Hobby 2000 72021 - 1:72 Junkers Ju-87 G-2 The Last Flight

Plastic model kit of the German Junkers Ju 87 G-2 anti-tank aircraft in 1:72 scale

The Ju 87 G-2 is the Stuka in a role its 1930s designers never envisaged: a flying tank destroyer with two 37 mm BK 3.7 cannon in underwing pods. Fitted with wings of increased span and without dive brakes, the aircraft attacked armoured vehicles in level flight, aiming at the thinner top and side armour.

The Hobby 2000 72021 boxing is devoted to the last flight of Hans-Ulrich Rudel – the best-known Stuka pilot, who on 8 May 1945 flew from the Prague area into territory held by the Western Allies, ending the war on an aircraft of this type. The kit is based on Fujimi sprues with a new sheet of waterslide decals printed by Cartograf and self-adhesive masks for the canopy glazing.

What you will find in the box:

• Plastic sprues with airframe, cockpit and undercarriage parts
• Underwing pods with 37 mm BK 3.7 cannon
• Clear parts for the canopy glazing
• Self-adhesive masks for the glazing
• Waterslide decal sheet printed by Cartograf
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 72021
• Manufacturer: Hobby 2000
• Length of the finished model: approx. 160 mm
• Wingspan of the finished model: approx. 208 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate

Please note: the kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

The model is an approachable build: simple shapes, fixed undercarriage and a clear parts breakdown. The cannon pods need the most care – it pays to set them parallel to each other and to the wing plane, as any misalignment shows clearly on the finished model. The cockpit is painted and assembled before the fuselage halves are joined, and the self-adhesive masks shorten the work on the many canopy frames.

Late Luftwaffe machines wore typical RLM camouflage with dark upper surfaces and light undersides; the instructions give the paint codes. Laying the decals over gloss varnish is recommended, as it prevents decal silvering, with a satin varnish for the final finish. A light panel-line wash and subtle wear around the walkways and leading edges suit a hard-worked aircraft from the final period of the war.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Modelling knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes or an airbrush
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish for the decals and satin varnish for the final finish
• Decal setting solution to help the decals conform to the detail
• Modelling wash to emphasise the detail and panel lines

About the aircraft – Junkers Ju 87 G-2 Kanonenvogel:

When Soviet T-34 and KV tanks appeared in numbers on the Eastern Front in 1943, the Luftwaffe needed an effective airborne means of destroying armour. The answer was the Ju 87 G – the "Kanonenvogel", or "cannon bird". Two 37 mm BK 3.7 cannon fed from magazines were carried under the wings, firing tungsten-cored rounds capable of penetrating the thinner top and side armour of a tank.

The G-2 was built on D-5 airframes with wings of increased span; the dive brakes were deleted, as attacks were flown not in a dive but in level flight at low altitude. The price was high: the heavy pods degraded performance and manoeuvrability, and the slow, unwieldy aircraft demanded exceptional skill from its crews as well as fighter protection.

The best-known pilot of these machines was Hans-Ulrich Rudel, commander of the anti-tank squadron in Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann", who flew more than two thousand combat sorties and returned to flying in February 1945 despite losing a leg. He ended the war on 8 May 1945 with a flight from the Prague area westwards into American-held territory – the very episode that gives this release its theme. Anti-tank Ju 87s remained in service until the capitulation, even though their losses under Allied air superiority were very heavy.

Original aircraft specifications (Ju 87 G-2):

• Length: 11.50 m
• Wingspan: approx. 15.00 m
• Height: 3.90 m
• Take-off weight: approx. 6,600 kg
• Crew: 2 (pilot and radio operator/gunner)
• Powerplant: Junkers Jumo 211J inline engine of approx. 1,400 hp
• Maximum speed: approx. 344 km/h (with the cannon pods fitted)
• Main armament: two 37 mm BK 3.7 cannon in underwing pods
• Defensive armament: twin 7.92 mm MG 81Z machine guns in the rear cockpit
• Role: destruction of armoured vehicles in level flight at low altitude
• Production: approx. 6,500 aircraft of all Ju 87 versions

About the manufacturer – Hobby 2000:

Hobby 2000 is a Polish model company based in Katowice that builds its range around its own themed releases of plastic kits. Each box contains sprues from an established manufacturer – in this case Fujimi sprues – combined with the company's own artwork, illustrated assembly instructions and a new decal sheet. The waterslide decals for the brand's kits are printed by Cartograf of Italy, valued in the industry for their thin carrier film and accurate colour registration. Most of the aircraft releases also include self-adhesive masks for the glazing, which makes painting the canopy frames considerably easier. Hobby 2000 selects its subjects around specific campaigns, units and pilots, and Polish themes appear regularly in the catalogue. Print runs are limited, so once a release sells out it rarely returns. For the modeller this means access to proven tooling in a boxing with carefully researched markings that are often hard to find elsewhere.