1/32 Ju 88 G-6


	1/32 Ju 88 G-6 conversion The set will enable you to make one of the various Ju 88 G-6 configurations with enough decals to do a second kit if you want a second conversion set cheaper minus the decals and nose parts.

The more weight you can rid of from the core of the engine though the better - I used epoxy glue for the extension piece first and when I joined the engine on it pulled it away! The flame dampers are a perfect fit and will need little glue - trim a little off the exhaust block at the base of the flame damper - at the front and rear and make sure a piece of the extensions gate is removed at each side to clear the damper block

Leave most of the extension gate minus gaps at the sides for the dampers

it is best to glue the extended cowlings to the engines first and back fill from inside to make very strong because of the weights involved. The other advantage to this is that you can then make sure the that engine is at the right angle. As the photos suggest I originally glued into place the cowls - thinking I got an amazing fit but when I offered up the engines I found that the engines were tilted up slightly. It is best therefore to remove some plastic from the lower wing to allow the cowls to be angled down more. This may well pull it away from a clean join line above but what can you do? Getting the right angle for the engine was made easy by simply putting a tin of paint under the tail - just where the tail wheel bay is - perfect!

Got the lower wing ducts on, the gear bay kit parts are just resting there for now

Overview so far

Not great modelling from my point of view as the belly hatch is supposed I am sure to be flush but I got hasty and superglued it to the kits surface rather than either chain drill out the belly and represent it open or secure it in order to scribe around it

CNC produced SN-2 dipoles

Montex canopy masks were used and altered

Rudder cut back for SN-2d. Also displaced slightly

Next up - nothing to do really with the AIMS set but just remember that the bomb aimers / now SN-2 operators back rest is smooth leather not as Revell have it as Guttorm kindly pointed out in his excellent build of the A-1. Note that many late war Ju 88s dispensed with the tail wheel mudguard.
Thankfully I was sent a test shot of the photo etch but sadly I failed to take advantage of the time frame and now it is too late to do anything as they are in production - there are two issues with the instrument panels - 1. the cut out for the kits moulded gun sight support strip in the upper nose is not in the right place - not a problem if you are using the vacuform canopy but it is easier from a modelling point of view to use the kit part really. The other related issue is that it could have done with having another 0.5mm in width at each corner - I designed it to fit rather than thinking about what should be! O and there is one more thing - I chopped off the left bottom corner detail as it is actually kit part H186 (amended). In real life there is a gap between the two parts which cannot be represented using the photo etch as is - besides I didn't get it long enough. trimming and chopping the kits instrument panel so that the PE part has a base really helps but you need to amend the back of it as well so that it fits 0.5mm further back

A number of shots of the photo etch being used in the cockpit. Evergreen 199 (6.3 by 6.3) plastic block was perfect for the SN-2 box - all the other boxes required a little more work. The photo etch side armour was a pain in the neck as even at 0.2mm it is just too tough to conform easily to the sides - much easier to use plastic sheet.

Because the evergreen block for the SN-2 stuck out past the photo etch backing I was able to drill a small hole in the back and locate a plastic rod from there to part of the front frame work to get the angle I wanted for the rack

FuG 101 locations below

Decals arrived from Fantasy printshop at this stage and were amazing quality

I decided to make an enlarged flash eliminator for the MG 131 on my model. I know not all weapons had them but I thought it might be a bit different. Not sure if I have the time to put them into production with my little Unimat - might be better one day to cast it all up in resin and provide two styles of weapons? I will let you know. Still waiting for vacform stuff to arrive - thanks all you pre-order guys for your trust and patience.

Everything was going well with finishing the cockpit until I realised I had not amended the layout of the radio rack! Basically the bottom right corner box should be in the upper left corner and the upper right coner box goes in the lower left corner - the rest just gets moved over to the right more (looking from this direction)

The vacuformed rear decking was removed from the canopy as it was too rounded at the edges and the kit part was nice and sharp. The nose decking was removed because I found it easier to use the kit parts. As a result of this work the canopy was able to move forward enough for the central canopy divider to sit in-line with the correct frame number represented on the outside of the kit by a panel line. I have found this difficult to do with the kit parts in the past. Anyway I then ended up with a 1mm gap before the kits rear decking so this was moved forward and the gap filled to the rear of it. All a bit messy but getting there. I wish the quality of the canopy was better but alot of the imperfections seem to dissapear when it is on the model but never the less I hope I can improve in this area. Here are a few shots for the record

I ended up wanting to model B4+FA. I know the photos show it with the cut down armoured seat - i.e. the one I have cast but with top section removed; but a little artistic liberty says it may have had one earlier in its life considering it is still sporting the black right lower wing - as indeed B4+SA does also. In this scale I find it easier to neatly spray things like this black wing first before the overall colour as I find it easier to mask it off than mask off the rest of the aircraft to do the wing at the end

I have opted not to install curtains after all as I could only find two machines where it is obvious that they have them installed and a multitude of photos where they are just not there. Spent some time putting in some wire handles as well as using self adhesive vinyl masking from Cammitt Ltd to represent inner framework and the MG 131 leather stay strap. The vinyl was first painted either RLM 66 or leather and then when dry peeled off and offered to the canopy using its self adhesive qualities - the paint just shows through the masking material even though when unpainted it looks green/grey! Great stuff

It is best to add the kits roll cage to the canopy rather than to the cockpit otherwise there is a gap at the top corresponding to the difference between the kit canopy thickness and the vacuform one

Rod for SN-2 receivers - 0.8mm telecopic outer with solid 0.4mm inner. Having the 0.6mm width part as per real life proved impossible

I eventually went for a three thickness receiver but it is overscale

Pre-shading plus a little run-in burnt umber oil paint gives a nice finish

Xtracolour RLM 75 is far too dark and I do wish I hadn’t used it

It is good to try and model as per photographs when you can. I got it spot on on the left side but am a bit off on the right. The decals are very thin so will need a very wet surface to slide them directly onto otherwise they will not move when placed

A bit of red looks fantastic against an RLM 76 background, the fuel stickers are from a 1/72 sheet as stencils on the G-6 are very un-obtrusive.