On the workbench - July part 3

When I got my TD Ju52s, at the bottom of the bag I discovered a float, which quickly proved to be designed to fit the big holes that I had earlier spent a lot of time filling in.  That got me thinking....

A quick blitz on the internet provided some nice pictures of Ju52 floatplanes, so at Salute I picked up 3 packs.  I also ordered some 1/600 photo-etch ladders, as pictures of these planes shows a permanent ladder attached from the left float to the passenger cabin door.

I then set about working out how to attach the floats with a more intricate structure than the original model.  The TD model as supplied is quite sturdy (always a positive attribute for war-games kit) and as the floats & undercarriage are under the plane, you won't see the attachment much.

But, what the heck!

Here are photos of the project so far - this is my "Mark 1", the ladder is not attached but otherwise it is finished......

The TD Ju52 Floatplane, what you get.....

I only "push-fit" attached the floats - they hold up well without glue

The "Mark 1" Ju 52 FP, which has all the add-ons from previous blogs plus detailed landing gear, which of course is invisible in this photo !

Not the best photo, but you can see that the gear consists of four struts per float.  There is a cross-wise brace that may be added to the "Mark II" model.  No ladder, as I was worried whether it would survive transport back to the UK for undercoating.

The Ju52 Floatplane was used by the Luftwaffe in all theatres of war (yes, in N Africa too, as it could load/unload in harbours or the beach).  There are some nice colour schemes to experiment with.