Junkers
Ju 88

Part 1

Ju 88 A, D, T - Long Range Recce and Coastal Units

1/72 or 1/48 scales

AirDOC

Reviewed by Brett Green

AirDOC Decals and books are available online from Meteor Productions

The Junkers Ju 88 was a versatile and relatively successful aircraft that served from the first months of the Second World War until the last days of the Third Reich and beyond. There are some very good kits of the Junkers Ju 88 A-4 in both 1/72 in the form of the new Hasegawa and older but still respectable Italeri offerings; and the Dragon kit in 1/48 scale.

It is therefore surprising that the Ju 88 has not attracted more attention with respect to after-market decals.

AirDOC seems to have taken single-handed responsibility for turning around this shortcoming with a new series of four decal sheets for Ju 88 bomber, reconnaissance and maritime variants.

AirDOC has applied the same high standards that have been seen in the decal releases for modern subjects. Instructions are excellent, being printed in full colour on three folded sheets. Each subject has a colour side profile, and scrap views of noses are included where necessary. Good quality camouflage notes accompany each profile. The centre spread provides some sample colours, generic four-view diagrams and five small reference photos illustrating armament differences.

The decals themselves are printed on three separate sheets. A full-sized sheet provides national markings plus two sets of black bomber codes in various styles, plus green (Stab) codes, A, B, C and D. The second sheet contains fuselage bands and some specific tail markings that do not apply to the subjects in this set. The final sheet has the specific markings for the thirteen aircraft described in the instructions. These are Ju 88 A, D and T variants in long-range reconnaissance and maritime duties.

The thirteen subjects are as follows:

1. Ju 88 A-4 S4+AH of 1./KüFl.Gr 503
2. Ju 88 A-4 S4+AL attached to 3./KüFl.Gr 503
3. Ju 88 A-4 F6+KH attached to 1.(F)/Aufkl.Gr 122
4. Ju 88 D-2 F6+CH attached to 5.(F)/Aufkl.Gr 122
5. Ju 88 D-1 F6+AL attached to 3.(F)/Aufkl.Gr 122
6. Ju 88 D-5 A6+CH attached to FAGr 120
7. Ju 88 A-5(F) 4U+BH attached to 1.(F)/Aufkl.GR 123
8. Ju 88 D-1 7A+KH attached to 1.(F)/Aufkl.GR 121
9. Ju 88 D-1 4N+FK attached to 2.(F)/Aufkl.GR 22
10. Ju 88 D-1 4N+VL attached to 3.(F)/Aufkl.GR 22
11. Ju 88 D-1 4N+DK attached to 2.(F)/Aufkl.GR 22
12. Ju 88 T-1 4U+VK attached to 2.(F)/Aufkl.GR 123
13. Ju 88 T-1 4U+MK “Mizzi” attached to 2.(F)/Aufkl.GR 123.

A good selection of colour schemes are offered, including standard bomber colours of RLM 70/71/65, winter whitewash, "wave-mirror" squiggle and desert colours.

The decals, printed by Cartograf, are thin, in perfect register and the colours look great.

The only problem that I can imagine is choosing which scheme I want to depict first!

Highly Recommended

Thanks to AirDOC for the review sample

Review Copyright © 2006 by Brett Green
Page Created 16 October, 2006
Last updated 19 October, 2006

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