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Eyes of the Kreigsmarine - AR 196

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introduction
The Arado Ar 196 is one of those iconic aircraft from World War 2. Float planes have been mostly left behind in the age of helicopters and VTOL aircraft like the Harrier, but between the wars, most navies felt the need for reconnaissance aircraft that could be launched via catapult and then recovered after their mission. The Arado 196 was developed to replace the Heinkel HE 60 biplane, and joined the Kriegsmarine in 1938, serving on most of Germany's capital ships and raiders.
the model
Recently Revell of Germany released a kit in 1/32nd scale, which is a joy to build: it's the right mix of detail, but with some leeway for super-detailing. For this build, I used the Eduard interior, exterior and canopy mask sets. I also used HPH Models' seat belts and those of Radu Brinzan, along with an RB Models' brass barrel and sight for the rear-mounted MG15. Finally, the stenciling is from a custom set made by a member of another aircraft forum and no longer commercially available. They really "made" the detailing, so thanks, Alan in Austria!

The kit allows for both folded and unfolded wings. I decided the former looked cooler, and so went with that. The engine covers may also be shown open or shut, and I thought the engine too nice to cover up.

the catapult
Since the 196 was usually launched from shipboard catapults, I went for the HpH resin catapult that is sold with their resin version or separately. The catapult was not an easy build, since several support struts required for the launching sled were not included and had to be scratched from plastic and metal lengths. After building the catapult according to the instructions, I found out the RoG bird wouldn't sit right on the sled. I don't know if the dimensions of the HpH resin model are different than that for the Revell, but I ended up having to modify the supports on the sled to make it fit the plane.

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About the Author

About Bill Cross (bill_c)
FROM: NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES

Self-proclaimed rivet counter who gleefully builds tanks, planes and has three subs in the stash.


Comments

You may be right. Maybe that's why this model didn't place at the last IPMS show it was entered in, LOL. I believe RoG indicates lights, since I could SWEAR they indicate a color, but maybe it was a senior moment. There are no cannons included in the kit.
APR 24, 2012 - 11:46 AM
Didn't place in an IPMS show? You got to be kidding! Your plane is a beauty and should have won. Yes, unfortunately the kit brings no cannons but I just looked at the box art and you can see them so the red thingies look like the covers for them.
APR 24, 2012 - 11:57 AM
Thanks, Ernie, I will be sure to paint them over. Too bad someone isn't offering the cannons as an AM thing. And thank you for the kind words about the plane. I have retired from shows permanently, and will focus on doing photo features for places like Aeroscale and Armorama.
APR 24, 2012 - 12:06 PM
Beautiful build with excellent details! Thanks for sharing
APR 28, 2012 - 12:44 PM
Hi Bill, or anyone else for that matter, where can I pick up the resin HpH Catapult that is the companion to this kit? Any guidance from any and all would be greatly appreciated. Jim
APR 28, 2012 - 01:27 PM
Bill, That's a beautiful build, you just made it harder for me to resist this gem of a kit... I've managed upto now but seeing your build... eek! Keith
APR 29, 2012 - 10:58 AM
Jim, try here. I don't know of any vendors selling it, and HpH are fine folks to deal with. The entire catapult kit with shipping came to around $100. It's not cheap, but it's a very specific item that's quite well-made IMO. Jesper, Keith, thanks, it's an excellent kit, and other than the Eduard interior PE, doesn't need a lot to make it a show-stopper.
APR 30, 2012 - 03:27 AM
I know it is some 6 years later since this was posted but I was doing some research and my goodness, what a beautiful build! This is a great subject and the execution is magnificent. My only question is how the center mount float would have fit on the catapault. Thanks for sharing Jim! Amazing!
JAN 13, 2018 - 04:13 AM
Patrick, I don’t think there is a centreline float. One of the images is a front view and shows the mounting frame on the catapult with a float either side. I remember when this was first posted, it really is a beautiful build and worth going through the images again. Cheers, D
JAN 13, 2018 - 08:15 AM
Thank you both for your nice comments. I loved building this model, and would recommend it to anyone who likes planes. The AR196-B was a single-float version (Revell has released a kit of it, too, though it hasn't sold well because it was mainly used before the war). This version was a twin-float set-up because of the greater stability provided. The floats did not come in contact with the catapult, but hung free. The plane had mounting studs and was attached to the sled used to launch it. The challenge in building the resin catapult was that it didn't "marry" to the Revell kit, so I had to do some scratch-building with the sled mounting arms. All's well that ends well, however, and the result remains very satisfying to me.
JAN 14, 2018 - 08:41 PM