ProModeler's 1/48 scale
Arado Ar 234C-4

by Bob Aikens

ProModeler's 1/48 scale Ar 234C is available online from Squadron

Here is my 1/48 scale ProModeler Ar 234C-4.

This is a good model kit but like most models it has a few challenges. Floyd S. Werner Jr.'s article on the Jumo-engined B version of this kit was quite helpful, especially on wing-fuselage alignment.

In retrospect there are two things that remain with me about this kit:

1. the work I had to do to get the front section joined up nicely to the fuselage, and

2. the beautiful fit of the nacelles to the wings; truly a saving grace-they can be popped on for aligning the masked areas, and popped off to facilitate fuselage painting.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Perhaps it was just my ineptitude but I found the front section troublesome. It consists of 2 bottom pieces(gun section) and a top (clear) piece. These have to be meticulously joined to avoid (if possible) the fit problems that may attend. I built the lower front section first and joined it to the previously assembled fuselage, thinking that I was cleverly avoiding incipient problems-not so! It was a case of the dummy outsmarting himself and the ventriloquist!

Alas, when I went to fit the upper glazing, it didn't line up too well, and I spent hours - no, days - blending the sections. Moreover, I'm still not convinced that if I had done the opposite(building the whole front unit first and then fitting that to the fuselage), that it would have been any different!

Two small pieces of surgery were done. The first was the outside flaps. The inside ones were almost flush to the fuselage and posed a bit more work than I wanted to do as the front sections were occupying my resources mightily wonder what Allenby or Gordon would have done had they been modelers).

Next, the entry hatch was cut out - how easily the phrase rolls off the keyboard! It took me about two hours with a needle in a pin vise to scribe my way through the canopy plastic - another fool's errand. But the cockpit is quite highly detailed and better viewed with the transom open. It also enabled me to retro-fit the seat and it's Eduard harness.

I had intended to mount the rocket take-off assists (Walter RI 202) but the support mounts were frangible-finnicky and overcame me. But, as you can see, when the aircraft is clean it looks sleek and fast just sitting there . The drag chute wire was also very breakable and was so replaced with solder wire.

Also of note- in retrofitting the front wheel- the fit up into the forks is much too snug. You can either widen the forks with a shim into the strut or sand some of the plastic from the inside of the forks-otherwise it's a tight fit.

I used Model Master Braunviolett and Lightgrun for the upper surfaces. I lightened the Braunviolett as it seemed, perhaps a bit too dark in the bottle.

The lower surfaces were done with MM RLM 76. Most of the panel and surface lines were accentuated with a wash, and a bit of pastel treatment done on the broad upper surfaces.

My model is Ar 234C-3/008-the 8th pre-production example. The second version on the kit sheet is Ar 234C-4/022, a reconaissance version, probably the production prototype (wm. Green WOTTR).

This is a nice, but moderately challenging kit. Armed with my schooling on this one I'm looking forward to the twin Jumo night-fighter version.

The looks of this aircraft sort of grow on you.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2005 by Bob Aikens
Page Created 28 January, 2005
Last Updated 28 January, 2005

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