The kit's parts breakdown and other features suggest more Stuka variants to come from Academy.But the Grasshopper’s performance and capabilities left a lot to be desired compared to some of the more legendary World War II planes like the acrobatic Spitfire, the powerful P-51 Mustang, or the forward-reaching B-29 Superfortress. The finished model scales out close to the correct dimensions and accurately captures the sinister stance and appearance of this lethal machine. I enthusiastically recommend Academy's new Stuka to modelers of all skill levels, with the caveat that a few tiny and fragile pieces might give beginners a bit of trouble. I spent about 14 hours on it, less than usual because of the great fit. For the final touch, I added an antenna wire from stretched sprue as shown on the kit's box art. I used a pair from SuperScale sheet 72-716. The yellow fuselage stripe was particularly stubborn to line up to the compound curve it also proved slightly too short, so I closed the gap at the underside with yellow trim film. I used the more aggressive Gunze Sangyo Mr. The decals are a bit thick and don't react well to mild setting solutions. The other is for a 1./SG.1 machine, which I chose. One is for an aircraft flown by Hans-Ulrich Rudel. The lens cover for the landing light is good, but there's no light inside. The pilot's canopy, however, is slightly too thick to pose in the open position. Optional parts include the MG17 wing machine guns, fairings to replace the guns (common, but not necessarily the rule for the G-1 variant), and optional clear parts for open or closed canopy sections. The 3.7cm Bord Kanone underwing cannons are nicely executed, and their attachment fittings provide secure mounting and alignment. The only sanding required was to the propeller backplate to fair it into the spinner's curves. Putty was required only on the lower fuselage where the wing trailing edge fits. The spatted landing gear fits precisely into sockets in the lower wings. The fit was as good as that of any 1/72 scale kit I've built. The hole's location, right on the dihedral break and fairing cover strip, makes sanding a little tricky. None of my references show this on the real aircraft, so I filled it in. The upper left wing of my sample had a hole in the juncture of the inner and outer sections I checked another kit and found the same hole on its wing, too. Care is needed when handling the separate control-surface hinges and tiny aileron mass balances. This makes a sturdy assembly and eliminates having to attach these tricky pieces. The Stuka's articulated ailerons and flaps are molded with (but correctly stand away from) the lower wing section. The wing is molded in three pieces, and it features the correct short-span configuration for the Ju 87G-1. A decal instrument panel is supplied, and the pilot's instrument panel also features raised detail in case the builder prefers that option. The 7.92mm MG 81Z rear machine guns are well-molded, but include no gunsight, even though it's shown on the painting instructions. The interior comprises good pilot's and gunner's stations, and the cockpit sidewall detail is crisp. Clear parts are packed separately to prevent scratches. This new Academy kit is molded in light gray plastic with excellent detail and fine recessed panel lines. Hugo Junkers' famous Stuka may not have been a beauty, but it was deadly throughout World War II.
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