The Junkers Ju 88

Part 1 : V1 to A-17 plus B-Series

by Richard A. Franks

Valiant Wings Publishing
Airframe Album No. 23

Reviewed by Graham Carter

This is the latest in this popular series of modelling and technical books. Befitting this widely-used and much produced aircraft this is a large edition, with 272 A4 pages, well bound with a glossy card cover and printed on quality glossy paper that allows excellent reproduction of images and drawings. The cover is adorned with a Jerry Boucher commissioned  illustration of a Ju88A-1 on its way to attack the Westland factory in Yeovil on October 7th 1940. There is much to appeal to the historian and technically-minded person as well as the modeller, with just two builds by Steve A Evans in the major popular scales, as well as a listing of available kits and accessories.

Following the familiar path, the volume begins with a Preface and introduction of some twenty-four pages covering the story of the development the series of this Junkers twin their usage by Finland, Hungary, Italy, Rumania, and Spain, as well as the Luftwaffe, and, France after the war. There is also information about captured examples in the hands of the RAF, USA and Russia. B&W photos illustrate most of these.

Chapter 1 is eight pages of the Evolution of the prototypes, followed by twenty-four pages on the pre-production  and A- series models and then a further five pages devoted to the small number of B-series versions/project aircraft. These changes are illustrated with port-side sketches by Juraj Jankovic.

Next comes Chapter 4 of forty pages of info on Camouflage and Markings which provides information and photos or colour drawings by Richard Caruana of the schemes worn by examples from most users. The early ones were in the RLM 70/71/65 splinter schemes but as the war progressed there appeared a large number of variations dependent upon the theatre of operations. Sand and white and splotches and squiggles adorned the Ju88 in a vast array of schemes that have attracted the modeller for decades now.

Chapter 5 again varies from early editions in that it is devoted to  a round-up of available kits in the major scales. Each of the main available kits is described and an outline of any strengths or weaknesses is given. This will assist modellers to select the kit that best suits their skills and pockets.

There then follows Chapter 6, which covers two builds by Steve A Evans of the 1/72 Revell A-1 variant and the 1/48 ICM A-4 with each of these builds being well-illustrated and written and do point out some ways to improve or tackle each kit.

Chapter 7 is forty-two pages about ‘Building a Collection’ in which each variant from the prototypes to the B-3s, is illustrated with an annotated sketch to point out the differences or special features of each, by Juraj Jankovic. And again I would request that some of these should be underside drawings to illustrate important features that do not show up in the upper three-quarter views provided.

Then Chapter 8 covers the aircraft In Detail with 82 pages containing sections on the engine, cockpit interiors, wings and control surfaces, undercarriage, armament, ordnance, electrical and radar, radios, ground equipment and miscellaneous bits and bobs. All of these are covered in some depth with clear detailed contemporary B&W photos, illustrations from service or technical manuals and some colour images of preserved aircraft. All photos have good captions and should be a boon for the super-detailer among modellers.

There are then four appendices covering alphabetic lists by scale, all of the kits that have been available, accessories, decals and a bibliography. At twelve closely spaced triple-columned pages a heck of a lot of work has gone into compiling these lists and I again commend the researchers for this task.

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Inside the rear cover are the familiar scale drawings. In this case there are eight fold-out sheets showing a number of different variants in profile and then plan views of upper and lower surfaces, all in 1/48.

This really is a very useful volume that should be in every Luftwaffe modeller’s library, regardless of which scale one works in, and I recommend it whole-heartily. It brings together a great deal of information in a  single volume and therein lies its usefulness.

More importantly comes the promise on the last page of Volume 2 covering the 88C through to 88T variants and, hopefully, at some time, one on the Ju188 and further projects.

Certainly a magnum opus for modellers and historians alike!

Thanks to Valiant Wings Publishing for the sample.

Review Copyright © 2024 by Graham Carter
This Page Created on 8 January, 2024
Last updated 8 February, 2024

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