Fly Model Arado Ar.234B-2N 1:32

[Mike]

Arado Ar.234B-2N Blitz
1:32 Fly Models

The Ar.234 was the world's first operational jet bomber, as well as the first aircraft to use four jet engines in one of its prototypes. It stemmed from an RLM requirement for a Schnellbomber that could out-pace the Allied air force to bomb specific targets at will. In practice however, it was mostly used as a Reconnaissance aircraft, with only limited quantities available that the Germans didn't want to fall into enemy hands. Initially designed with a jettisonable take-off trolley in much the same way as the Me.163 Komet, the B series was re-designed to accommodate proper landing gear to prevent the stranded aircraft from being easy targets after a mission. It's slender fuselage could accommodate the pilot in the exposed front of the aircraft, and a radar operator could be squeezed into a compartment in the mid-fuselage for the Night-Fighter variant. The rest of the fuselage was taken up with fuel for the thirsty Jumo 004s that caused significant delays to the Blitz's entry into limited service, while the engineers waited for Junkers to produce examples that were flight-worthy and free of defects that were the likely cause of the loss of the first prototype early in the project.

The RLM had big plans for the aircraft that were cut short by the end of the war, and it seems that it was a good job the 004s weren't up to the job, as at full-throttle there wasn't anything in the Allied arsenal that could keep up with the 234, let alone close on it from behind. Although the aircraft was fast and manoeuvrable, the take-off run could be fraught because of the sloth of early jet engines spooling up to provide sufficient thrust, so a set of Rocket Assisted Take-Off (RATO) pods were developed to improve the long take-off distance, especially when armed with bombs. The Nachtjäger variant was hastily developed to carry the aforementioned second crewman, plus FuG 218 Neptun radar with antennae attached to the front of the canopy. They also carried a pair of 20mm MG151 cannons in a streamlined gondola in the bay usually allocated for a 1,000kg bomb. Only two of these saw active service, and were not well-liked in that role, probably due to the massive speed differential giving little time to aim the belly-mounted cannons.

The end of the war saw the remaining airframes and research falling into Allied hands, much of which went back to American courtesy of Operation Paperclip, with at least four being handed over or traded. The French operated a pair that were captured as war prizes, and the RAF also were left with one or two, which eventually disappeared after the war, probably being scrapped as surplus to requirements. Only one survives today in the Smithsonian in the US.

The Kit
I can remember the old resin kit of this aircraft in 1:32 being announced, and the excitement of seeing it at Telford some years ago, so was very pleased to hear that Fly were bringing a kit out in the same scale, but using injection moulded parts for the structure, with details provided in resin and Photo-Etch (PE). The kit is now on release, and some build articles have popped up here and there, showing that the kit seems to be living up to expectations. I already have four variations of the Hasegawa kits in 1:48, so you could say that I like the Blitz a bit. The box is quite small and unassuming, with a painting of a 234 flying over a burning landscape in the dark adorning the front. Inside are two main re-sealable cellophane bags, one of which contains the four sprues of sand coloured styrene, delicate Fug antennae and clear parts, both of which are separately bagged inside, the other containing lots of resin, which has again been sub-bagged into three lots, all in re-sealable ziplok bags. The decals and PE are in a separate smaller bag, and the instruction booklet with separate full-colour painting guide are loose in the bottom of the box. A final bag contains two lengths twine and one of wire to be used in the construction.

First impressions count, and I am still quite excited about the prospect of building this kit… just wondering when! It is a short-medium run kit, and makes extensive use of resin and PE for the details, so it wouldn't be suitable for someone that doesn't have experience in such things, but if you've a little experience, then it shouldn't present a problem. The resin parts are extremely well cast, and the detail in some of the parts is superb – even down to the fabric effect on the parachute packs at the front of the RATO units. The plastic is well moulded, with nice smooth shiny surfaces reminiscent of MPM/Special Hobby styrene, and the outer skin has restrained engraved panel lines, with the occasional rivet or fastener added for good measure.

Construction begins with the cockpit that sits within the glazed nose of the aircraft, and the initial focus is on the instrument panels that are dotted around the front of the cockpit. The panels themselves are moulded in styrene, with the dials moulded in relief, but because of the wide expanse of glazing, the rear of the instruments have been supplied as small resin parts that affix to the rear of the panel, with a short stub to attach a wire to add extra realism. There are also individual instrument decals, the locations for which are shown in a scrap diagram on the page. The side-consoles are styrene based, with PE and resin parts used to improve the detail, and additional instruments are added to the fronts using the same resin rear parts. The pilot's seat is cast in resin and has a rear cushion, and dished metal seat to accommodate the pilot's parachute, to which arms and a full set of harnesses are added from resin and PE respectively. The rear bulkhead is a large chunk of resin that also incorporates the nose gear bay, which has exquisite wiring detail moulded into the back wall. Additional cockpit equipment is added to the bulkhead, along with the rudder beams that carry the PE rudder pedals. The bulkhead has a substantial projection moulded in (the nose gear bay's roof), which is extended by another detailed "floor" section between the rudder arms, and the seat is attached just forward of the sloped section. The inside skin of the front fuselage is moulded as a single part, and has no sidewall detail, because this is added by installing slim styrene skins to which the sidewall equipment is attached, after which the pilot's side consoles are glued, using the bottom of the skins as a location aid. A circular clear part fits in the floor before the main cockpit assembly is installed, along with the side-mounted control column and a narrow front bulkhead. This assembly is then set aside while the main fuselage is detailed and joined together.

A pair of nicely detailed resin main gear bays fit into each side of the fuselage, although with only the smaller bay door open, there won't be much to see. The larger bay door is moulded closed, as this is how it would be seen on the ground for the most part, unless there is maintenance underway in that area. It is probably best to install the bays after you have cut out the top fuselage section required for the radar operator's "booth", which happily runs along panel lines, but don't forget to also cut out the portholes that permit limited vision to the sides. The majority of the radar op's cockpit is moulded as a single piece of resin that incorporates the front bulkhead, side-consoles, instruments and even a fire-extinguisher moulded integrally. The rear bulkhead has the main instruments moulded in, as well as their wiring, which disappears off through a hole. The radar op sits facing the tail, and has a seat identical to that of the pilot, with another set of arms and seat harness included. Once this is painted and installed, the fuselage can be joined together, and the semi-recessed bomb-bay added to the extended oval hole in the lower fuselage. The main bays have a curved cut-out in them to accommodate this "bay", so you shouldn't have too much trouble getting it into place.

The wings and tail are built up next from upper and lower halves, and the tails installed at 90^o to the fin that is moulded into the fuselage halves. Its rudder is separate, and all the tail surfaces have mass-balances added to both sides, while the rudder's trim-tab actuating ram is also a separate part. Under the tail is the cover for the drag-chute housing, which is added from PE, and the cable is simulated by using the black "twine" that is provided with the kit. It is held in place by three PE hoops, and terminates in a resin housing at the rear, leaving a loop to hang down, which makes it look like a WWI tail skid! The wings fit to the fuselage using the usual tab and slot system, and should be at 90^o to the vertical, as shown in the accompanying scrap diagram. All the flying surfaces are moulded into the main planes and the elevators, so if you wanted to add a little candour to your Blitz, you'll need to break out the razor saw. They do have mass-balances on the upper sides however, to add a little detail. Each wing needs an engine nacelle, which are built up from a pair of halves, split vertically, and a resin front and rear engine face, which are very nicely detailed indeed. The edges of both plastic and resin parts have been chamfered nicely to give a very neat fit, and only the inner lips of the intakes might need a spot of filler if they are still visible after installation. To ease fit, there are a pair of small location lugs moulded onto the inner skin of the nacelles, which will also prevent the resin from falling into the interior if you mess up the gluing. A trio of auxiliary intakes are added to the front of the engine, best done after they are glued together and any seams hidden. The rear exhaust bullets are made from two styrene halves that drop inside the centre of the resin part, allowing easier painting if you leave them off until after. The completed nacelles should be glued onto the underside of the wing using the pair of curved panel lines as a guide, after which you can add the two-part extra fuel tanks to their lower surface, using the supplied short pylons and anti-sway braces, plus a flat "pad" on the underside of the engine, although the exact location of the pad isn't clearly shown during construction. The RATO pods are made from a two-part barrel and a resin parachute pack to the front, which deployed when they were jettisoned, so that they could be re-used. They are attached to the under wing by a framework made up from four parts of delicate styrene that will need care in cleaning up, as well as achieving the correct angles. A length of twine is used to make the chute deployment cable, which attaches to the front of the pack and at the top of the framework via two PE rings.

The two main gear legs have a styrene main strut and resin scissor-links fore and aft, to which the two-part wheels are added to the axles at the lower end. These fit into sockets on the bay roof, and a retraction jack is added to a PE bracket on the leg and the main bay doors to hold them open at the correct angle. The bay doors are styrene parts with PE hinges and bracket, but they could probably do with a little more detailing on the inside face at this scale. The nose gear leg is quite complex, and is built around a sturdy Y-shaped leg, with a main retraction leg that attaches to the very depths of the rear of the bay, and has two smaller jacks to the sides, and a pair of PE rods join the front to the back. A set of scrap diagrams show the build process to aid you in getting the correct geometry with the minimum of fuss, which is rather helpful, given the closeness of the bay walls. The two-piece wheel sits between the yoke that is added to the bottom of the main leg, and another pair of styrene bay doors with PE hinges are added to the sides.

The rest of the model requires the addition of lots of clear parts, which you did remember to dip in Klear earlier, didn't you? The sprue is small, but the parts within are quite large, and of good optical clarity, but most clear parts respond well to a dip, and it helps protect them against paint damage and superglue fogging, so why not? The first part is the clear cover for the FuG 350 Naxos radar detector, which fits just forward of the wing root along with the D/F loop antenna on the top of the fuselage. The main canopy is next, and this requires some preparation before it is added to the model, one aspect of which will cause a little raising of eyebrows, as it requires a lot of care and careful measuring. Because the Nachtjäger is only one of a number of variants, the holes for the FuG 218 antennae aren't pre-drilled, so you have to do the job yourself. In fairness to Fly, it would have required a lot of expensive tooling for one variant, and the scrap diagrams show exactly where you need to drill. Take extreme care at this stage, and drill lightly, making sure that you are keeping the angles correct, and that the antennae will fit through the hole, the size of which isn't disclosed. A number of trial fits are recommended, and taping the canopy in place, or even tack-gluing it in place with GS-Hypo cement may well pay dividends. There are a substantial number of parts to add to the upper canopy half before it can be installed, including the periscope with its exterior aerodynamic fairing, and internal eye-cup made from resin. There is also an additional instrument dial, hand-hold, canopy opening lever, and the main instrument panel, which is braced by a PE frame that attaches to the inside lip of the upper canopy. A bar is then added to the lower edge, which is the mounting point for the FuG antennae. In the lower portion, a flare-gun is inserted into its port, and a pair of PE braces are added. Assuming that the drilling of the canopy has gone well, it is now time to add the radar antennae, which comprises four support arms that pass through the canopy and meet at the centre of their mounting bar on the top and bottom. To these are added the H-shaped antennae, and you'll need to take care to get everything lined up here to avoid it looking like a bad game of Kerplunk! Two scrap diagrams show the correct alignment of the finished article from front and side. The last clear part is the canopy/cover for the radar operator's cubby hole. This should fit snugly into the hole you cut earlier, so it's as well to pattern said hole around the insert, to ensure a good fit later. Only the centre of the part is left clear, so you will need to mask the large porthole before you begin painting.

Only the belly-mounted cannon pack is left to install, and this is an impressive-looking piece of kit, with a space-age curve to every surface, and finely cast hinges all around. The barrels are separate resin parts, and it mounts to the centre of the recess, using four resin sway-braces to keep it stable. That's it. Construction is finished.

Markings
Fly have generously included markings for four aircraft in three different schemes, and the separate markings guide shows large side profiles for both sides, and smaller top and bottom profiles, so you'll not have to guess any of the markings. From the box you can build one of the following:

• W.Nr.140146 SM+FF Flown by Oblt. Bonow, Kommando Bonow, Oranienburg, 1945 – RLM82 over RLM76 with white crosses.
• W.Nr.140145 SM+FE Flown by Haptm. Bisping, Kommando Bonow, Oranienburg, 1945 – RLM81/82 splinter camo, over RLM76 undersides, with white crosses.
• W.Nr.140344 T9+EH Flown by Oblt. Erich K Sommer, Campoformido Air Base (Udine), Italy, April 1945 - RLM81/82 splinter camo, over RLM76 undersides, with white crosses.
• W.Nr.140173 F1+MT 9./KG76 Flown by Hptm. Josef Regler, March 1945 - RLM81/82 splinter camo heavily oversprayed with RLM76 on sides and upper surfaces, over RLM76 undersides, with white crosses.
  

The decals are printed anonymously, and are of good quality, having their Swastikas printed in halves for the usual reasons. They have good register, sharpness and colour density, and plenty of stencils are included for all parts of the model. A number of lengths of black stripe with silver rivets is also included, to decal around the cockpit – a feature that is quite prominent on the real thing.


Conclusion
This looks to be a winner, although a few folks will be put off by the resin and PE, but these really contribute to the overall quality of the detail, so are an absolute necessity. Detail is good throughout, whilst leaving areas such as the engine nacelles ripe for the aftermarket to provide us with full engine detail. Considering the relatively affordable price of the kits (there is more than one version), there's a lot in the box, so if you like this genre, the Blitz, or just fancy a change, it's a very interesting kit that seems to build up pretty well.

Very highly recommended.

Review sample courtesy of

[Radleigh]

Lovely review Mike of a lovely aircraft,... I saw one of these at Telford and if I had the money I think I would of got one.

Hope to see a build thread soon Mike...?

[snapper_city]

Looks like a great kit. How much will it be costing?

[Shar2]

I paid around £55 for the standard B-2 direct from Fly with free postage. I think the Night fighter is about £10 more. I've got both kits and they are superb.

[snapper_city]

Are these limited run kits or full blown production? Wondering if it can hold off for a couple of months?

[Mike]

They use short(er) run production methods, and I think that the initial run will sell out pretty quickly because it's a nice kit of an interesting subject. There could possibly be some lead time if there's enough demand for another run, but who knows? The longer I'm in this hobby, the more I err on the side of caution and buy stuff soon after it comes out if availability & finances coincide in a favourable manner.

[andym]

Mine arrived from Fly yesterday, I got the B-2 version. Looks good and nicely priced at £55 (especially compared to Hannants £67 plus postage)

Andy

[snapper_city]

Engine mesh covers.

https://sites.google.com/site/tinyland/Home/products_EN/pe_en/32_en/wwii-german-jumo004-basket

[snapper_city]

Just ordered myself one of these bad boys. Christmas present to myself I guess.

[Mike]

Good man! Whatever excuse you use to justify it, the best one is supporting the manufacturers that keep bringing us stuff like this

[snapper_city]

The misses tonight told me she has a confession and has spent £200 on eBay. It certainly made my confession a lot easier.

[snapper_city]

Mine arrived today. It looks a lovely kit.