Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Neil may know more quickly than I and may have some different opinions as well on the R2 vs the R8. the R8 was suppose to be the standard SturmFw variant in November 44's end with the cowling fairings and no mg 131's the R2 could have them or could be removed and the cowlings faired over. the R2 flown by JG 301 especially in III. gruppe had no armor-extra but had outboard 3cm cannon and the mg 131's over the cowling.
in JG 3, 4 and 300 the R2 had all the armor plating/ fittings but the R8 had the extra armor butted around the engine as well as the ammo boxes and some had leading wing edges armored...........as you might guess a real slow clumsy doof crate flying on the missions and when engaged by Us P-51's, was doomed
the Panzer-Scheuklappen was standard on most Sturms in JG 3 but was removed in nearly all cases from JG 300 crates. JG 4 removed the canopy coverings after their disaster on 11 September 1944, although striking hard on the US 100th bg they were slow and shot down by return fire of the B-17's and US escorts from the 339th fg. Excess icing was a major concern forming between the armor glas covers and the canopy glas