During World War II, Allied military engineering units used special metal plates called Marston Mat (aka PSP, or Pierced Steel Planking) to rapidly construct temporary field airfields. These steel plates could withstand heavy loads and enabled the quick installation of stable, durable airfield surfaces for various aircraft on soft or unstable ground. Their perforated design allowed water to drain easily from the surface without compromising the covering’s quality. The Marston Mat, named after its first testing location near Marston, NC, in November 1941, became widely used in combat operations across the Pacific theater, North Africa, and Europe. Allied engineering units could construct airfields of various sizes in just days using these plates. After the war, the plates found new life in peaceful applications, particularly in building temporary roads and platforms and numerous uses on farms. In addition to its use by the USAAF and USN, the Marston Mat was also used by the RAF.

This is the second volume on the Brazil’s Araguaia War. The author, Antonio Luis Sapienza wrote,

In Volume 1, the military regimes that ruled Brazil during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s were examined. This included an overview of the various guerilla groups operating within Brazil, as well as an analysis of the military strength of the Brazilian armed forces. This current volume focuses on the operational aspects of the conflict, detailing the guerilla actions and the military operations that ultimately dismantled these groups. The efforts targeted not only the guerillas in the Amazon region but also the urban factions. The military government’s directive was explicitly to ‘wipe them off the map’ at any cost, or, as they phrased it, to ‘root out the communist cancer’ – a mission that was ruthlessly executed.

ICM continues to manufacturer interesting subjects, and this plane fits that mold. Per Scalemates, this Ju 88 kit is the newest iteration with the first ICM Ju 88 kit appearing in 2015. It was followed by two releases in 2016 with new parts, five Ju 88 kits released in 2018, one in 2019, two in 2022 and 2023 and finally two in 2025.

The standard ICM box lid depicts beautiful artwork of the USAAF version flying over a deep blue sea and islands. Inside the box is a large plastic bag containing seven gray sprues and a separate bag with clear parts. The assembly manual, decals and an ICM painting chart is also provided. The manual has clearly labeled parts and color callouts. There are several mislabeled parts (discussed later). Also, the sprue diagrams only depict two parts which are not used. In reality, there are many more parts that are not used in this kit build due to them being optional. The last page has two full-color painting diagrams of each version (USAAF and RAF).