From: "Submissions for ARC" To: "Nicholas Moore" References: <484838.69575.qm@web96006.mail.aue.yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Hi Steve - review of Tamileri Ar 196 follows... Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:29:03 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_01E2_01CB475C.A44527B0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3664 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_01E2_01CB475C.A44527B0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi, I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today. Thanks = again for sending it in. Steve Bamford Aircraft Resource Center http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com Live like there is no tomorrow; Love like you've never been hurt. Work like you don't need the money. Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's Heaven on Earth. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Nicholas Moore=20 To: submissions@arcair.com=20 Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 2:28 AM Subject: Hi Steve - review of Tamileri Ar 196 follows... Tamiya =20 1/48 Arado Ar 196A =20 TAM37006 from HobbyLink Japan http://www.hlj.com/ =20 Product article by Nick Moore =20 The Ar 196 was one of the most widely recognised float planes of = World War II due in no small way to it benefiting from some great photo = opportunities whilst featuring amongst the superstructure of some famous = German capital ships. It had a good service record and started as a = pre-war design that was subsequently strengthened and given heavier = armament as the war progressed. Though never able or intended to fight = on an equal footing with Allied fighters it survived late into the war = (unlike many of its famous mounts) proving very effective in = reconnaissance, submarine hunting and appropriate interception roles. = The combination of its interesting history, irregular fuselage lines, = bulbous cowlings, dramatic camouflage and colourful theatre and squadron = markings make for a very appealing subject.=20 This kit is a Tamiya repackaging of the original Italeri kit = which was released only a short time ago. It=E2=80=99s a very attractive = product and Tamiya have had some great box art commissioned for this = release (based on an actual photograph) showing one of the Bismarck's Ar = 196s as it is launched out over a calm sea in this relatively short = lived glamour role. With there being so few survivors from = Bismarck=E2=80=99s sinking I guess the aircrews of the four = Arado=E2=80=99s perished with their shipmates. =20 Tamiya have upped the quantity of sprues you receive with this = kit from five to six. So that=E2=80=99s two identical crew figures for = you. The figures look like they are posing for a school photograph and = aren=E2=80=99t much good for anything (can we please have more of those = excellent little figures from ICM?). I have included a number of photos = comparing a few parts from this model to the older MPM example (moulded = in a hard to photograph white plastic) to hopefully give you an idea of = relative quality of the models. Unless noted as MPM you can assume it is = an Italeri part. Have a good look at the photos - you can draw your own = conclusions but I won=E2=80=99t write off my MPM kit completely (I = purchased it last year from a much more knowledgeable modeller who had = obviously caught wind of the new Italeri tooling). There are some very = fine builds of that MPM kit out there too. =20 My first impression of this tooling is that in many places the = detail is soft =E2=80=93 particularly the smaller stand alone parts. = There are heavy seam lines in places, poor definition and lost = opportunities to put more detail into that big cockpit =E2=80=93 and = elsewhere. There are sufficient interior parts to get you started on the = detailing =E2=80=93 but it=E2=80=99s now 2010 so why not go a little = further Italeri? The surface detail on the major parts is quite nice but = there will be accusations of it being exaggerated and with some = justification. Nevertheless, it has been tooled and can be reduced or = removed if desired and without much difficulty.. Anyway =E2=80=93 look = at the photos provided here and check your reference photographs.=20 =20 The decals provide markings for: =20 A 2/Sagr.125, Crete, 1941 =20 B 1/Bordflieger Gr.196, Battleship Bismarck, 1940 =20 C 1/Bordflieger Gr.196 Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen, 1940 =20 D Auxillary Cruiser Thor (HSK-4), Malaya, 1941 =20 E Auxillary Cruiser Widder (HSK-3), October 1941 =20 =20 Decals are pretty good and only the French roundels are a little = off at their centres. =20 Instructions are clear and easy to follow =E2=80=93 there is = also a supplementary document (and I don=E2=80=99t know if this in the = Italeri boxing) that provides a history of the type including a little = background on the French and Japanese markings for Ar196s carried by = German auxiliary cruisers in the Pacific. It also has a couple of small = sketches and a factory photo. The kit should look real nice with some = suitable marine environment weathering =E2=80=93 if you can bring = yourself to do that after laying down all that nice paint and decal = work.... =20 This Italeri/Tamiya Ar 196 is recommended but I think = it=E2=80=99ll be up to the good brass and resin people out there put = together a package to really elevate this kit up to spec or you can use = what=E2=80=99s there as the basis for your own scratch building. The Ar = 196 is such a deserving subject of some extra attention =E2=80=A6 and it = kind of needs it. =20 This kit can be purchased here: = http://www.hlj.com/product/TAM37006 =20 My thanks to HobbyLink Japan (http://www..hlj.com/) for = providing this review sample. =20 Nick Moore 24 August 2010 =20 ------=_NextPart_000_01E2_01CB475C.A44527B0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =EF=BB=BF
 
Hi,
I just wanted to let you know = your article=20 went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.
 
Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource = Center
http://www.aircraftresourc= ecenter.com
 
Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love = like you've=20 never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like = nobody's=20 watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on=20 Earth.
----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Nicholas=20 Moore
To: submissions@arcair.com =
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 = 2:28=20 AM
Subject: Hi Steve - review of = Tamileri Ar=20 196 follows...

 Tamiya

 

1/48 = Arado Ar=20 196A

 

TAM37006 = from HobbyLink=20 Japan http://www.hlj.com/

 

Product = article by Nick=20 Moore

 

The Ar 196 was one of the most = widely=20 recognised float planes of World War II due in no small way to = it=20 benefiting from some great photo opportunities whilst featuring = amongst=20 the superstructure of some famous German capital ships. It had a = good=20 service record and started as a pre-war design that was = subsequently=20 strengthened and given heavier armament as the war progressed. = Though=20 never able or intended to fight on an equal footing with Allied = fighters=20 it survived late into the war (unlike many of its famous mounts) = proving=20 very effective in reconnaissance, submarine hunting and = appropriate=20 interception roles. The combination of its interesting history,=20 irregular fuselage lines, bulbous cowlings, dramatic camouflage = and=20 colourful theatre and squadron markings make for a very = appealing=20 subject.

This kit is a Tamiya repackaging of the = original=20 Italeri kit which was released only a short time ago. = It=E2=80=99s a very=20 attractive product and Tamiya have had some great box art = commissioned=20 for this release (based on an actual photograph) showing one of = the=20 Bismarck's Ar 196s as it is = launched=20 out over a calm sea in this relatively short lived glamour role. = With=20 there being so few survivors from Bismarck=E2=80=99s sinking I = guess the aircrews=20 of the four Arado=E2=80=99s perished with their = shipmates.

 

Tamiya have upped the quantity = of sprues=20 you receive with this kit from five to six. So that=E2=80=99s = two identical crew=20 figures for you. The figures look like they are posing for = a school=20 photograph and aren=E2=80=99t much good for anything (can = we please have=20 more of those excellent little figures from ICM?). I have = included a=20 number of photos comparing a few parts from this model to the = older MPM=20 example (moulded in a hard to photograph white plastic) to = hopefully=20 give you an idea of relative quality of the models. Unless noted = as MPM=20 you can assume it is an Italeri part. Have a good look at the = photos -=20 you can draw your own conclusions but I won=E2=80=99t write off = my MPM kit=20 completely (I purchased it last year from a much more = knowledgeable=20 modeller who had obviously caught wind of the new Italeri = tooling).=20 There are some very fine builds of that MPM kit out there = too.

 

My first impression of this = tooling is=20 that in many places the detail is soft =E2=80=93 particularly = the smaller stand=20 alone parts. There are heavy seam lines in places, poor = definition and=20 lost opportunities to put more detail into that big cockpit = =E2=80=93 and=20 elsewhere. There are sufficient interior parts to get you = started on the=20 detailing =E2=80=93 but it=E2=80=99s now 2010 so why not go a = little further Italeri?=20 The surface detail on the major parts is quite nice but there = will be=20 accusations of it being exaggerated and with some justification. = Nevertheless, it has been tooled and can be reduced or removed = if=20 desired and without much difficulty.. Anyway =E2=80=93 look at = the photos=20 provided here and check your reference photographs.

 

The decals provide markings = for:

 

A        =20 2/Sagr.125, Crete, = 1941

 

B        =20 1/Bordflieger Gr.196, Battleship Bismarck, 1940

 

C        =20 1/Bordflieger Gr.196 Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen, = 1940

 

D        =20 Auxillary Cruiser Thor (HSK-4), Malaya, 1941

 

E         =20 Auxillary Cruiser Widder (HSK-3), October=20 1941

 

 

Decals are pretty good and = only the French=20 roundels are a little off at their centres.

 

Instructions are clear and = easy to follow=20 =E2=80=93 there is also a supplementary document (and I = don=E2=80=99t know if this in=20 the Italeri boxing) that provides a history of the type = including a=20 little background on the French and Japanese markings for Ar196s = carried=20 by German auxiliary cruisers in the Pacific. It also has a = couple of=20 small sketches and a factory photo. The kit should look real = nice with=20 some suitable marine environment weathering =E2=80=93 if you can = bring yourself=20 to do that after laying down all that nice paint and decal=20 work....

 

This Italeri/Tamiya Ar 196 is = recommended=20 but I think it=E2=80=99ll be up to the good brass and resin = people out there put=20 together a package to really elevate this kit up to spec or you = can use=20 what=E2=80=99s there as the basis for your own scratch building. = The Ar 196 is=20 such a deserving subject of some extra attention =E2=80=A6 and = it kind of needs=20 it.

 

This kit can be purchased = here: =20 http://www.hlj.com/product/TAM37006

 

My thanks to HobbyLink = Japan (http://www..hlj.com/) for providing this review sample.

 

Nick Moore 24 August = 2010

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