In Box Review of DML Dragon 1/72nd Scale
German Arado AR-234C-3 with V-1 Huckepack
Kit no. 5011
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Kit has a copyright date of 1993 and I paid $24.98 for my kit back then at a local shop that went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Kit has a copyright date of 1993 and I paid $24.98 for my kit back then at a local shop that went out of business.
HISTORY:
The basic research on the world's first jet powered high speed reconnaissance aircraft started in in Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbHin 1940. The first prototypes were designed to be mounted on a tricycle dolly for take off and use the skids for landing.
The Luftwaffe needed a high speed bomber out of the AR234 as well as a reconnaissance plane. As this design was not suitable for a bomber and requiring store space under the fuselage, it was changed to normal retractable landing gear layout for the production models.
The first production model B-2, powered by a pair of Jumo 004B engines was delivered to III/KG76 from summer of 1944 and extensively used against the Allied ground troops until March of the next year.
The second production model was the C-3 four-engine bomber carrying a pair of BMW 003A engines combined in a cleanly designed pod under each wing in place of a single Jumo 004B engine of the B-2.
The nose section was redesigned to accommodate a pressurized cabin and a pair of 20 mm cannons. The C-3 achieved a much improved maximum speed and was planned to be the main production model, but it was too late and only some 20 aircraft were built.
The C-3 was powerful enough to be a mother aircraft to carry and launch heavy weapons, and there were some planes to combine it with the FI103 (v-1) flying bomb on it's back with hydraulically operated arms, and the Arado E-381 manned rocket fighter to be carried under the fuselage.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Wingspan: 14.41 m
Length: 12.84 m
Height: 4.15 m
Empty weight: 6,530 kg
Powerplants: four BMW 003A (thrust 800kg)
Max speed: 873 km/h
Ceiling: 11,520m
Range: 770km
Fixed armament: two MG151 20 mm cannons
Maximum bomb load: 1,500 kg
The basic research on the world's first jet powered high speed reconnaissance aircraft started in in Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbHin 1940. The first prototypes were designed to be mounted on a tricycle dolly for take off and use the skids for landing.
The Luftwaffe needed a high speed bomber out of the AR234 as well as a reconnaissance plane. As this design was not suitable for a bomber and requiring store space under the fuselage, it was changed to normal retractable landing gear layout for the production models.
The first production model B-2, powered by a pair of Jumo 004B engines was delivered to III/KG76 from summer of 1944 and extensively used against the Allied ground troops until March of the next year.
The second production model was the C-3 four-engine bomber carrying a pair of BMW 003A engines combined in a cleanly designed pod under each wing in place of a single Jumo 004B engine of the B-2.
The nose section was redesigned to accommodate a pressurized cabin and a pair of 20 mm cannons. The C-3 achieved a much improved maximum speed and was planned to be the main production model, but it was too late and only some 20 aircraft were built.
The C-3 was powerful enough to be a mother aircraft to carry and launch heavy weapons, and there were some planes to combine it with the FI103 (v-1) flying bomb on it's back with hydraulically operated arms, and the Arado E-381 manned rocket fighter to be carried under the fuselage.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Wingspan: 14.41 m
Length: 12.84 m
Height: 4.15 m
Empty weight: 6,530 kg
Powerplants: four BMW 003A (thrust 800kg)
Max speed: 873 km/h
Ceiling: 11,520m
Range: 770km
Fixed armament: two MG151 20 mm cannons
Maximum bomb load: 1,500 kg
THE KIT:
DML Dragon is a prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit was imported and distributed by Marco Polo Import Inc. in City of Industry, CA.
It came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows two AR-234C-3's flying above the clouds and being escorted by two Focke Wulf TA-183 "Huckebein's" (Raven). The TA-183 was only a prototype that never got beyond wind models.
The AR-234C-4's are carrying a V-1 each on a trapeze on their backs. One of them is launching the V-1. Both are in a wave pattern of 2 shades of green with white squiggle lines over a light blue under-carriage. Fuselage codes on them are obscured by their wings.
The nearest TA-183 is in a mottle of green over a base of gray with a light-blue under-carriage. It has a yellow nose with a black 8 behind it and a black and white fuselage band. The second one is banking away and just showing it's light-blue under carriage and yellow nose.
On side panel has 3 color walk-around type photos of the model made up. The first photo shows it in the box art scheme with black fuselage code small A1 + large AS. It has it's V-1 down.
The second photo show it with the V-1 extended.
The third photo shows the V-1 on top of the extended arms, followed by Marco Polo's street address in City of Industry, CA and their FAX number, copyright date 1993 and MADE IN HONG KONG.
DML Dragon is a prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit was imported and distributed by Marco Polo Import Inc. in City of Industry, CA.
It came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows two AR-234C-3's flying above the clouds and being escorted by two Focke Wulf TA-183 "Huckebein's" (Raven). The TA-183 was only a prototype that never got beyond wind models.
The AR-234C-4's are carrying a V-1 each on a trapeze on their backs. One of them is launching the V-1. Both are in a wave pattern of 2 shades of green with white squiggle lines over a light blue under-carriage. Fuselage codes on them are obscured by their wings.
The nearest TA-183 is in a mottle of green over a base of gray with a light-blue under-carriage. It has a yellow nose with a black 8 behind it and a black and white fuselage band. The second one is banking away and just showing it's light-blue under carriage and yellow nose.
On side panel has 3 color walk-around type photos of the model made up. The first photo shows it in the box art scheme with black fuselage code small A1 + large AS. It has it's V-1 down.
The second photo show it with the V-1 extended.
The third photo shows the V-1 on top of the extended arms, followed by Marco Polo's street address in City of Industry, CA and their FAX number, copyright date 1993 and MADE IN HONG KONG.
The other side panel has one-paragraph history of the AR-234C-3 in 6 languages, including English, marked with color illustrations of the flags of the countries that speak these languages - Japanese, French, English, Italian, German and Chinese, followed by Marco Polo's address and FAX number and MADE IN HONG KONG again.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 3 light-gray trees, a clear tree and decal sheet in 3 sealed clear cello bags, a small steel PE fret in a another sealed clear cello bag with a stiff white card and it is stapled to a cardboard shelf at the end of the tray, and the instructions.
Trees are alphabetized and illustrated in the instructions and have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7" x 10 1/4" page format.
Page 1 has a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the AR-234C-3 in the 6 languages.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS about the kit, international assembly symbol explanations and a color listing in the 6 languages, over a black and white photo of the model made up in the box art scheme or it can have the fuselage code G1 + DS with small black 140 large 512 on the rudder.
Page 7 has a 4-view of the box art scheme that further shows serial number in black of small 140 large 004 on it's rudder and a 2-view of the V-1 (already described above).
Page 8 is the parts trees illustrations and decal placing instructions.
Light-gray letter A tree holds: fuselage, elevators, wheels, foot pedals, consoles, landing-gear legs, seat etc. (52 parts) Four parts are blued-out in the instructions as being excess and not needed to complete the model.
The kit contains 3 light-gray trees, a clear tree and decal sheet in 3 sealed clear cello bags, a small steel PE fret in a another sealed clear cello bag with a stiff white card and it is stapled to a cardboard shelf at the end of the tray, and the instructions.
Trees are alphabetized and illustrated in the instructions and have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7" x 10 1/4" page format.
Page 1 has a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the AR-234C-3 in the 6 languages.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS about the kit, international assembly symbol explanations and a color listing in the 6 languages, over a black and white photo of the model made up in the box art scheme or it can have the fuselage code G1 + DS with small black 140 large 512 on the rudder.
Page 7 has a 4-view of the box art scheme that further shows serial number in black of small 140 large 004 on it's rudder and a 2-view of the V-1 (already described above).
Page 8 is the parts trees illustrations and decal placing instructions.
Light-gray letter A tree holds: fuselage, elevators, wheels, foot pedals, consoles, landing-gear legs, seat etc. (52 parts) Four parts are blued-out in the instructions as being excess and not needed to complete the model.
There is no letter B tree.
Light-gray Letter C tree holds: wings, engines, cockpit tub, nose gear legs, nose wheel, drop tank etc. (31 parts)
Light-gray Letter C tree holds: wings, engines, cockpit tub, nose gear legs, nose wheel, drop tank etc. (31 parts)
Lettering jumps to the light-gray letter F tree. It holds bombs (12 parts)
There is no letter G tree.
Clear letter H tree holds the camera compartment's lid and camera lenses (4 parts)
Letter J tree is also clear. It holds the cockpit canopy, nose and small bomb aiming window (4 parts)
Letter J tree is also clear. It holds the cockpit canopy, nose and small bomb aiming window (4 parts)
Light-gray letter K tree is all the parts for the V-1 and its launch arms (11 parts)
MA is the steel PE fret. It holds antennas etc. (6 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kit.
Model has nice engraved detail. No pilot figure is included and flaps are all molded solid.
Highly recommended.