Roden 1/48 Arado Ar-68F

Started by Tom Cleaver · 29 · 3 years ago
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    Tom Cleaver said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    The new Roden kit of the Ar-68F. I liked their Ar-68E kit a lot. Looking at it, they have the cowling right, unlike the Classic Airframes release of this subject so many moons ago.

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

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    John Healy said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Good pick, Tom. I’m interested in that one.

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    Paul Higgins said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    An interesting subject... looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Another great choice, @tcinla!
    Looks like Roden left the pebbly, surfaces, brittle plastic, minor mold shifting and challenging decals in the distant past...
    Loved what you did with the Spanish -E, looking forward to see this done.
    Kie decals to be used, may I suppose?

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    John vd Biggelaar said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Also a very nice one, Tom @tcinla.
    Looking forward how you deal with this bi-plane.

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    George R Blair Jr said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Interesting choice, Tom (@tcinla). Looking forward to the build.

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    Colin Gomez said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    This will be fun, Tom. You don't see many of these early Luftwaffe biplanes built. It should complement the Ju-52 that Louis is building to illuminate that period. Roden kits are really nice, IMHO. I have a couple of their Gladiators to get to some day, as well as some WW I stuff that still intimidates me too much to start (rigging biplanes is a bit much for me yet).

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    Louis Gardner said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Tom, @tcinla

    I will be watching this one for updates, and like these other guys have mentioned, I am also looking forward to the build. I have the old Classic Airframes kit of the Arado Ar-68 E/F, and plan on building it up along with the Heinkel 51's I have in the stash. Please take some good pictures of the details as you build this one, and post them up so that those of us who have these older kits can have more reference material.

    Thanks !

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    Tom Cleaver said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    @lgardner - Having done the CA kit, if accuracy matters, their Ar-68 series was one of the worst. As much effort as you put into it, it will still be wrong, not to mention it's a PITA to build. These two Roden kits on the other hand are completely accurate and as close to a "weekender" as a biplane ever gets.

    I'll put up detail, but most of it won't have anything to do with those kits.

    You've been warned.:-)

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    Louis Gardner said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Thanks Tom. @tcinla

    Duly noted,...and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Anything you can post will be greatly appreciated.

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    Ronnie Olsthoorn said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Cool choice! What scheme you're planning on?

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    Tom Cleaver said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    @skyraider3d - Going to go with the pre-war JG-135 (ex-Austrian AF) scheme

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    Tom Cleaver said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Here is some preliminary assembly. The forward cowling and fuselage are butt-joined, so I put in some evergreen sheet inside to add "grabbing surface". Wings assembled and cockpit interior frame also assembled, and a test-fit of the fuselage and lower wings. All is well.

    5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Looks nice and solid, my friend @tcinla!

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    John vd Biggelaar said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Perfect steps on the airframe, Tom.
    Back in those days building such an airframe was real craftsmanship.