Junkers
Ju 88

Part 3

Lehrgeschwader 1, Nahaufklärungsgruppe 1, FFS (B) 34, KG 51 "Edelweiss", KG 54 "Totenkopf"

 

1/72 or 1/48 scales

AirDOC

Reviewed by Brett Green

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Squadron

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 sixteen aircraft described in the instructions. These are Ju 88s attached to Lehrgeschwader 1, Nahaufklärungsgruppe 1, FFS (B) 34, KG 51 "Edelweiss", KG 54 "Totenkopf".

The sixteen subjects are as follows:

1. Ju 88 A-1 L1+ER of 7./LG1
2. Ju 88 A-5 L1+BB of Stab I./LG 1
3. Ju 88 A-5 L1+MN of 5./LG 1
4. Ju 88 A-4 L1+KP of 6./LG 1
5. Ju 88 A-4 5L1+JL of 3./LG 1
6. Ju 88 A-4 5L1+OK of 2./LG 1
7. Ju 88 A-14 Q1+JC of Stab Nahaufklärungsgruppe (NAG) 1
8. Ju 88 A-16 CT+YZ of Flugzeugführerschule (B) 34
9. Ju 88 A-1 9K+AL of 3./KG 51 "Edelweiss"
10. Ju 88 A-5 9K+HP of 6./KG 51 "Edelweiss" 
11. Ju 88 A-4 9K+DS of 8./KG 51 "Edelweiss"
12. Ju 88 A-5 B3+PM of 4./KG 54 "Totenkopf"
13. Ju 88 A-8 B3+BB of Stab I./KG 54 "Totenkopf"
14. Ju 88 A-4 B3+HP of 6./KG 54 "Totenkopf"
15. Ju 88 A-17 B3+LR of 7./KG 54 "Totenkopf"
16. Ju 88 A-4 B3+MH of 1./KG 54  "Totenkopf"

This installment offers the greatest variety of schemes in this series, including standard bomber colours of RLM 70/71/65, and several "wave-mirror" variations, desert colours, overall grey and spotty bottoms.

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 work on first!

Highly Recommended

Thanks to AirDOC for the review sample

Review Copyright © 2006 by Brett Green
Page Created 16 October, 2006
Last updated 18 October, 2006

Back to HyperScale Main Page