Arado Ar 76

RS Models, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

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The Ar 76 was designed around the Argus As 10C eight cylinder engine. It was Arado’s contender to fill the role of an emergency Heimatschutzjäger, a “home defence fighter”.

Another important role envisaged for this competitor was that of an advanced fighter trainer.

The Focke-Wulf Fw 56 Stösser relegated the Arado product to second place in the design competition. As such, only a small production order was made to back up the Fw 56 and these were delivered to the Luftwaffe in 1936.

This kit from RS Models contains a single sprue of 26 plastic parts and another 2 clear items for the windscreen (one will be a spare). There is also a fret of coloured etched metal courtesy of Eduard and a decal sheet containing three options.

All of the parts are well formed with no sink marks or moulding abnormalities. The fuselage exhibits an excellent representation of the stringers and a convincing portrayal of the light alloy skin.

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Thumbnail panels:

The pilot’s “office” isn’t very large so the limited items provided in the kit fills out this area quite well. Supplied parts include the floor, rudder bar, seat, control column and assorted levers. Supplementing this are the aforementioned p-e items that consist of the pre painted seatbelts and instrument panel.

There is only a solitary main wing on this aircraft and logically it is moulded in one piece. Once again the detail is both subtle and convincing with very good trailing edges.

The struts should not present a problem as most of the assembly is a single item. The p-e fret comes into its own again as the more delicate bracing is found here.

Three options as catered for on the single decal sheet. Everything was in perfect register and the carrier film is very thin.

Those represented are:

1. Arado Ar 76 FFS A/B 5, coded CA+FV, Seerapen 1939.
2. Arado Ar 76 FFS A/B 23, coded DB+UL, Kaufbeuren 1940.
3. Arado Ar 76 I./JG 232, coded D-IZVA, Bernburg 1936.

Where necessary, the instructions point out the modification to cater for the uncovered wheels of option 2.

Although the Arado 76 looks like a complex airplane, the kit’s breakdown of parts suggests otherwise. The rigging may intimidate some modellers but it looks harder than it really is.

The mouldings are sharp and the kit scales out perfectly with dimensions provided in William Green’s tome “Warplanes of the Third Reich”.

The colourful schemes provided will add to its appeal and the quality of the product should endear this release to all modellers of this much neglected subject.

Recommended.

Thanks to RS Models for the sample

Review Text Copyright © 2008 by Rob Baumgartner
Page Created 6 March, 2008
Last updated 7 March, 2008

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