Arado Ar 196

[Whitta]

Hello All,

I've found an interesting pic of a A 196 in a Schiffer book(Arado Ar 196 by Dabrowski and Koos) with reg. L2+X41. It looks to be painted RLM02. There is no date or location, but there is a Junkers floatplane in the background. Does anyone have more info on this aircraft and its colour scheme?

thanks in advance for any help received.

 

TW

[Tapcho]

I put L2+X41 in Google and found this. Top three links give you more pictures of the plane and the ship it was issued to was Admiral Graf Spee. Those pictures semed to be taken around 1939 in Denmark Aalborg. Hope this helps.

[LSP_Mike]

That could be interesting!

[Whitta]

Thanks All,

Wow! an Ar 196 in RLM02! And from KMS Admiral Graf Von Spee! Now I know What i'm building!

[mattlow]

Hi TW

 

Just a short note say that this machine is an Ar 196A-1, Revell's kit is an A-3. The text below, taken from Wikipedia, lists the versions and changes - seemingly limited to armament between A-1 and A-3.

 

"10 A-0s were delivered in November and December 1938, with a single 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in the rear seat for defense. Five similarly-equipped B-0s were also delivered to land-based squadrons. This was followed by 20 A-1 production models starting in June 1939, enough to equip the surface fleet.

 

Starting in November production switched to the heavier land-based A-2 model. It added shackles for two 50 kg (110 lb) bombs, two 20 mm MG FF cannons in the wings, and a 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun in the cowling. The A-4 replaced it in December 1940, strengthening the airframe, adding another radio, and switching props to a VDM model. The apparently mis-numbered A-3 replaced the A-4, with additional strengthening of the airframe. The final production version was the A-5 from 1943, which changed radios and cockpit instruments, and switched the rear gun to the much-improved MG 81Z."

I like the idea of an A-5 with MG 81Z in rear...

 

Matt

Edited February 7, 2011 by mattlow