Dragon 1/48 Ju-88G-1/G-10

All previous night fighter versions of the Ju 88 used a modified A-series fuselage. The G-series fuselage was purpose-built for the special needs of a night fighter, with the A-series' Bola ventral under-nose defensive gun position omitted for lower aerodynamic drag and less weight, and adding the enlarged squared-off vertical fin/rudder tail unit of the Ju 188. G-1 aircraft possessed more powerful armament and like the earlier R-1, used a pair of 1,700 PS BMW 801 radial engines, the G-1 using the later BMW 801G-2 version. Electronic equipment consisted of the then-standard FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 90 MHz VHF radar using eight-dipole Hirschgeweih antennas, which could include fitment of the borderline-SHF-band FuG 350 Naxos radar detector with its receiving antenna housed in a teardrop-shaped streamlined fairing above the canopy, or FuG 227 Flensburg radar detector homing devices that had their own trio of twin-dipole antennae: one on each wing leading edge and one under the tail. One Ju 88G-1 of 7. Staffel/NJG 2 was flown by mistake to RAF Woodbridge in July 1944, giving the Royal Air Force its first chance to check out the VHF-band Lichtenstein SN-2 radar and Flensburg radar detector gear.

The G-10 was based on the G-6 versions which were equipped with 1,750 PS Jumo 213A inline-V12 engines (using the same redesigned annular radiator cores as the Ju 188s powered by them), enlarged fuel tanks and often one or two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons in a Schräge Musik ("Jazz Music", i.e. slanted) installation. These guns were pointed obliquely upwards and forwards from the upper fuselage – usually at an angle of 70°. The G-10 had the airframe of the long range maritime strike H-2 so had a longer fuselage for more fuel and longer wings.

This is by no means a new kit, being intially released in 1993. Dragon/DML provided modelers with the first complete series of 1/48 Ju-88 aircraft through the use of inserts to deal with the different variations, a situation that is now standard with most kit makers. Since they had the tooling already for the G-6 and G-1 aircraft, it was a simple matter to add a fuselage plug for the G-10 aircraft and to offer this kit as a combination of either the G-1 or G-10 airframe.

As you can see from the parts layout, this is a fairly complex kit and typical of DML at the time, it includes a photo etch fret for things like antennas, machine gun belts, flight control actuators and a few other bits. One thing to keep in mind before starting this is that you need to determine the version and even the markings option you will be using. One of the G-1s has a cannon barrel sticking out of the nose in front of the windscreen and the G-10 option will need to have the fuselage cut in order to fit the fuselage extension. There are other holes that will need to be opened as well.

The G-10 uses broader prop blades than the G-1. For the G-1 you are offered alternate engine cowlings, one being smooth while the other has ridges on it as shown in the box art. Separate control surfaces are provided and most of these can be posed something other than neutral, though I believe these planes had control locks. Note that overall airframe images in the instructions are for the G-10, but it is pretty easy to figure out what goes where for the G-1 options as detail images are provided.

Markings are for four airplanes all in overall RLM 76 with splotches in RLM 75. Only two units, NJG2 and NJG 7 are identified. The decals are nicely done, but are like older Japanese decals where the white is actually off-white. Not sure how viable they are after all these years, but you can find replacements in aftermarket if they fall apart.

These are still the best in this scale, though they will require careful building. Due to the fairly large number of parts and the sometimes iffy fit, I'd recommend these only to modelers who have experience with somewhat difficult kits.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_88#Ju_88G

September 2020

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