1/48 Hasegawa Ju-87 Stuka B-2 

Desert (Snake) Version

by José Carlos Simón

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This is a good scale model with the main lines looking correct, with slight fit problems in some areas such as the wing root joint.  The kit comes prepared to built  as the “tropical" version of this airplane that participated in the North Africa campaign.

I have chosen the desert scheme that incorporates the drawing of a serpent along the fuselage.

Between the two options that have provoked controversy with respect to this paint scheme, I chose the one that personal and aesthetically seemed to me that it fitted more with the scheme of colors of the airplane, that is to say, doing that the spots of the body and the head showed the original scheme of the camouflage (the other option was to paint all those spots in red, but I didn't like that idea).

Also it has been discussed if the snake was painted in both sides of the aircraft or just in one of them. As the masks that I acquired to paint this version solely brought the masks to paint the serpent in one side, the question got "technically resolved " ;-)

Thekit was completed with a photoetch set from Part (Poland)

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The airplane was painted with Iwata airbrush using lacquers from Gunze Sangyo. All the numerals, emblems and others are painted using the mentioned masks before. Stencils and the mark of destruction of a tank in the nose come from the stencils set commercialized by Hobbydecal.com.  Stencils are of the “transferable" type. Highly recommendable by their fine ease of use and their superb final aspect (there is a total absence of brightness in the edges after their application).

Kit painting phases were:

  • Primer gray spray from Vallejo
  • Preshading in black and white
  • Painting of European scheme of camouflage (blue in the belly and two tones of green in the back)
  • Application by hand raised of the desert scheme with sand color
  • Painting of emblems, numerals and others using the masks
  • Positioning of stencils
  • Glossy varnishing with Future
  • Shading with oils
  • Varnishing in matt
  • Effects of wearing with gun metal applied with brush
  • Post-shading with lacquers
  • General soiling with pigments
  • Application of smoke effects in escapes and guns with airbrush
  • Gluing of pitot tube, antenna, etc

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This model is dedicated to all my friends from “EL FORO DE YORYI” ( http://jbelena.en.eresmas.com/index.html ). Thanks for all your wise advice, I’ve appreciated them a lot!!!

Hope you like it!

José 

Click on images below to see larger images

Photos and text © by José Carlos Simón