The Ju88 is probably the most versatile aircraft the Luftwaffe had at its disposal during the war. Developed as a medium bomber, it was faster than many fighters when it first came into service. Although not available in large numbers when the war started, production levels soon increased and at the end of the 1944 when production ceased, over 15,000 aircraft had been manufactured. Not only did the plane see service as a conventional bomber, it was also used as a dive bomber, night fighter, mine layer, remote controlled bomb and had lots of other duties over its impressive career.

Revell have done an impressive job on this one, replacing their previous and ancient tooling. The parts count stays just south of 200 (although the count on the sprues runs up to 247). Lots to do for your 17 quid! Detail is excellent and consists of finely engraved panel lines. There is no flash on any of the parts. The cockpit is beautifully rendered in no less than 26 parts, and lots of it will be visible through the large greenhouse which encapsulates it. I can't comment on fit but all Revell kits from the last ten years have good to excellent fit, so to me this isn't an area of concern.

Transparencies are covered by three sprues. They are very clear and relatively thin, and the framing is slightly highlighted, which should make masking easier for those choosing to go the manual way (I'm sure Eduard will release one of their Express masks shortly).

From the kit layout and sprue breakdown it is obvious that this A-4 version is only the first in a line of Ju88s. The cockpit section, tail and wingtips are separate subassemblies. This also means that option-wise there isn't much to choose from, Revell has left that to future boxings. Two different seats are on offer although Revell does not indicate which should go with which color scheme. The kit can be built with its gear down or up. For the hardpoints under the wing root four 250kg bombs and two 500kg bombs are provided. Two color schemes are offered, one for a plane from KG30 operating out of Sicily in 1941 and another from LG1 flying from Eleusis in 1942. The latter carries a tropical color scheme, which is a nice break from the standard splinter camouflage on most German models. Decals are printed in Italy and look very nice. Stencils are included, swastikas are not of course.

The manual is typical Revell: Printed on recycled paper, thankfully in normal booklet form this time and clear enough to follow. Color callouts naturally only in Revell's own color system, but RLM references are included (they have you mix three colors to get these - why doesn't a German company have RLM colors in its program?).

When I compare this kit to the Hasegawa kit I have in my stash, it comes out quite favorably. The Revell kit has the edge in cockpit detail which is absolutely excellent for an injection-moulded kit. Hasegawa is no slouch here but it all looks a bit more Spartan inside. The Hasegawa kit wins on surface detail: It is slightly more petite and shows more rivets (in a restrained way). I haven't tested fit on either model but since both manufacturers have an excellent record here I suspect there isn't much to worry about in that regard. You get two versions with the Revell kit, while Hasegawa offers three. Of course, Revell wins hands-down when it comes to price. You can get two kits for the price of a single Hasegawa offering and leave the shop with money to spare.

I've been looking forward to Revell's kit for some time and I haven't been disappointed by what's in the box. It is well-detailed kit and carries a very friendly price tag, and if previous recent Revell efforts are anything to go by it should build into a great model of this famous airplane.

Sander Roubos

November 2011

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