Introduction

Special Hobby has re-boxed the ICM Ju88A-5 and included additional conversion parts (both plastic and resin) and a decal sheet so the A-5 can be made into the Ju88C-4 heavy fighter version.

I am not going to review the ICM model as Rowan Baylis (MERLIN) did an excellent review already here.

Instead, I will show you the additions to the Special Hobby kit that transforms the A-5 into a C-4.

First the basics

The kit is packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with very nice box art depicting the Ju88C-4.

The kit arrived via the postal service from the Czech Republic in an outer box just big enough to house the kit box. Consequently both boxes were somewhat ‘dented’ from rough postal handling but the contents of the kit box were unharmed.

The conversion

There are two plastic sprues (one clear and one in light grey), one bag of resin parts and a decal sheet by Cartograf. Also included is a new instruction sheet.

The clear sprue has a very delicately molded crystal clear canopy in two parts. This canopy applies to both the A-2 and A-4 version with the single mount defensive MG 15 7.92 mm machine gun.
The light grey sprue contains the nose cap, weapons and the gondola.

Resin parts are crisp and have great detail. They include early ‘weighted’ wheels/tires, tail wheel, landing gear doors, exhaust shrouds, control panel, various ammunition drums, spent shell ejector panel, various cockpit detail pieces.

Instructions and decals

The Instruction sheet consists of a 22 page color booklet in normal A-4 magazine size.
Page 1 (cover) has a brief history of the Ju88C-4 in both Czech and English.
Pages 2-4 show the sprues and which ICM parts not to be used. There is also a painting guide using Gunze color numbers.
Pages 5-19 cover the 95 step assembly.
Pages 20-22 are color reference drawings showing the three aircraft camouflage patterns and decal placement.
The three versions included on the decal sheet are:
Ju88C-4, R4 MK W.Nr. 0359, 2/NJG2 Gilze-Rijen May 1941
Ju88C-4, R4 MT 9/NJG2 Gilze-Rijen, Summer 1942
Ju88C-4, R4 DL 3/NJG2 Catania, Sicily, May 1942

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