Arado Ar 234 V7

[Jicehem]

Hi mates,

I begun at the very end of last April, and in 1/72 scale, the representation of Erich Sommer’s Arado Ar 234 V7 with which he realized the first operational photo-recce mission  with a jet plane. That was on August 2nd, 1944, by overflying the Normandy beaches. This event is descrided in details in the last extra issue (No. 25) of Aéro-Journal. The assembly  was lying in length for many reasons connected to certain delicate points of modification of the DML Dragon kit which represents the Ar 234 B-2r version.
It was thus necessary to eliminate) the landing gear and to slightly modify the profile of the turbojet nacelles. The longestwill be the trolley used for of take-off. It is necessary to replace the landing gear by skids. The Ar 234 A (i.e. V prototypes with skids) had the original « small » wing span due to the absence of the landing gear with a narrower fuselage which was later widenned by 20 cms to incorporate the main landing gear.  So, the fuselage of the kit was shrunk by 3 mm to be in accordance with that of the V7 prototype.
Previously, it was necessary to close all the wheel bays of the landing gear and it is there that we realize weaknesses of fitting of the bay covers of a model which, on the whole, was studied "all opened"...




The fuselage is now assembled and the aerial cameras Rb 50/30 are also mounted. The housing of the ventral skid is done; it is slightly lacking depth, but it will go unnoticed, the plane being put on its trolley :


Cameras have a slope of 12 ° compared with the vertical line:


It was necessary to take back the upper profile of the engine nacelles, better steamlined than on the planes of series Ar 234 B. I made it by addition putty. Forms resumed several times... It is long, very long, but the end justifies the perseverance... It will be necessary to me to add the various small air intakes.


To be continued.

Jicéhem

[No.1]

I can just salute to experts analyze and give this detail of skid, if it mean anything 

[Jicehem]

I got this photo. Very complicated details...

Jicéhem

[Jicehem]

This Dragon kit is really delicate to assemble. It is necessary to thicken the pins of wings, and by top necessarily, to avoid having a gap with the the back of the fuselage. But it is not enough; in reality, it would be necessary to lower the cracks of fixation. In brief, the result was to sand to obtain a continuity of all the surfaces. I drew the plan of camouflage in broken lines, which, at that time, is in RLM 70, 71 and 65.
The plastic of this model is of poor quality and wings must be strengthened to avoid warping...


Now, wings and horizontal tail wings are fitted.




I calculated the size of the skids by using a " full side " photographs of Ar 234 V5. That also helped me to draw a profile in 1/72 scale. For the making of skids under the nacelles I used two half parts of 50 kg bombs in 1/48. Indeed, these skids have to be hollow to fix it the operating piston. The housing of this jack is a simple crack in the nacelle, the skid sticking to it in retracted position.



The upper part of the glazed nose of the Ar 234 A is not the same than that of the B version and has to be reshaped. I used a vacuformed from Squadron for a B version but reshaped it. I represented too the internal frames of the glazed housing on which glasses are affixed by the means of screws. they are made of black paper strips. There are no external frames on the Ar 234... I had too to make a new cockpit intéerior because it's not the same than this of the B-version.












Skids are now fitted :






Next step will be painting in RLM 70, 71 and 65 colors.

To be contnued.

Jicéhem

[No.1]

Surgery

[Second Air Force]

Terrific work!!

[modellius]

Huh, lots of work on this one, but so far so good must say, keep on the good work mate !

[Jicehem]

Hi mates,

The airplane is now entirely painted. I have to find markings beacause the modification has been made from the night-fighting version... and the markings in this box are not suited for a prototype. I started also the building of the Rato devices (HWK 500 R-Gerät) :










Jicéhem

[No.1]

Precision paint work

[draken35]

Waouw

[modellius]

Great !

[Second Air Force]

Excellent build, my friend! I've only recently finished a book and this airplane and that first mission are written of in one chapter.

[Jicehem]

Hi mates,

Thank you for comments.

I've only recently finished a book and this airplane and that first mission are written of in one chapter.

What's this book ? Is it English version of Philippe Bauduin's book ?

Jicéhem

[Second Air Force]

No, my reference was a book about many German "secret weapons" and the Ar 234 first mission was mentioned in the chapter on jet and rocket planes. I will find the book and post the title!

[Jicehem]

Thank you for your reply, Second Air force.

Jicéhem