Planet Models
1/48 Arado Ar 396

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

History

In researching this kit I could turn up very little on this little trainer. While it looks similar to the Ar 96, it was in fact an all-new design that was intended to minimize the use of essential metals. Planning started in 1944, with the design work and production slated to take place at the SIPA works in Paris, France. Only twelve were finished before the war was over, one of which ended up in Czechoslovakia, where the German crosses were crudely overpainted with Czech roundels.

After the war, SIPA in France continued producing the Ar 396 under the designation S-10, S-11, S-12, and S-121. The main difference between the German version and the French was the canopy, with the French example having a three-section center piece and the German one having a two-section one. The Arado Ar 396 had decent performance for the time, with a service ceiling of around 23,000ft and a maximum speed of 220mph.

The Kit

Planet Models has put out some interesting subjects in the past, and this kit continues on in that tradition. With only twelve German examples completed this kit will make for an interesting addition to any Luftwaffe collection. But how is the kit, you say? Well, it's not bad. The resin is cleanly molded and two vacuformed canopies are provided. The decals give you options for a Luftwaffe bird and the sole Czech Ar 396. Unfortunately to do a French SIPA S.12 from this kit would require a new canopy, but that shouldn't be too difficult to whip up if one is so desired.

The interior is made up of a floorboard, an instrument panel, two control sticks, rudder pedals, and two seats. Sidewall detail is included in the fuselage halves and is pretty good. The canopy is large and clear, so all this detailing will be very visible. Some careful painting and perhaps some added plastic bits and pieces will really enhance this area.

The fuselage halves trap the completed cockpit and the forward engine & bulkhead inside, then the rest of the assembly is really straightforward. The one-piece wing and tailplanes make things easy, although you'll probably want to use a slow-setting adhesive to make sure everything is properly lined up. The propeller has the typical front impeller provided as a separate part and once it's cleaned up it'll really look nice. The landing gear is basic, but then again, it was pretty basic on the real plane, too.

The decals are very nice and are printed by Propagteam. At first I thought that the Czech roundels were screwed up, but after reading about the plane I discovered that they actually looked like that, as they were quickly painted on over the Luftwaffe crosses and swastikas. Both examples are finished in the standard 70/71/65 paint scheme, with the Luftwaffe one being coded NS+OA and the Czech one having the codes RT-WL. Both have yellow fuselage bands and wingtip undersides, with the Czech one having the upper half of the fuselage band painted out.

Conclusion

With the Special Hobby kit of the Arado Ar 96 out, this kit would make for a neat display addition. Sitting next to its earlier stablemate, the similarities really jump out. The basic construction of the kit and simple finishing options make this a good kit for resin beginners.