German Junkers JU-87D-3 Stuka dive bomber COBI 5768 - World War II 1:32

JU 87D-3 STUKA Model | COBI 5768

The assembled model in Eastern Front camouflage features a rotating propeller with a yellow-and-black spinner, adjustable control surfaces, and three aerial bombs mounted under the wings. The cockpit canopy is removable for easy placement of the pilot figure, the flying ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel, and the rear gunner figure Erwin Hentschel. A beautiful detail is the aerodynamic landing gear fairings, just as on the real aircraft. The model can stand on its own landing gear or be safely placed on a display stand with a nameplate.

Did you know:

Junkers chief designer Hermann Pohlmann had been working on the bomber’s design since 1933. The prototype, still powered by a British Rolls-Royce engine, first took off from the factory airfield in Dessau on September 17, 1935. It must be said that in its time it was a high-quality and reliable aircraft equipped with a semi-automatic assistant for dive recovery. Siren Jericho-Trompete was installed on the leading edges of the wings, its wail accompanying every attack.

Initially, the JU 87 was a dangerous weapon of the Luftwaffe, but from 1940 it increasingly became an easy target for anti-aircraft fire and fast maneuvering dogfights with fighters. In the final year of the war, the aircraft were used almost exclusively for night missions to minimize their own losses under cover of darkness. The JU 87D-3 version was specially modified for attacks on ground targets. Pilots attacked enemy armored vehicles from the rear and, after completing the attack, continued in straight flight back to their home bases.

The most famous JU 87 pilot was Hans-Ulrich Rudel, who carried out a total of 2,530 combat sorties during World War II. He destroyed more than 519 tanks, hundreds of artillery positions and vehicles, and sank the Soviet cruiser Marat. At the end of the war, on May 8, 1945, he took off from his home airfield in Bohemia to fly to territory occupied by the Americans, thus avoiding capture by the Soviet Army. Interestingly, H. Rudel is the only foreigner to have received Hungary’s highest decoration – the Gold Medal for Bravery. He was certainly not a positive hero, however. Until his death, he never renounced the monstrous Nazi ideology, and his postwar life was full of scandals.

Aircraft production ended in 1944, when the decimated Luftwaffe no longer had enough aircraft to escort the vulnerable Junkers bombers. In total, approximately 5,800 units were produced in 30 different versions. The Ju 87 served in the armed forces of several European countries, including Bulgaria, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain.

Technical specifications:

• dimensions: wingspan 13.6 m, length 11.1 m, height 4.1 m
• empty weight  2,750 kg
• maximum takeoff weight 5,000 kg
• powerplant: 12-cylinder Jumo 211DA engine with output of 882 kW
• range 790 km
• service ceiling 8,000 m
• rate of climb 5.5 m/s
• maximum speed 380 km/h
• fuel tank capacity 780 l
• armament: 2× MG 151 20 mm cannons in the wings + 1× rear MG 15 7.92 mm machine gun + 250 kg bomb under the fuselage and 4× 50 kg bombs under the wings
• crew 2

From the memoirs of American soldier Desmond Doss:

“The Stukas were terrifying. When you heard them, you felt like a mouse in a trap. You couldn’t run or hide. You had to pray and hope they missed you. They were machines from hell.”

About the set :

• COBI construction set 5768 JU 87D-3 is made of 556 high-quality ABS pieces
• scale 1:32
• collection World War II
• number of figures 2
• pad printed – no stickers
• faithful detailing
• made in the EU
• compatible with other construction block brands