ICM 48228 Junkers Ju 88P-1 Tank Buster, Scale 1/48

This is a 1:48 scale plastic model kit of the German World War II aircraft, the Junkers Ju 88P-1 "Tank Buster."

History:

By early 1942, Luftwaffe leadership identified the need for an anti-tank aircraft capable of engaging Soviet medium and heavy tanks. In the summer of that year, they decided to convert a limited number of Ju 88A-4 bombers into anti-tank variants, designated Ju 88P-1. These planes featured a large ventral nacelle housing a 75mm PaK 40L (also called BK 7.5) anti-tank gun equipped with an electropneumatic loading system. In emergencies, the nacelle could be released using pyrotechnic devices. The engines were armored for protection. Originally, the nose had glazing like a standard Ju 88A-4, but tests revealed the glass could not withstand firing gases, leading to later modifications.

The Ju 88P-1 was later modified by adding a glassless nose section taken from the Ju 88C fighter and fitting a redesigned muzzle brake. By September 1943, 18 units had been produced, with some deployed to the Eastern Front as part of the Versuchskommando für Panzerbekämpfung. Six of these aircraft were subsequently assigned to the 1st Hindenburg Bomber Squadron (Kampfgeschwader 1 "Hindenburg").