Author Topic: Arado Ar196A3 Build (Read 6671 times)

Greif · « **on:** 05 Dec , 2012, 06:40 »

Two posts of builds in one day; starting the season off right.

This was my second build of the season. It is Revell of Germany's big 1/32 scale kit of the Arado Ar196A3. I used Eduard's PE upgrade and HGW seatbelts to add a bit to the kit, but it would have built just fine out of box. This kit is fantastic value for the money, I paid $28.00 and feel that I got a lot of juice for the squeeze with the purchase. The only downer with the entire kit is the engineering of the canopy, which uses a system of tabs in assembly, which make for a very tough challenge in getting it together neatly. It is nearly impossible to hide the tabs once assembled, but in truth they don't show up much if you have taken your time and used the glue sparingly. Both the engine and cockpit are very well moulded and detailed, going together easily.

I sprayed the plane with a combination of Lifecolor and Vallejo Model Air paints. It was then lightly weathered and faded using a combination of washes and pastels. I decided to display an aircraft assigned to III./KG 100, which was stationed at Kalamaki, Crete from the Fall of 1942 - Jan 1943. I placed the model on a type of "Lazy Susan" that one uses on a coffee table or to put finger foods on for a party as I thought it looked pretty close to the type of decking at bases that I have seen in pictures of this type of aircraft. The little badge of the Viking Ship was a left over from a U-boot build that was modifed into a different U-boot. It just happened to match the unit's symbol and makes a neat little counterpoint to the wood.

Enjoy the photos!
Ernest