Huma Modell 1/72 scale Junkers Ju 288C

Manufacturer: Huma Modell, available from Squadron Mail Order, 1115 Crowley Drive, Carrollton, TX 75011-5010, 972-242-8663, www.squadron.com
Kit: No. 6001 Scale: 1/72
Price: $27.96
Comments: Injection-molded plastic, 125 parts, decals
Pros: Well-cast parts, good fit
Cons: Vague instructions, little cockpit detail, incomplete decals, missing right-side camouflage pattern

Junkers' Ju 288 was a response to a 1942 Luftwaffe request for a new bomber. When the Jumo 222 engine did not meet expectations, Junkers changed the design to accommodate the more powerful Daimler Benz DB 610, the same engine used in the Heinkel He 177. This change resulted in a larger and heavier version, the Ju 288C.

Huma's kit represents a preproduction aircraft that first flew in 1943. Molded in light gray plastic with recessed panel lines, the model is somewhat larger than the Ju 88 size I expected. The four clear parts that make up the prominent bulbous nose are excellent and fit the fuselage particularly well. Huma's instructions include an "exploded view" guide, parts map, and a 1/72 scale painting guide. The decals are for this prototype only, and since the kit comes from Germany, it has no swastikas.

Construction is standard for this type and size model with the completion of several interior subassemblies that are then glued to one side of the fuselage. Note the rear bomb bay bulkhead is installed with the larger end down. The fuselage halves went together well. Since I chose not to have the turrets rotate, I didn't use the mounting plates (parts No. 24, 29, and 34); these parts were undersized anyway and did not fit.

Huma suggests building the seven-piece landing-gear units as subassemblies for later installation into the lower wing. Instead, I glued one wheel-well sidewall to the lower wing and used it as the base for the rest of the structure. This sequence resulted in a more sturdy and stable landing gear.

The engine intake openings on the leading edges of the wings required some reshaping so they could accept the tubular intakes. I beveled the leading edges of the intakes for a more realistic look.

The wings have tabs that slide into slots in the fuselage and over each other. Fit is very good with just a little sanding required for a better seam. Since this model is heavy, I drizzled some five-minute epoxy onto the tabs through the opening of the top turret for added strength. I also used epoxy to reinforce the main-gear and tail-wheel attachments. Just a little filler was needed along the fuselage spine and around the horizontal stabilizer.

Looking at the empty, cavernous cockpit, I decided it needed some detail. Huma provides two instrument decals, three seats, and a petite yoke. Two cockpit photos of a real 288 are printed on the instruction sheet to aid the superdetailer. One of the photos shows the seat armor (43 and 44) parallel to the fuselage walls, not perpendicular as the assembly drawing indicates. When installed properly, the upper portions of these pieces impinge on the canopy, and they must be filed down for acceptable fit.

Before adding the canopy and small parts, I painted the model's exterior. The paint guide shows top- and left-side views of the splinter scheme, but no right side. The right-side view on the box art doesn't match up with the paint guide, so I made up my own pattern.
The demarcation line between the upper and lower colors is correct on the box art, but not on the instructions. Contrary to the guide, I painted the gear struts RLM 02 and the wheel hubs gloss black. Pictures in Warplanes of the Third Reich and The Official Monogram Painting Guide to German Aircraft 1935-1945 were my references.

After airbrushing two coats of clear gloss, I applied the decals, which silvered a bit. Huma provides black-and-white boxes instead of swastikas, so you'll need some from another source. The "V 103" lettering shown on the vertical fins on the box art is not included on the sheet.

The two canopy pieces fit well to the fuselage and to each other. The instructions are vague as to the exact position of the gear doors. I placed the small forward and aft doors perpendicular to the ground and the larger main doors between them partially closed. I added my own navigation lights and antenna depicted on the box art, since they weren't included.
The project took almost 50 hours, about average for me on a kit this size. The model was enjoyable to build. A novice might have difficulty with small-parts locations due to the vague instructions. Otherwise, it is an attractive model, relatively easy to construct right out of the box.