Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series HA0131
Junkers Ju 87D Stuka Diecast Model
Luftwaffe StG 3, Libya, November 1942 |
| 1:72 Scale | | Length | | Width |
|---|
| Junkers Ju 87D Stuka | | 6.25" | | 7.5" |
The Stuka was terror from the sky during the Blitzkrieg of Europe where there was little air opposition. Things changed with the Battle of Britain where they came up against Hurricanes and Spitfires. The much slower Stuka didn't have a chance against the superior speed and agility of the fighters and suffered heavy losses. The Stukas were removed from the Western Front and sent to the Balkans to assist the Italian Air Force fight the Greeks and Yugoslavians. Frustrated by the inability of the Italian Air Force in North Africa to defeat a force many times smaller in size the German Ju 87's were assigned to do the job. Here they once again were able to apply the tactics they had first become so well known for. Allied air power was almost non-existent during the early stages of the North African Campaign and the Stuka was able to inflict heavy losses on British troops and equipment. Once Allied aircraft were sent in numbers to North Africa the Stuka once again faltered from lack of speed and their airbases had to be moved further back from the front lines to escape the British artillery. Eventually after heavy losses the Dora's and other Ju 87's were withdrawn from North Africa. The 3./StG 3 and others would never again be able to freely roam the skies in search of victims. The Eastern front eventually became a shooting gallery for the Mig's, Yak's and numerous other Russian planes as the Ju 87 was recklessly thrown in to battle with the hopes of turning the fortunes of war. The 3./StG. 3 was the first group to receive the new Dora's and as this model depicts had an all tan desert camouflage paint scheme. This is what the aircraft looked like in November 1942 just a few months after the German defeat at El Alamein and the group's removal from North Africa.
Designed to function as a close support aircraft, the Ju 87 was first flown on September 17th, 1935. The Ju 87 had an innovative design that included automatic dive brakes under each wing-a feature that protected against the consequences of pilot blackout by ensuring recovery from an attack dive. Crewed by a pilot and rear gunner, the Ju 87 had twin 37mm cannons and a bomb that swung away from the propeller on an elongated U-shaped crutch. Its inverted gull wings improved pilot-to-ground visibility, gave the undercarriage a shorter height and made the Ju 87 instantly recognizable to its enemies. © Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
Hobby Master's 1:72 scale Ju 87 Stuka is constructed almost entirely from diecast metal, with plastic components in areas requiring fine details (such as antennas, pitot tubes and flaperons). The fuselage is beautifully integrated with the wing, with the only visible seam on the bottom. Crisp panel lines cover the surface of the model, which also features an all-metal braced horizontal stabilizer and detailed exhaust stack and engine radiator. The gull-shaped wings have metal spatted landing gear and separately applied flaperons with two balance weights near each wing tip. Variants include the Ju 87D with dive breaks and bombs and the Ju 87G tank killer with 20mm cannon pods.
© Copyright 2003-2013 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The Hobby Master "1:72 Air Power Series" range presents detailed, ready-made diecast models of military aircraft.
Hobby Master "1:72 Air Power Series" diecast airplanes feature:
- Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
- Opening canopies, revealing detailed cockpit interiors.
- Interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear.
- Presentation stand to display the aircraft "in flight".
- Authentic detachable ordnance loads complete with placards.
- Accurately detailed underside with concealed screwheads.
© Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
