1/32 Junkers Ju 188D (Revell w/AIMS Conversion)

[mywifehatesmodels]

hi

I read your comment about the "walk"....do you like challenges ?, do get that itch ???  this one is exciting 

Alain

Yes, sir! You could say I'm "itching for a challenge" on this one. But, that's also one of the reasons I ran through the 1/48 scale version, first, to give me a practice run and a better idea of how things should be laid out. I think this build will have plenty of challenges. It should be worth it, though.

 

John

[Simmo.b]

I will be following, I have the E/F boxing and your build will help me to figure out those gun mounts etc!!

 

Cheers

 

Brent

[mywifehatesmodels]

I will be following, I have the E/F boxing and your build will help me to figure out those gun mounts etc!!

 

Cheers

 

Brent

Thanks, Brent!

 

For this one, I won't be installing the MG 151/20 in the nose, as per photos of most Ds. So, I'm assuming that the mount for it would likely have been absent, as well. However, you can check my 1/48 build to see a little more detail on that and I believe I have some pictures that I can post/send for you, if you wish. The Eduard 1/48 PE set probably isn't the perfect depiction of that mount, but it's much closer than what's provided in the DML kit. Also, the turrets are going to be slightly different between the A/D and the E/F, with the latter having the 13mm gun, instead of another 20mm MG 151.

 

Thanks for checking in!

 

John

[Simmo.b]

Thanks, Brent!

 

For this one, I won't be installing the MG 151/20 in the nose, as per photos of most Ds. So, I'm assuming that the mount for it would likely have been absent, as well. However, you can check my 1/48 build to see a little more detail on that and I believe I have some pictures that I can post/send for you, if you wish. The Eduard 1/48 PE set probably isn't the perfect depiction of that mount, but it's much closer than what's provided in the DML kit. Also, the turrets are going to be slightly different between the A/D and the E/F, with the latter having the 13mm gun, instead of another 20mm MG 151.

 

Thanks for checking in!

 

John

Cheers John!!

The AIMS instructions are quite vague in regards to the pit and I'm finding refs hard to come by so any info you can provide would by really appriciated☺

PM me if you like or I can PM you my email.

cheers

Brent

[mywifehatesmodels]

Brent,

 

The AJ Press books are probably the best reference I've found for the 188, so far. However, let me look through what I have and see if there's anything else I can add. I know that Pastor John even mentions the same issue in the instructions. References are lacking, vague, or even contradictory. When I did the 1/48 scale version, I used a combination of all of these things, along with Eduard's instructions in their PE set and was able to put something together that seemed as close as anyone would likely be able to do. Eduard had a few points, from my memory, that were not to be seen anywhere else. This left me scratching my head, but since there wasn't anything to refute it, I went with it, or tried to puzzle it together with other references and common sense (but that assumes that I have some! LOL).

 

I've actually been picking through the instructions this morning and taking notes on a few things. I know that Peter from Airscale had started a build here, some time ago, but never finished it. He had taken detail off the right sidewall of the cockpit and was reworking that area with his own instruments/bezels. Not so much that it was wrong, from my memory, but because that area of the cockpit tub is so difficult to reach and detail, being molded into the tub. This is another consideration I'm going to have to take. Do I want to try to build that panel, outside of the tub, then put it in over the molded detail (or, I might be able to sand it off). The catch here is that there is plenty of other stuff to be installed in this area and making the sidewall detail stand out too proud could create some space issues. This one is going to take some planning and probably a lot of dry runs, as well.

 

John

[Simmo.b]

Hi John,

I too was following Peter's build but want to avoid cutting my pit in half ( he is a brave man!).

Your 48 scale build is a big help though and I agree the side wall could do with some bezels etc.

great aircraft though, look forward to seeing you tackle her!

[mywifehatesmodels]

Just to show what Simmo and I are talking about, here's a shot of the cockpit tub, which has the detail molded into it. While the instrument panel looks okay, it's not the easiest point to reach when attempting to add all that detail. Also, I've noticed that this big greenhouse canopy lets a lot of light in, even in 1/48 scale and most everything is visible when you look close, especially under decent lighting conditions. So, in 1/32 scale, it's an area that I want to be sure to represent, the best that I can.

 

 

It's probably going to be a couple of weeks before I can order some Airscale parts, but I think I'm going to go with Peter's instruments, as well as the PE bezel set and whatever else I think may be put to good use. The conversion kit's radios and other instruments look great and they are separate from the cockpit tub, so that shouldn't be an issue to paint/install them. I'm going to try to pack as much detail as I possibly can into the cockpit of this plane, so there will be no shortage of things to do and any input is welcomed!

 

The next area that I've been looking at, is the forward nose, on the underside. This area has as many as four windows, but depending on which variant you're modelling, you may not need them all. Well, in the case of the D variant, all four will need to be cut out from the nose and some clear sheet added. I don't see window parts for this area on my vac sheets, so I'm in the process of clarifying this with Pastor John. If need be, I can cut my own windows out and apply them, which shouldn't be too much different than adding a vac part, anyway and the laborious part will be cutting the holes, which needs to happen, one way or another.

 

 

The next step will likely be to start cutting out the canopy parts and getting them in shape to fit on the nose. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to end up assembling and painting as many parts as possible, before gluing everything together. On the plus side, the one piece nose section (a beauty of a casting, by itself) will alleviate a lot of the "jigsaw puzzle" type engineering of the 1/48 DML kit. Not that there won't be plenty of test fitting and planning required, however.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Guest]

Love watching your builds John! This is no exception my friend!....Harv

[chukw]

Very nice! 

[ClumsyDude]

Lookin' good John ... that cockpit is going to be a real showpiece. You don't often get an opportunity to show off a big detailed IP like that, and I'm really keen to see what you'll do with it.

 

Cheers

Jim