After the
spectacular
failure of the SM.85 dive bomber, the Regia Aeronautica turned to Germany for a
replacement. In early 1940, the Italians recieved a number of Ju-87B and
Ju-87R Stukas. The type was called 'Picchiatello' in Italian
service, the name coming from a slang expression for 'screwball'. This
was a reference to the steep dive used during attacks, and possible to the
sanity of anyone who would dive an airplane at the ground like that on purpose.
The Italians deployed their Picchiatelli against Greece and Malta from
late 1940 to 1942.
The kit was the
standard Hasegawa Stuka, with Aeromaster after market decals added, as well as
Eduard Luftwaffe seatbelts, and exhausts from Ultracast. The Italians
received Ju-87s from the Germans and painted out the Balkankreutzen and
Hakenkreutzen with their own colors (Verde Oliva Scuro on the upper
surfaces and Grigio on the lower surfaces). I duplicated this by cutting
out templates of the German markings from the kit decal sheet and attaching them
to the model slightly raised off the surface for a softer edge. The
Italian colors were applied over the standard Luftwaffe 65/70/71 scheme.
Click on
images below to see larger images
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The aircraft here
represents that of the commander of one of the two Gruppi Autonomi that
operated the Ju-87 in four Squadriglie, totaling around 40 aircraft.
I particularly like the Gruppo crest of a big-nosed bird diving on the shape of
a ship sailing along the bottom of the wheel spat. In my opinion, the
Italians had the most colorful unit crests of WW II.
Leonardo
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