1/48 Revell Ju-87B Stuka

3D Ju-87B Stuka

 by Konley Kelley

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I built a heckuva lot of models when I was a kid.  I remember working on 2-3 models at one time.  I spilled paint and glue everywhere but it was a lot of fun.

Of all the models I built, I liked my "Snake" Stuka the best.  It was a Revell 1:32 kit. It turned out cool and was one of the few models spared the junk pile or a firecracker.  I gave it to my Mom to take care of when I left for college.  That was the last time I ever saw it.

Now that I'm modeling again, I've been looking for a Snake Stuka to build.  It's hard to find the big kit on eBay and you'll definitely pay a lot for it.  Last year, I bought a 1:48 Snake Stuka at the 2006 Squadron Open House.

Even after building more than 100 models, I have done very little airbrushing.  I go to contest after contest and know that I have to invest in a good airbrush and learn how to use it.  So, when I got my Snake Stuka from the Squadron, I tried the Silly Putty masking method I read about in FineScale Modeler.  As you can see from the pics, it left ugly ridges (due to blasting too much spraypaint from a can).  I coated the model with Dark Yellow again but wasn't up to sanding the ugly ridges away and losing the surface detail on the model. I scrapped the kit.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

At the 2007 Squadron Open House, I picked up another Snake Stuka on the discount table.  I also bought another cheap Wally (Walmart) airbrush.  I had better luck this time.  The Ju87B Stuka with Snake decal is below along with one shot of her ugly sister, a Ju87G-2 Stuka "Tankbuster."

  

  

  

After finishing the scale model Stuka, I began building a 3D version on my Mac.  I scanned my decals from the scrapped kit.  I had a blast making this in 3D.  A few renderings are below.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

I've animated the 3D Stuka dropping bombs at:

http://home1.gte.net/konman/StukaAnimated.html

And, Mom won't be the caretaker for my Stuka this time around :)

Thanks!

Konley

Photos and text © by Konley Kelley