The Ju 87 is one of those aircraft whose reputation rather precedes it. With its inverted gull wings, fixed spatted undercarriage and near-vertical diving attacks, the Stuka became one of the most recognisable — and most feared — aircraft of the early war years. By the time of the Mediterranean campaign, however, it was also beginning to show its limitations: devastating when properly escorted, but increasingly vulnerable when caught by modern fighters. The Regia Aeronautica received German-built Ju 87s and used them under the nickname Picchiatello, operating them against Malta, Allied convoys in the Mediterranean and targets in North Africa. In that setting the Stuka still made a certain brutal sense: not fast, not subtle, but very good at putting a bomb exactly where its pilot intended.

This is one of Airfix’s newer releases, from 2017, and it shows. The kit is detailed, well engineered, and was simply a pleasure to build. I built this one for my very slow project around aircraft involved in the fighting around Malta, which also meant using some leftover Italian national markings. The serial number on the fin really was hand-painted on the actual aircraft, so that particular wobbliness is not one of mine. The markings on the wheel spats are homemade; I had to paint the white areas underneath, since printing white is not one of the things an ordinary printer is inclined to do.