of this plane...........perhaps the future.

[popeye the sailor]

I received this kit back in mid May.   I pulled it out at the end of the month,  and started to clean up some of the parts.

 

note the slot in the center for a stand........the holes for the cannons were drilled out.  the kit supplies the bomb pods too,  but no bombs to fill them out.......so I won't add the pods and drill out the holes for them.  I might look in my spare parts box to see if I have some that will work.  I do wonder though,   if they would be there,  even though there are no bombs supplied.

 

the cannons were assembled........need to clean up the cannon barrels {really soft plastic}.

 

the fuselage halves were cleaned up...the fit is good    debating on paint........

[popeye the sailor]

I pulled the kit out again during the last week of June.........the intent was to start this log then.  I held off because I'm still about paint.   I have some paints that are close,  but I have the Humbrol and White Ensign paints that Lou sent me,  that would be more suited for this task.   I did a few bits of assembly with the cockpit,  that can be painted.

 

[Old Collingwood]

Good start Denis.

 

OC.

[lmagna]

1 hour ago, popeye the sailor said:

I do wonder though,   if they would be there, 

I think that the G2 was a little more purpose designed and although designed to carry a 1000KG bomb load I can find no evidence that it ever did unlike the earlier versions was not considered a multi function aircraft and was almost exclusively used against tanks. Here is a little more history:

 

By 1942, the need for a new ground attack aircraft was ever present. The ageing Ju 87 was proving to be obsolete, and the new Henschel Hs 129 was underpowered and ill-protected. Hans-Ulrich Rudel, a Stuka ace, proposed a pair of 37 mm cannons be added to a Ju 87 D. Thus, the "Kanonenvogel" or "cannon-bird" was born. The Ju 87 G was most famously piloted by Rudel himself, who destroyed a countless amount of Soviet tanks and equipment.

 

Hans-Ulrich Rudel was the only person to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, one of Germany's highest awards. The highest-scoring ace of World War II, Erich Hartmann, also held the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds – but his Oak Leaves were not gold).

Rudel survived the war and later, pulling from personal experiences, Rudel's input was used to design and develop the current day A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft.

 

I found the link to the modern day A-10 particularly interesting if true. The two aircraft share a number of things in common., including special ammo, the Stuka used 12 rounds per gun of tungsten carbide cored ammo, and a armored cockpit not used in prior models,  I have always had a kind of love affair with the A-10. Time to take my seat and watch the paint fly!

[Edwardkenway]

Another good beginning Denis 

[Canute]

I'm in on this, Denis.

 

Yes, they designed the A-10 around the GAU-8 30mm cannon. The cannon is in the center-line of the fuselage; the nose gear is offset. Lots of well thought out defensive features, too.

 

 

[mtaylor]

I found it interesting that Stuka was a "fighter"....  that part surprised me.  

[Canute]

A lot of attack aircraft are termed fighters, Mark. Easier to group them into fewer categories for the masses. Operations aviators know they are different.

[Old Collingwood]

Wasn't it  mainly refered to as  S.D.B   Stuka Dive Bomber.

 

OC.

[lmagna]

I think you may be thinking of the American dive bomber the SBD Dauntlas.

[Old Collingwood]

41 minutes ago, lmagna said:

I think you may be thinking of the American dive bomber the SBD Dauntlas.

I ment  this Lou  -   The Junkers Ju-87  or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, “dive bomber”)   I put in the initials my self.

 

OC.

[Landlubber Mike]

Nice choice Popeye!  I have the 1/32 Hasegawa kit on the shelf.  Will follow your build closely!

On 7/3/2020 at 11:37 PM, mtaylor said:

I found it interesting that Stuka was a "fighter"....  that part surprised me.  

From what I recall reading when I bought my kit, the Stukas were modified to be tank hunters to be more effective on the eastern front against the Soviet Union.  In the earlier years of WWII, they were dive bombers and had that very eery air siren when they went into their dives.

[popeye the sailor]

hello all.......I finally got the chance to poke in here    

 

yes OC.......your correct.....the stuka was called a dive bomber.   it had the ability to get in and get out quickly.  as I mentioned above,  it was good in that respect,  but it was a terrible fit for a fighter.  it had poor maneuverability in close quarters.........so it was used mainly for ground attacks.  the earlier versions were under powered........it went through a few variants before it was fitted with the Jumo engine.  two names stand out in the early concepts.......Ernst Udet and Wolfram Von Richthofen.  I have been looking through the KG 200 book for information.......let you in on what I find later,  when I get out from under the work scourge    thanks for the interest.......I hope to get into it more this week  

[popeye the sailor]

I poked at this one a couple of times......not enough to constitute a real update event.  I have some paints that translate to the German equivalents....I tried to stay close.

I guess the best word to describe the model,  would be pette........really slim fuselage.......it's a small model.  there was a bit of a problem fitting the cockpit into the fuselage......kept wanting to miss the tabs on the other side and cock over to one side,  but it is assembled now.......

 

 

the prop root was fitted into the cowl and it too was assembled.......the prop will turn   

 

the under belly is to be paint something of a blue/gray...... Humbrol #87 is a steel gray,  which looks close to Humbrol's #248 ,  which is called Himmelblau.  both of these color has the blue/gray quality,  but I don't have #248.  the latter will have to do.

 

I'll start with painting most of the parts.......and assemble more later.   more soon friends!   

[Edwardkenway]

I'd forgotten you'd got this on the backburner as well.

Looking forward to more updates 😏👍

[popeye the sailor]

there are others on the back burner Ed.........I have a very strange rotation  

[popeye the sailor]

hey there.........I haven't been in model mode of late.......but I did get a little done on this one.   .....kind of here and there really.  I did a bit more painting on some of the small bits,  and I assembled a bit more on the fuselage.  

 

I was going to paint the landing gear housings....never got around to doing it.  I did the final touch ups on the wheels.   sometime during the week,  I started to paint the upper wings,  later assembling them to the lower wing and adding it to the fuselage.  the painting of the fuselage is partly done.

 

I really wish the dive flaps were separate parts.......it would make this a lot easier.   the underbelly was painted first,  after the wings were cemented in place.

 

 

from here though,  I got distracted with another project,  and this is where I left off.   more to come soon   

[popeye the sailor]

I did a bit more on this one today...again,  since I was home    I started off with more painting.......

 

 

 

the spats { as the instructions call them} were painted and assembled with the wheels.  they were cemented in place along with the coolers on the wings

 

 

the prop was painted along with the spinner,  later to be added to the model.   the wheels turn and the prop turns...usually I just glue them.

 

 

the exhaust broke on one side........these exhaust ports are usually found on the Africa variants,  although the instructions do not show them.  I used them.

 

 

the cannons are also in place.  the stabilizers are next.

 

[mtaylor]

I built a control line version of that back in the '60's.  I think i may have a Guillow kit but I not sure.  Too much time has pasted.   It flew well until for many months until the wings fulled pulling out of a power dive.

[Javlin]

I have a 1/72 of these I quit on when I got to the glass yours is looking good Denis.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks.....sorry 'bout being belated........just haven't had any gumption lately     I have been tinkering.......I'll show what it is a bit later,  but nothing really exciting to speak about.   I finally got a date on the procedure on my legs.........yea,  both of them........Sept 8th.   the nice thing is that there isn't any major restrictions.........just not to do any heavy lifting for a week........and to walk as much as possible.  more on it later.

 

I had a large scale model of this plane when I was a youngster at home........I forget the scale.......had to be at least 1:32,  if I were to take a stab at it.   my siblings destroyed it on me though.......

very sad story..........

I'd love to get another one...........a lot more detail.  the exhaust was a kicker..........just went to press one in the slot and it broke in half.  it was nice that they included the Africa version exhaust in the kit.........does seem funny though,  that they would include the bomb pods,  but no bombs to add to them.   the 1:72 scale kit is an old kit........I've seen a couple of kits that were put out there using these moulds.  Guillows does have a kit.........series 1000.........it's a 1:16 scale model with 34 1/2 wingspan!   that would be an impressive model     I hope to have more done on it soon.

[SkerryAmp]

POPEYE!

So, I come back after 3 years and see you have decided to dominate not just the seas, but the land and air as well!  Damn my friend - busy busy busy!

 

I have so enjoyed going through your work - I grew up in the plastic world, worked in a hobby story around here even - Eric Fuch's, managed the one in Nashua and Burlington for several years.   That is where the bug hit - loved the plastic world and it just brings me such joy to see work being done there.  Sometimes makes me sad that modelling overall has diminished in popularity but love that people like yourself and others on this site are keeping it alive!

 

Love it!

[popeye the sailor]

well hello there stranger!   it's so good to hear from you!  yea.........just going back to my roots.  I grew up with plastic models....built quite a few in my day.   I took a period of time off to deal with life........back in the '90's I got the bug back.  here is a picture of me building the U.S.S. United States.......

....so long ago ~sigh~    the wood model bug bit me in 2009....wish it would have bitten me sooner.   I like to think I've gained some experience.....but there are folks here that show me that more prep is needed      have you added to your active projects?   I'll have to check!  thanks for the kind word.......hope you follow along  

[Egilman]

2 hours ago, SkerryAmp said:

So, I come back after 3 years

 

Had to be something a might powerful to get you to leave like that...... It couldn't have been boredom..... {chuckle}

I'm relatively new here not even a year.... But more is better as they say... Welcome home.....

 

2 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

well hello there stranger!   it's so good to hear from you!

+1

 

It's always good to see old timers come back, (even if you don't know them) makes you feel even more like your not alone in the world.....

[Edwardkenway]

2 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

the wood model bug bit me in 2009....wish it would have bitten me sooner.

You and me both!!! As a kid I'd stand and drool over the wooden model of Victory in my local model shop, but it took me over forty years to take the leap and actually get and make a wood kit🤔😜 I'm now in deep with scratch builds on the go and in the tool buying rabbit hole 😂😂

29 minutes ago, Egilman said:

2 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

 

+1

 

It's always good to see old timers come back, (even if you don't know them)

+2 ditto

 

[popeye the sailor]

me......I'd look at 'em and think I could never build one     it took a co worker to lay one in my lap to get me going.  I haven't heard from him since he left Wally....an older gent,  I hope he is well.

[SkerryAmp]

On 8/27/2020 at 5:20 PM, Egilman said:

 

Had to be something a might powerful to get you to leave like that...... It couldn't have been boredom..... {chuckle}

I'm relatively new here not even a year.... But more is better as they say... Welcome home.....

 

+1

 

It's always good to see old timers come back, (even if you don't know them) makes you feel even more like your not alone in the world.....

Thank you sir!

 

Yeah - just a rough 3 years where life set it sights on us and just kept sucker punching - but (knock on wood, throw salt whatever it takes) looks like it is behind us, for now at least 😃

 

[SkerryAmp]

On 8/27/2020 at 3:05 PM, popeye the sailor said:

well hello there stranger!   it's so good to hear from you!  yea.........just going back to my roots.  I grew up with plastic models....built quite a few in my day.   I took a period of time off to deal with life........back in the '90's I got the bug back.  here is a picture of me building the U.S.S. United States.......

....so long ago ~sigh~    the wood model bug bit me in 2009....wish it would have bitten me sooner.   I like to think I've gained some experience.....but there are folks here that show me that more prep is needed      have you added to your active projects?   I'll have to check!  thanks for the kind word.......hope you follow along  

Oh, fear not you have certainly gained some experience - your work is awesome!     One thing this little hiatus has given me is patience - a lot!  So it is with a new look on life in general I re-approach the hobby! Let's see if it pays off.

I have added to the Santa Maria for now.   The Harriet Lane and Willie are DOA.   Time was not good to them at all and neither kit was in a state to recover from with any form of grace - very sad really.    The Santa Maria is the most open to picking back up on once I cleaned it up a bit - had a spider living in the hold of all things!    The mayflower is near done but I can't find the instructions or the parts I had for it, so will need to figure out what to do there and the mamoli will also be picked back up once I get the SM chugging along!

 

And of course I will follow along! 😃

Trying to get caught up on all the work and all the crafters I was following and the new ones is quite the challenge!

[Egilman]

34 minutes ago, SkerryAmp said:

Thank you sir!

 

Yeah - just a rough 3 years where life set it sights on us and just kept sucker punching - but (knock on wood, throw salt whatever it takes) looks like it is behind us, for now at least 😃

 

Been there, done that! It's an ongoing process of life on this rock and I'm also dealing with some of it now.... (but this too shall pass)

But I'm taking the time I would be hacking plastic to plan the future of my build yard... And a massive future project is in the offing. Along similar lines of scale to a 3/8th scale POF Santissimo or Victory. Scale in the terms of size, time & complexity but not a ship. Well I guess it could be called a ship so to speak....

 

Anyway good to see you posting again my friend....

 

EG

 

Cant wait to see your build log.... (we mustn't hijack Dennis's Kannonvogel build)