Stuka Ju87B-1

My build of Airfix’s new kit of the Stuka Ju87B-1 is complete and it has been a lovely model to construct.

 The fit and detail is just excellent. Airfix provide two build options: 1./St.G 2 T6+IH (W.Nr. 313), March 1941 Balkan Campaign - Krainici Airfield, or II./St.G 77 VK+ER "White 10" (Major Alfons Orthofer), May 1939 Signal Magazine - Breslau-Schöngarten. The other options were: armaments of either a single 500-kilogram or one 250-kilogram bomb under its fuselage, plus two smaller 50 kg bombs under each wing, and with or without crew; a detailed pilot’s seat being provided for the latter.

I decided on aircraft, VK+ER, piloted by Major Alfons Orthofer (1909-1942) Kommodore of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 with the second armament configuration and no crew. I dug out my oils to apply a little shadowing and colour variation which I think worked OK, although half of me wishes I'd just left it alone!

Aircraft, VK+ER, was apparently specially decorated with the rather menacing sharksmouth for an article in the Wehrmacht’s ‘Signal’ magazine whilst based at Breslau Germany. The May 1939 date of the aircraft, as quoted in the Airfix literature, is interesting as the ‘Signal’ magazine wasn’t actually founded until April 1940!