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My latest creation and its not a WAFU! Ar 234 Blitz Bomber


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Good day all! Hope you are all keeping well, or as well as you possibly can. This is my latest completion, Hasegawas AR234 B in 1:48. I got this quite cheap as a second hand from my LHS so I also splashed out on a couple of extras. I used the Aires Cockpit detail set along with the landing gear bay set. Both of these sets are exquisite and beautifully cast. The cockpit set is well worth it as the greenhouse style cockpit canopy really calls out for some extra detailing. The landing gear bay is also beautifully produced but unfortunately the gear well door openings are so small you can really see any of the detail. I wish I had taken a couple of pictures before assembly just to show that area off! But alas no, still at least I know its in there! The kit went together very well as you would expect with a modern Hasegawa kit. I hardly used any filler and by careful test fitting the parts went together nicely. My only problem was for some reason I kept picking it up by the nose canopy area which kept cracking the glued joins and caused me great annoyance - but that was only down to my clumsiness though. Paints were all from the Vallejo Air range and decals were the ones supplied by the kit. I did have a couple of embellishments though, I really liked the set up for the recon cameras in the rear fuselage, I couldn't find any examples of the 'B' variant having these fitted but I installed them anyway with the glass panels. A bit of artistic license if you like. Any how this was a nice kit to build and went together quite quick, definitely recommend the cockpit resin set but don't worry too much about the undercarriage bay. Here are the photos...

 

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And just to show off the exquisite detail in the wheel wells! There is some there honest guv!

 

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This was as good a shot of the cockpit as I could manage!

 

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Thanks for looking in!

Bob

Edited by moaning dolphin
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Really nice! I'd like to build a recon one; I think they operated England in autumn 1944? What are the I retesting things under the wings? Look like parachutes on the front? Some sort of aerial mine?

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A beautiful job on the Arado, excellent modelling ! 
Hi Ben-m, the things under the wing are rockets for assisted take off that were jettersoned after take-off, hence the parachutes.

 

Wulfman

 

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41 minutes ago, ben_m said:

What are the I retesting things under the wings? Look like parachutes on the front? Some sort of aerial mine?

RATO units.  

 

parachutes for retrieval.

 

2 hours ago, moaning dolphin said:

 

 

20200518_162624

 

Its come out really well...but, one thing to consider doing,  gloss coat the black framing and then pick out the rivets

 

..why..

 

the 'black frames' are in fact rubber sealant strips inside the glazing, which is perspex panels then riveted on

 

It's not a very obvious detail in period photos,  but look at the reflections on this, and the construction become obvious |

(and I see Hasegawa have fake frames lines as well...) 

 

1280px-Arado_Ar_234_B-2_nose.jpg

 

It usually missed.... many years ago I got the Hobbycraft Ar234 cheap, (I wasn't an active modeller) and a bit later after a trio to Hendon,  went to Hannants and bought the Airwaves etch set, I remember the chap behind the counter pointing out all the glazing strips..

Subsequent research showed this to be cobblers,  as this was a very streamlined jet,  as the image above shows.

 

I mention this as it not impossible too change.. ?

 

A  small point on what is an excellent build! :goodjob:

 

 

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Oh man, that is fantastic!   You've done a beautiful job, and turned out a beautiful model too. :clap2:  Coincidentally, I had my Hasegawa kit out this week, thinking I might place it in the "queue"...it is intimidating to me but you sir, have tackled it and nailed it!  Bravo! And thanks for the inspiration too.  :worthy:

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Lovely work, Bob... a smart looking result. 

 

I hope you'll forgive me pointing this out, but the codes on the right side of the fuselage are the wrong way round.  Where a full code (ie, all the characters of an alpha-numeric code) were displayed, the parent code indicator - in this case F1 for KG76 - always sat to the left of the fuselage cross, irrespective of what side of the fuselage is being viewed, as per this link showing restored Ar234 at the NASM. 

 

I don't know if it was the case with this kit, but in recent years, several of the mainstream manufacturers have actually shown the codes the wrong way round in their instruction sheets.  It's as though they create the image  for their 'camouflage and markings' section, then flip it horizontally but don't adjust the presentation of the codes!  It is so annoying as it leads modellers to inadvertently trip up on the last lap of what otherwise can be a first class finish.

 

That aside, your work is indeed excellent, and you should quite rightly be proud of this end result.

 

Regards,

 

Paul

 

 

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Thanks all for chipping in and providing positive feedback, its much appreciated, glad you liked it!

 

On 5/20/2020 at 5:41 PM, Troy Smith said:

gloss coat the black framing and then pick out the rivets

Its funny you mention that, I had researched this when I first got the kit several years ago and saw that but in the meantime had totally forgotten about it! With hindsight I should have painted the inside but alas I forgot. I may go back and redo the framing with gloss though. Thanks for reminding me :D

On 5/20/2020 at 9:44 PM, obdl3945 said:

I hope you'll forgive me pointing this out

Absolutely, I welcome feedback and I find it interesting learning more about subjects I'm unfamiliar:D

 

On 5/20/2020 at 9:44 PM, obdl3945 said:

the codes on the right side of the fuselage are the wrong way round

I have gone back and checked the instructions on this release and they are indeed correct! I must have just blindly ignored them and carried on regardless! (I mean who actually looks at instructions! I thought it was just extra padding for the plastic!) I do have an FW190 in the pile so will look out for this when the time comes.

Thanks again all and enjoy the weekend!

Bob

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