THE KIT

I’ve built a couple of 1/72 scale Zvezda kits, and they’ve always been quite complex, with lots of parts. The Stuka is a complete departure from that norm. It’s very simple, with only a few parts, and there’s not much detail on the kit. The explanation comes from the Dragon website. Zvezda not only makes scale models, they also make table-top games. This is intended as an add-on/expansion for the game “Barbarossa 1941”. There’s a reference card for the Stuka’s part in the game included in the kit. There are other aircraft available, Bf-109, La-7 and Il-2 Sturmovik, plus 1/72 ground units.

Having done my share of “cardboard squares on a map” gaming, as well as some miniatures, I know that the more complex the miniature, the more likely it is that you’ll ruin it while playing. So simplicity and low price are virtues for this kit.

The kit is a single dark green sprue with the single-piece canopy in the plastic bag with the decals.

CONSTRUCTION

With a one-piece wing and one-piece fuselage, the basic construction is done in minutes. I did glue the wing on, as when I was inserting the horizontal stabilizer, it came loose. I also touched the stab with a small drop of Tamiya extra thin. Then it was time to paint.

PAINT

No paint instructions as such, except what appears on the box art. I used the instruction from a 1/72 Ju-87G I had in my stash. OK, I found a good use for that old Frog Stuka. 70/71/65 with black wheels, a silver tail wheel strut and yellow stripe and under wings. A spritz of Future, and it’s markings time.

DECALS

The decals in the kit are meant for the wargamer, not the historical model builder. The decals I used, the fuselage crosses and the wing top crosses were of good quality, no trouble getting them off the paper, and they stood up to handling. I have heard some less than good things about Zvezda decals, but these were very good. The underwing crosses were too large, and I got them from one of my “stash” decal sheets, as well as the Swastikas and the white Fs. I printed my own black code letters. The box art seems to be pretty good looking, and I did that one. I still have to print the unit marking, as soon as I find one to scan and print.

Another quick coat of Future, and it’s time to finish.

FINISHING

The kit is designed to be snap fit, but I had to cut the prop mounting pin off, as it was just too tight fitting. The main gear fit nicely into the wing bottom, although I used some Tamiya extra thin to insure against loss. The bomb fit into the holes nicely, and again was glued. The canopy fit cleanly, although tightly. I was afraid I was going to snap off a gear leg, but got everything in place successfully.

The one concession I made to AMS was to add the struts to the horizontal stabilizers. I found some fine brass wire in my desk clutter, bent it, cut it and painted it 65. I attached it with gel-type CA. The parts aren’t provided, but they even show them on the box art, and since it’s not going to be used as a war game piece...

The stand is also a thing of beauty. If I were going to use it for the war game, I would glue the plane to the stand, but probably use white glue, as it might be necessary to dismount it for storage.

OVERALL EVALUATION

This kit makes up into a good-looking model in a pretty short time. I spent much more time on the painting and decals than anything else. If you want to do a Stuka for the war game, you could do 2 or 3 in about an hour.

Thanks to Dragon USA and Zvezda for providing an interesting model. And thanks to IPMS/USA and John Noack for allowing me to build it.