New and forthcoming from John McIllmurray - Modellers Guide to the Ju 388 via KLP Publishing

From John McIllmurray two new Ju 388 conversion sets (a J and an L set) and a 'modellers guide' to the Ju 388 via KLP coming soon. Not forgetting a book of rare archive photos of the type licensed from the Deutsches Museum, see picture below. From John, 

"..This is my forthcoming 'Modeller's guide to the Ju 388' - Kevin at KLP will post a link very soon I guess. Here's the draft cover! I am obviously using my own 1/32 kit as the basis of showing the modeller what details are needed for a 388 build whatever the scale - it will include a 1/48 and 1/72 chapter but only as an overview. The book will include reference photos under licence and revised profiles of my decal options. All in all a big work like my G-6 book! "

 

Also on this blog;

A Modellers Guide to the Ju 88 G-6 from KLP Publishing

AIMs Me 109 data plate and engine stencil decals for the Airfix 1:24 Gustav

 

Blog post #109 for 2025. John at AIMs has been hard at work to produce a variety of (decal, resin and etch) enhancements for the new Airfix 1:24 scale Bf 109 G. Available now are a set of manufacturer data plate decals along with stencil detail decals for the cockpit and DB 605 engine. AIMs also have resin and etch sets forthcoming for a G-5 (pressurisation kit) and a G-6/U4 (camera control and fairing). And more decal schemes for a variety of JGs. These sheets include a number of 'wilde Sau' options - Dieterle's machine will look especially striking in this larger scale. Contact John at aimsmodels1@gmail.com  

new decals for the 1:24th Airfix Gustav superkit

 

Kudos to John M at AIMs for getting a new decal sheet ready for the Airfix G-5/6 just days after the kit release was announced. In fact this blogger had a conversation with John at the weekend which went something like this;

" Hey, John you'll have seen the new Airfix announcement. What will it take to get some new decals out there?"

"Hi Neil, the problem with 1/24 scale decals is you are only going to get like 3 options on a page - maybe 4 and this is at a time when even in 1/32 most modellers seem to prefer masks! I spoke to XXXX and [they] informed me that 1/24 scale decals don't really sell well. Although I do have the manufacturer's plates in 1/24th. It is a difficult one.."

"I’m gonna do this Gustav. No swastikas in the box. Would a couple of subjects on a small sheet not be cost effective? People are gonna need a Hakenkreuz or two.."

"yes I did actually think that when I saw the Airfix decal sheet! But in 1/24th Airfix have done it all with masks which are better in the bigger scales.."

"Re masks, your average modeller - like me - has never used them, apart from on a canopy..."

and that's how we left it - until yesterday, when these images popped up on our messenger thread;

" sent off to get printed..and the 32nd Bf 109 K decal sheet arrives here very soon.."  Contact John to order.   aimsmodels1 at gmail.com

Bf 109 K-4 'Chevron 1+ I ' of the Gruppenstab III./JG 53 - AIMS decals

 Starting a series of posts looking at some of the K-4s featured on the superb new AIMS Bf 109 K-4 decal sheet. Artwork courtesy of John MacIllmurray. And if you don't want the decals John's artwork for this decal sheet can be purchased separately for a small sum from John directly - aimsmodels1 at gmail.com

'Chevron 1+I' was the regular machine flown by Lt. Ernst-Dieter Bernhard, Adjutant of III./JG 53 during the first few months of 1945. He described his K-4 as 'well polished' and as 'quite a hot ship' - ein ganz heißes Schiff- until it was lost on 19 April 1945. As an  Oberfähnrich Bernhard was posted to 12./JG 53 on 3 December 1944 (under Hptm. Siegfried Luckenbach) and flew the Bodenplatte attack on 01/01/45 when JG 53 “Pik As” dispatched 80 machines and lost 33 Messerschmitts for eight pilots  KIA, five WIA, and another five taken prisoner. Promoted to Leutnant on 20 January 1945 (back-dated to 01 November 1944) he had volunteered for the ramming-fighter unit “Sonderkommando Elbe”, but was declared unsuitable and became Adjutant on 17 February after the loss of Lt. Westphal. On 19 April, a small number of machines from his III Gruppe were scrambled at around 17:30 from Otterfing to intercept a formation of some 50 or so B-26 medium bombers which they quickly ran into and attacked with all guns blazing. The JG 53 pilots claimed one B-26 and two P-47s. After the fight Lt. Bernhard´s K-4 was low on fuel, so he planned an intermediate stop at Kaufbeuren before returning home. Whether his machine had been damaged in the combat is not known but he was unable to properly lower his undercarriage with one gear leg staying up. A series of wild manoeuvres on his last drops of fuel - steep dives and sharp pull-ups, described as 'ausgedehnte Toberei'-  failed to dislodge it and Bernhard was forced to belly-land his nicely polished 109 right outside the maintenance hangar on the airfield  at around 18:45. Bernhard survived the last few weeks of the war, managed to 'avoid' American captivity by going 'underground' in Munich before resuming a 'normal' life. He later rose to high rank in the post-war Bundeswehr. He had claimed one enemy aircraft, a P-51 Mustang shot down on 19 March 1945. 

(text adapted from Jochen Prien's correspondence in Flugzeug magazine issue 4/87)

Well-known Kaufbeuren Schrottplatz (dump) shot with Bernhard's K-4 top right with the broad black fuselage band of JG 53. (WNr unknown)

A modellers guide to the Ju 88 G-6 - John McIllmurray with David E. Brown

 

I just learnt that John McIllmurray's new e-book on the Ju 88 G-6 is available to purchase and download from KLP Publishing. So that's exactly what I've just done...While I'm not really a big fan of e-books I did purchase KLP's ebook on building the Revell 32nd scale  Me 262 night fighter, which was very well done, and I knew that John and David's publication on the Ju 88 G-6 would be a 'must-buy'!  Small disclaimer here - the Luftwaffe blog provided a big chunk of text for the 'Nachtschlachter' chapter of John and David's ebook.  After all, what 'traditional' publisher in their right mind would produce a 1,031 page volume on a single Luftwaffe night fighter aircraft type in colour?  (not to mention an additional 135 pages of losses, victory claims, plans and artworks in separate files..) And while I probably won't be building a 32nd scale G-6 anytime soon (..although I might feel inspired to try..), I will be studying the 'Crow Collection' Ju 88 G-6 photo archive and the loss and claims lists. And unlike some Ju 88 specialists, John is a draughtsman so his plans and artworks are likely to be spot on. Well done John and David ! And kudos to Del and Paul for making available what must be virtually the entirety of their extensive Ju 88 G-6 photo collections which are mostly scanned in very large, reproduced over the full (screen) page and 'zoomable'. And to Kevin for creating such a professional product, great to look at, easy to purchase and download, just click on the image to go straight to the KLP order page

Price by the way is AUD..not USD...

 

Also on this blog

Zerstörer- und Nachtjagdverbände book series by Paul Stipdonk & Michael Meyer

Building the Zvezda Ju 88 G-6 in 72nd with AIMS resin 

Hasegawa Junkers Ju 88 G-6 in 72nd

Ostermann's Friedrichs, May 1942 - new JG 54 decals from AIMS and new Bf 110 conversion and update sets

 

During May 1942, as he was approaching 100 victories, Helmut Ostermann flew - and crashed - two different Friedrichs in quick succession, one on 10 May and the other on 12 May 1942 - this is a matter of record. The two different aircraft were crash landed within two days of each other, one after the other. Only one of these machines appears to feature in photographs and it has been generally thought up to now that it had differently finished fuselage sides  - the starboard side was apparently left in the original paint scheme – the exact colours of which are a matter of conjecture but most probably 74/75 – whereas the port side of the fuselage was completely sprayed over in what is usually said to be a light gray, resulting in a marked difference of the appearance of the two sides of this a/c. I spoke to John MacIllmurray at AIMS who has an interesting theory about Ostermann’s machine(s) and who is currently preparing a new JG 54 decal sheet for release early in the New Year which will feature markings for Ostermann's Friedrichs.

"...The first Friedrich (W Nr. 13088 in 'standard' gray-greens) crashed on 10 May 42 ripping off the tail aft of the III. Gruppe symbol. The second machine - lost on 12 May two days later - was W.Nr 13125. Here the crash-landing also tore off  the tail - on this occasion though in the middle of the III Gruppe bar!  The photo report that appeared in Luftwaffe in Focus (5/2004 edition) actually mixes up photos from the two crash-landings! What was striking about the 'second' aircraft was the 76 overspray on the fuselage sides. Yes, RLM 76 sprayed over the fuselage sides and, yes, the photographs show two aircraft which look similar but they are not the same at all. Not surprisingly modellers and model companies are confusing them. What was the reason behind the 76 overspray? Well, most people imagine that this colour is a faint white or gray overspray - but what would be the point of that in mid-May? It is clearly much darker than the white of the fuselage Balkenkreuz or the white outline of the numeral. My theory is that this may have been an attempt for concealment. Obviously high-altitude combat as such didn't occur in the East, but in painting over the fuselage sides in 76, Ostermann may have been looking for altitude concealment from low-flying Sturmoviks or even ground personnel/troops when flying his long-range strafing sorties behind the lines.." 

See the Luftwaffe Gallery JG 54 'Special' for an account of these types of long-range strafing sorties flown by Ostermann. In the event the 'blue' machine, WNr. 13125, was only flown by Ostermann for two days before it crashed on 12 May 1942...

to reprise the differences on the two machines as seen in the various ‘crash’ photos that have been published;

Ostermann's 'gray-green' F-4 (W Nr. 13088) - 'wet' crash location, no straw under nose, no mud on top most prop lower area, different angle of half and half RLM 70 / white painted spinner, different damage to spinner tip, different painting of rear section of spinner, different damage to rear fuselage - ripped off aft of III Gruppe symbol - lower engine cowl ripped off in the crash. See clearly right side photo and small photo of left side!

Ostermann's 'blue' machine (W.Nr 13125)

High up demarcation 74/76 machine, 'dry' crash location, straw under nose, mud on upper prop, angle of white/RLM 70 spinner different, painting of spinner different, tail ripped off near beginning of III Gruppe symbol and the lower engine cowling intact and in situ. Note too the 8th Staffel bird may well be also in a different place on the two aircraft - 13088 has it near the front of the cowl, 13125 it is in the centre as per normal. 

Bf 109 F-4 – WerkNr. 13 088 – was covered in detail in JFV 9/III, JG 54 Luftwaffe Gallery and various editions of Luftwaffe im Focus and pictures published thus far are usually thought to show an aircraft with differently finished fuselage sides. This highly unusual scheme could be seen on a number of 8./JG 54 Bf 109 F-4s in the spring of 1942, apparently being some kind of intermediate scheme during the spring thaw. (III./JG 54 was only some 50 km south of Leningrad)

But, as is evident from John's comments, it may well be that we have actually been looking at two different aircraft, one of which was 13 088, the other 13 125....over to John again;

"..Regardless of the similarities between 13088 crashed on the 10th and 13125 crashed on  12 May the fact remains that the crash photos from the left show 13125 and the photos from the right show 13088. The photos show two aircraft with two different tail rips, two different spinners and one with lower cowl ripped off and one without - two different crashes - two different aircraft - two different locations - regardless of similarities. It is perhaps a little odd that 13088's 74/75 fuselage is only ever seen from the right and bizarre in the extreme that 13125 in the 'high up' RLM 76 is only ever seen from the left but that is what we have been left with! Since the crash photos show one side only of both aircraft it cannot be proven that work was started to paint the left side of 13088 RLM 76 nor can it be proven that 13125 had the RLM 76 finished on the right for that matter but the head-on photo of it on a dry sunny day (LiF 5/2004) would suggest that it is more finished than un-finished...."

Preview image of just some of the subjects on the forthcoming AIMS JG 54 decal sheet

A final word from John at AIMS;

".. if I'm wrong about this then that's cool too - I am happy to be wrong and thankfully it does not in any way change the decal designs - just the instructions. Okay so the identical paint scheme on the tail plane and wings of both aircraft could be a 'problem for sure but less of a problem - in my mind - than believing all the crash photos are the same aircraft. It would not be the first time an aircraft crashed in an unfinished condition but rare none the less..."

AIMS is also almost ready to start taking orders on a new Bf 110 conversion set - a Bf 110 G-2/R1 conversion for the 32nd Dragon C-7 kit. There are also new 1/72 and 1/48 update sets for the Eduard G-2/R-1 or G-2 kits in the pipeline ..

The Bf 110 G-2/R1 sub-type was a Pulkzerstörer for defence of the Reich duties mounting the imposing 3.7cm Bordkanone Flak 18 under the fuselage. After trials this variant first equipped ZG 76 in late 1943/early 1944. Some of these machines were also equipped with WGr. 21 rocket launchers under each wing. Below, decal sheet extract depicting ZG 76 machines

"M8+NP" a Bf 110 G-2/R1 seen in Wertheim in late 1943. FF Uffz. Herbert Stengel on the right. Note the lower fuselage fairing/housing for the cannon rather resembled the 'Dackelbauch' fitting seen on the Bf 110 D. The cannon muzzle brake was perforated.

More photos and data on the Bf 110 G-2/R1 Flak 18 on this blog here

new AIMs decals - tulip-nose Bf 109s, Graf JG 52, JGr. 50

John McIllmurray at AIMS is keeping Luftwaffe modellers busy with a stream of new releases. New and forthcoming in all the major scales is a sheet of 'tulip nose' markings for a selection of Bf 109s. Printed by Microscale in the US this sheet goes on sale shortly at the AIMS web shop. A look at some of the subjects on the sheet..and link below..

Bf 109 K-4 W.Nr. probably in the 332 000 335 241 block range given the low visibility camouflage demarcation line, typical of later Mtt-Flössenburg or other Mtt operated Waldwerke in 1945. Given the black tulip decorating the nose, the unit is almost certainly II./JG 52 - pictures taken at Deutsch Brod (today Havlickuv Brod) some time during April 1945. During the last two weeks of the war both airfields housed Hs 129s of SG 9 as well as the Bf 109s of JG 52

AIMS web site 

Below; still captures filmed on 16 September 1943 at Wiesbaden as Graf's Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 15 919 (?) "Grüne 1" featuring red spinner and 'tulip' cowl markings and two Werfer rocket grenade launchers taxy out for a flypast for the cameras. Note what some have referred to as the outer Bf 109 K-style gear doors - which here may hve been trialed as simple blast protectors for the exposed tyre from the Werfer launch.

new AIMS releases - the home of Luftwaffe modelling on the net!

 Just received news from John MacIllmurray of some new AIMS releases - 3 new Luftwaffe products and another 6 on the way - here is the breakdown - you can see them in more detail at the AIMS website

1/ 72 Ju 88 P-1 conversion available now
1/32 Ju 88 P-1 conversion available now
1/48 Bf 110 G-2 and G-4 update set for Eduard kits available now

1/72nd Ju 88 P-1 conversion set

1/48 Bf 109 F/G/K hatches and latches coming soon
1/32 Bf 109 F/G/K hatches and latches coming soon
1/32 Bf 109 G-6 and G-10 Revell Oleo leg housing update set - coming soon
1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 decal sheet covering late war Bf 109's

Two subjects from the late-war Bf 109 decal set, visit John's site (link below) to see the other subjects on this attractive looking sheet. Note 'Defence of the Reich bands' not on the 48th or 32nd scale sheets

You can read more about the Luftwaffe modelling accessories and decal sheets created by John at AIMs on this blog here. It goes without saying that John is an enthusiast (and very skilled) modeller himself and provides us lesser mortals with a fantastic product at a reasonable price so please do support him!

https://falkeeins.blogspot.com/search/label/John%20McIllmurray

 As you can see I have used his decals and some of his resin products on my own models and can happily vouch for their accuracy, ease-of-use and keen pricing -yes, I buy them too!

http://www.aimsmodels.co.uk/index.html

forthcoming AIMS Bf 110 F/G conversion set for the Dragon 1/32 kits from John McIllmurray

" ..Hello everyone, I am pleased to let you know progress on my AIMS Bf 110 F/G conversion set for the Dragon 1/32 kits. Gun pack and spinner have been 3D designed and await printing, rudder and upper engine cowl and upper and lower nose finished, rear canopy and exhausts under way, MG 81Z already done, cockpit ammo boxes still to do and revised exhaust stubs done. Still have to do straight late exhaust damper. All going very well. Just got all the decals finished and they will go off to printers any day now. Hope you like the selection. I am doing two boxings - 200 units each and both will be available at the same time - perhaps as soon as Christmas depending on how long it takes to get decals printed. One boxing is the F-4/G-2 day fighter / bomber and includes 2x F-4 options and 2x G-2 options plus 1x national insignia and full stencil set plus and everything needed to make what can be seen in the profiles. Other boxing is for the G-4 night fighter and includes 5 options plus 1x set of insignia and stencils and all what is needed to do the options As I do everything by email naturally I can tailor make orders so if you are using E-2 Trop kit and have some of the parts or if you are set on doing the F and do not need the G parts in the day fighter boxing I will remove them and lower the cost. £ TBC. Lower cowls will be split so they can hang open - still have to do the interior detail. Likewise the nose gun bay will be open. Hope you like the profiles......"

John's AIMS site is here

new AIMS - the Ju 88 web site - Facebook page

Good friend of the Luftwaffe blog John McIllmurray has established a new FB page to show off those marvellous creations realised with the help of AIMS parts, conversion sets and decal sheets. Here a splendid G-6 and Ju 388L conversion. Much more at the link below!

AIMS Facebook page

Zvezda Junkers Ju 88 G-6 in 72nd scale, NJG 5 'bomber ace' Eduard Lindinger Ritterkreuz - Luftwaffe models

Left; Ofw. Eduard Lindinger of KG 1 and NJG 5 and, below, his G-6  'C9+ET' after an undercarriage malfunction on landing at Lueneberg in early 1945 (picture via EB).

This 9. Staffel machine is fitted with a 'shortened' 2cm SM installation and single MG 131. Note the cabin roof-mounted Naxos.

Lindinger was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 300+ sorties in KG 1 but enjoyed a singular lack of success as a night fighter - he returned no night victories while in III./NJG 5. Lindinger passed away on 1 September 2004.

 Below;  my Zvezda Junkers Ju 88 G-6 night fighter in 72nd scale with the addition of resin Jumo engines, exhausts and spinners from John McIllmurray's AIMS. The engines feature finer detail and perfectly engraved supercharger intakes and, perhaps more to the point, are the correct length. I fitted them in this post. The kit tail fin is rather short and I did briefly replace it with a Quickboost replacement item. However the QB rudder was not the correct shape at all, so in the end I used the kit fin. I have built this model as a representation of Eduard Lindinger's G-6 'C9+ET'. The decals were 'assembled' from various AIMs sheets, most notably the superb new 'Ju 88 Fighters' sheet reviewed on this blog here. Note the 'solid' fuselage Balkenkreuz on the real machine - which I missed, but is easily fixed. Rather unusual for a 1945 machine.

new AIMS decals for Ju 88 G night fighter, Mistel variants and Dornier Do 17 Z

With his usual superb quality and flawless research, these latest collections from John MacIllmurray's AIMS feature rare and previously unavailable Luftwaffe unit badges for the Dornier Do 17 Z and rare and unusual Mistel and Ju 88 G schemes. These really are fine decal sheets.

If you are looking for some original and inventive schemes for the new Airfix Dornier Do 17 then I imagine that you, like me, will be delighted with some of the eye-catching options on John's new Do 17 Z sheet including the stunning  'red devil riding a bomb' emblem of 3./ KG 77 which only recently turned up on some rare Ebay auction photos, below. Other rarely seen subjects include the Do 17 Z-2 of 4./KG 76 photographed crashed at Cambrai in June 1940. The stand-out artworks also feature Wekusta, Nachtjagd and KGr 606 subjects..and will be of great interest to those Luftwaffe modellers looking for something a little different. See the links below for more on these..




AIMs is of course the Ju 88 specialist and the ubiquitous Junkers twin can always be relied upon for variety, which is certainly the case on this sheet featuring the G-1 night fighter. The mixed garb on offer on this sheet is positively inspirational - from cross-hatch reverse mottle (..if you can imagine that..) to a 'standard' splinter in the two greys (!). Some of the options here are decidedly 'whacky' in some respects but bound to guarantee a talking point when on the completed model..

Given the limited operational service and rather esoteric nature of the different Mistel variants it is surprising that John has come up with so many options for this fascinating weapon on this next new sheet - seven different aircraft can be built. The accompanying reference text is extensive and detailed  - John explains all his colour choices with detailed analysis of the 'evidence'.

As usual John's sheets include plan views of both splinter and mottled camouflage schemes which obviates the need for too much further 'research' when deciding which machine to build. The printing is top quality and the text accompanying the colour profiles is both informative and entertaining!

below; a rare unpublished image of a Mistel 2 (Fw 190 on Ju 88 G combination) from the personal album of Mistel test pilot Horst-Dieter Lux via Vern Dander for the Luftwaffe blog.

'Project Beethoven' - the first Bf 109 F-4 (CI+MX) and Ju 88 A-4 Mistel 1 combination, Ainring, early 1944



And a reminder that the AIMs Junkers Ju 88 fighters sheet with no fewer than 26 options was previously reviewed on this blog here

It goes without saying that if you have any interest in Luftwaffe subjects then these sheets are a fantastic addition to your reference library - even if you don't intend building 26 Ju 88s . As you can see here all markings options are presented via a series of accurate and well-drawn fully referenced colour side view profiles and detailed text with interesting subjects drawn from various AirDoc, Luftwaffe in Focus and the Stipdonk/Meyer volumes.  The decals themselves are by 'Fantasy Printshop' - they are thin, perfectly in register and have minimal carrier film and will of course require a certain amount of care to apply.

 These sheets and much more for the Ju 88 fan are available directly from John at AIMS just in time for the Ju 88 Group build over at britmodeller.com

It goes without saying that John is an enthusiast (and very skilled) modeller himself and provides us lesser mortals with a fantastic product at a reasonable price so please do support him!

Also on this blog;

building the Airfix new-tool Dornier Do 17 Z in 1:72nd scale

Dornier 17 handbook illustrations, detail views, interiors, walkaround - reference for the new-tool Airfix Do 17 in  72nd scale 

Do 17 Z of KGr 606 over the Channel coast 1940

Refuelling and bombing up a KG 77 Dornier Do 17 - exceptional Ebay shots