JU 88A-1 Complete.

Revell Junkers JU 88A-1 German Fighter/Bomber.

 Front view. Note wired antenna!

Super cockpit detail.

The A-1 was initially very similar to the A-0, although the four bladed propeller used on the A-0 was replaced by a three bladed model.

The aircraft could carry a wide variety of payloads, depending on the required range. For very long range operations both bomb bays and two of the four ETC external bomb racks were used to carry fuel, giving the aircraft a range of 2,285 miles but a bomb load of only 1,102lbs. At the opposite extreme when using only the internal fuel tanks the aircraft could carry 5,291lbs of bombs with a range of only 782 miles.

Combat experience demonstrated that the A-1 was under-armed. Field modifications saw the rear firing dorsal gun replaced by a pair of MG 15s, and a fifth gun added in the lower nose. The A-1 was equipped with dive brakes, but a dive under full power was a risky prospect in this aircraft.

The biggest problem with the Ju 88A-1 was that the airframe was not yet robust enough to allow the aircraft to be flow to its best advantage. There were strict limits the type of high speed manoeuvres that could be carried out, especially if the dive brakes were to be used. 

This was a challenging build that upped my skill level considerably!