Classic Matchbox Ju188 1/72 PK-109 Review 

I can remember the excitement of going to the shopping centre on a Friday night with my newspaper delivery money in my pocket. I would either buy a Matchbox 1/72 scale airplane or soldiers. The unpacking that evening was something special. Lovely memories.

I built this kit aged 9. I took it over the road to show a veteran who lived opposite us. He introduced me to a Typhoon pilot who claimed to have 'shot up' a Ju188 and shot down a Ju88. He had 3.5 kills in total. His surname was Hanley. Better days.

My favourite matchbox kit. Built it way back in the 70s. I didn't worry about the split down the middle of the canopy back then! I'm sure I got glue all over it like exactly you said. Didn't worry about that either! Simpler times when us modellers didn't worry about such things. Thanks for sharing.

I built this model and is in my glass case.

I was first aware of the Ju 188 after seeing it in a Johnny Red story in the Battle comic, that inspired me to make one back in the 70's. I knew of the normal 88 at the time but the 188 intrigued me so as soon as I could, it was off to the model shop to buy one!

I had this kit, think I was intrigued as I did not know of the real aircraft same with the Me 210. liked how Matchbox made some lesser known stuff

I have this kit but the 1989 issue, with the red, orange & yellow stripes on the box. The 3 colour plastic is dark + light grey & deep green, they must have had a few complaints with that mustard yellow plastic. The swastika decals are also cancelled. I also have the Dragon 1/48 Ju188 Avenger which is a nice kit but will have to get new decals for it.

I remember building this at a friend's house probably '78/'79. One thing that sticks in my mind was how I painted it. The only colours my friend had were gloss brown and gloss purple. So, thus it was painted. Brown over all and purple "camouflage" blotches ! Those were the days ! Artistic licence and not a care given about accuracy.

A couple of years back I bought a late 1970s Matchbox catalogue at a boot sale. Just for fun I counted how many of the kits shown I had built as a kid in the 70s/80s. It was something like 89 different kits! When you consider I built some of these two or three times and that was just Matchbox, it's crazy. Most of them ended up being set on fire or shot at with my spud gun.

I built this back in the last century - probably when it was released, or shortly thereafter. I remember being a bit annoyed with their depiction of the cockpit glazing at the below gunner's station. I felt they could have added transparency at the bottom.

The memories flowed forth.....Ta chap!

100 % agree on the history preservation.

Hi Pete, a lovely calm evening down here in Kent. Looking forward to watching along 🤗

Oooh, the memories! I bought this kit with my pocket money in the mid seventies. Yes, I agree about the odd colours, but, at the time, I found the Matchbox kits' coloured plastic somehow seductive.

i love the artwork on military model kits.

In hindsight, the makers of these kits were model makers themselves: the thought that they put into it, to meet the demands of modelers of all age and levels...one has to appreciate the planning and thought that put into making of these kits...so intuitively made, superb.

another one I'd forgot about, the memories keep coming back Peter, cheers

I built this model in the late 70's. If memory serves me, this kit went together really well! I particularly love your reviews on Matchbox kits, which are, for me, very nostalgic . I have quite a collection of unmade Matchbox kits, most of which are in great condition. The ones that aren't I build. They are a great way of reliving ones childhood! The last one I built was the FW-190. I agree with you about the hideous choice of colours on some of them, but part of the magic is in transforming them from a toy like object into a decent looking model. (So I put some effort into painting mine!). I notice you have an unpainted Orange range Corsair. I always thought that model looked pretty handsome unpainted! Thanks for all of this, I really appreciate your channel and the hard work you put into it! You always get a 10 out of 10 from me! 😊

Thanjs for sharing, Peter. As always very entertaining and knowledgeable review. I built this on a Saturday wsy back in 1980 and needed to call in my Dad to help with the wings. Lovely kit though, even with the bizzare colouring.

Great review, I never had this kit, but remember it well in the local toy shop from my childhood.👍

Bought that kit in the spring of 1975 from Hobby House, in Decatur, Georgia. That place was the last real hobby shop in Atlanta. The building was razed in 1983 and is now a retirement high rise! I believe that was the first kit of the Ju-188 and was typical Matchbox for the time. Unfortunately a couple or three years later Italaeri brought theirs out. It was a better kit. Bought one, in a Revell box, at the PX at Fort Jackson when stationed there... I just wonder what happened to the molds of that kit? And I wonder if there would still be a market for simple, basic kits such as this one that could be built in a weekend?

I've got that kit, never built it back in the day, I bought and built the Italeri one, back when they still were Italaerei! Bought their two Dornier Do 217's as well, the K-1 and N-1.... Those were the days, not a care in the world! 🥲😆😂

Great artwork. The main reason I had this kit decades ago. The futuristic looking glass cockpit, the tilted view on the ocean. the idea this Junkers was on a reconnaissance mission for U-boats.... I still did not paint any of my Matchbox models at this point. I think i remember the camouflage looked very inviting. Maybe I tried my first hand at brushpainting my models not long after this kit.

Enjoyed the review and subject. Yes i can just see that canopy misting up a treat from a liberal application of cement on the centre join!!

Hi Peter, the Ju188 was known as the 'Racher' which means Avenger

Aah, memories... I remember having this kit as a kid back in the mid-80s. If I remember correctly I did a pretty bad job trying to recreate those stripes! :D

Well said re history Peter, totally agree.

Thanks for sharing. As a kid, it was a kit I always wanted.

Danke ! Den Bausatz hatte ich ! Klasse Maschine !

Crew of 4

Que emoción abrir esa caja ❤

Ju188 and 388 were truly beautiful aircraft. Can still remember buying these kits for peanuts...probably a whole weeks pocket money though! Thanks for the memories.

The canopy was horrible when I built this kit. Being split at the center was a bad idea. The turret split down the middle was very hard to hide. The rest of the kit built was very good.

This was my very first kit, that I got as a kid in 1980. Ah, good memories… :-)

35 years ago! 🤗one of my first kits! And the Kit i think it was 50 year old or so! Holy what the Time goes!

Sorry I missed the live steam of this. Keep it up Mr Oxley! Your shows are greatly appreciated

¡ Ese Ju188 de Matchbox, lo tuve por allá en el año 1978! Saludos de Chile.

Good review of an important aircraft. I have always thought the Ju 88 family were excellent planes. I have always like the Ju 88 night fighters and the Ju 88S which was super fast. Was there not a Ju 388 in addition to the 188? You are right about history not being tempered with. History must tell the truth and not be subject to current political thought. Missed the live chat since I was celebrating the revolution! Happy Independence Day to all our cousins across the Atlantic.

The problem is that your choice was this, or the much better, but more expensive and far more difficult to find Italeri E-series bomber. I still own the companion Supermarine Walrus, which is excellent. The, "Dome," is an EDL 131 powered turret (both this gun and the rear roof mount were 13.2mm MG 131s, while the bomber version had a 15- or 20mm MG 151 operated by the bomb-aimer), and the Ju 188 inherited the 4-man crew from the Ju 88. The flight Engineer could operate either the turret or the ventral MG 81Z.

I have had a few of these and have just made the ju388 using this and vacuform parts. The main issue with this kit is the lack of cockpit windows underneath and the engine fronts which lack the fans. Luckily you can get a metal detailing kit which includes the fans and it's an easy fix. Also the undercarriage is too tall and needs shortening to make it sit right. The italeri version is loads better but this can be made decent with work.

Una de las clásicas maquetas de Matchbox. ¡Cómo no recordar mi adolescencia!

Uauuuuuu... back in time! I remember this o one and the Dornier Skyservant! I was a kid...F104 Starfighter too... from matchbox... probably I put all decals versions on it... cheers from Argentina!

Cheers mate!! When you get into the Ju 88 family and developments and stuff, and I mean to read -study the begining till you touch those 288 that I do love. Well I love building models ....so the whole Luftwaffe...Ju 188. Thanks, I enjoyed your video.

"The flying Richard"

It had a crew of 4 the whole concept of the design was to keep all the crew very close for ease of communication

I remember building this kit, back in the 70s. Used Humbrol paints. Unlike Testors, Humbrols last forever. Still have some from back then. Long time ago. So many models still to build and so little time.

Peter it's not only Airfix that do not supply stands, many other manufacturers do not and have never have supplied stands! Perhaps because of cost the stands those producers are not in the market place.

I built this model, I was never keen on the wing joins and the canopy. And the fact the 2 windows underneath the nose were not clear

Oh my... 60p, probably 99p here in Ireland at the time, if I were to make it, I would have surely fogged the clear plastic,.... unusual aircraft something I didn't know of

I remember building this kit, probably around 1988-89 as a guess. I wasn't to fussed about following the painting instructions in those days so mine ended up in a mottled night fighter style camouflage, i was still just about in primary school 🤣. Interesting that the decal sheet has swastikas, too bad we have to resort to aftermarket these days.

@Peter Oxley The crew of the 88 and 188 was usually 1 pilot and 3 gunners/radio man/Bomb aimer. so one for each gunnery position.

I made one of these years ago when they were the current range, but I didn't like the cockpit so I converted the kit into part of a Mistel

I must agree on the strange choice of sprue colours. I have the hockey stick version of this one and it's green and light grey, so clearly someone at production felt the same about the weird yellow and had it changed. Missed opportunity is the ventral gunner. If they can produce the rather complicated, but very effective clear nose parts IMO, surely they could have provided clear parts for the ventral gunner. I'm contemplating scratch building those, because I hate it like it comes out of the box without ventral gunner, but I think it's going to be tough tackling that. At a sidenote: it was a 4 crew bird. 1 pilot. 2 gunners and 1 radio/navigator/gunner.

Looked after by "top men" Mr Oxley "top men" 😂

More Lamps. More LAMPS!!! MORE LAMPS!!!!!!!!

A rare kit for me. I liked

Unusual aircraft , my grannies got bombed in WW2, North shields it was, but I think they were Dorniers? I could be wrong, but one of them came down, shot down by the Tynemouth defence? Worth looking into?

Wow is this a trip down memory lane. I bought one in the late 70’s. I remember the annoying tri color sceme

I made it when I was 10

Aah, childhood and early teen memories = auto-like ! Tell me otherwise, but Matchbox had some decent kits for decent prices "back then". Compared to what we all knew from contemporary Airfix and Revell kits (which were also brilliant !), the fitting was superb. Yes, the "pre-colored" sprues are a pain to the naked eye, and the panel lines are "WW1 trenches", but who cared ? I do believe until today that Matchbox 1/72 Bf-109E is one of the most accurate around when it comes to overall shape. I came to buy a vintage Matchbox 1/72 Saab Viggen at Intermodellbau at Dortmund some years ago for a price which could easily have gotten me some high-end "East-Asia-stuff". AND I BUILT IT. While I was already used to said manufacturers and their recent high standards, I must say that the old Viggen kit was an absolute pleasure to build.

I had this one, I think. Don’t think it was moulded in those colours but after 45+ years!?!?! What do I know!

The smallest box in which a 1/72 Ju188 was put in 😂

So if revell release this kit the swastika will not be in it? So you need to rummage through your old decals and see if you can find Some of the right size?

Totally agree with you about the transfers of the aircraft indeed i feel that it didn't reflect the the historical accuracy of the model

Hi Peter. The kit was produced in 74 but have you any idea when the mouldings were produced? Earlier perhaps or was this the first issue?

Hey Review the matchbox B17 G i building one right now and got one in my stash . Would be cool what you have to say to that kit :-)

I think ju-88 was in Battle of Britain?

I built this I think back when I was 16 or 17? So about 1978? Back then I had never even heard of a Ju-188.

do they still make airfix models i loved mine

I'm holding out hope that ICM produce later war 88s and 188s, I'd love a 188 in 48th scale.

It was just next to the Collingwood Monument.

Good luck with the glass house. Not for me I think 🤔

brazil P40 N matchbox :1.72 box

Matchbox Ju188 is okay-ish but Italeri kit is far superior.

Never bought a Matchbox. Just seemed cheap compared to Airfix.

history is history. its something that can not be changed. this political correctness crap should be abolished.