Hobby 2000 48010 - 1:48 Arado 234 B-2 End of War

Plastic model kit of the German Arado Ar 234 B-2 Blitz jet bomber in 1:48 scale

Hobby 2000 48010 is a self-assembly kit of the Arado Ar 234 B-2 in a boxing devoted to the final period of the Second World War. It is based on Hasegawa plastic, to which Hobby 2000 has added its own box, illustrated assembly instructions, self-adhesive masks for the glazing and a sheet of waterslide decals printed by Cartograf.

The model reproduces the Blitz's slender airframe with its fully glazed nose, shoulder-mounted wing and two nacelles housing the Junkers Jumo 004 turbojets. The external bomb load with its racks and the retractable tricycle landing gear are included as well. Finely engraved panel lines respond well to a panel wash.

By the spring of 1945 the Ar 234 was operating amid the collapse of the German supply system, with fuel shortages, improvised camouflage and very short engine life. It is a rewarding subject for modellers who enjoy heavily used, weathered finishes.

What's in the box:

• Plastic parts covering the airframe, engine nacelles and landing gear
• Clear parts for the glazed nose and cockpit canopy
• Bomb load with its racks
• Self-adhesive masks for the glazing
• Waterslide decals printed by Cartograf
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:48
• Catalogue number: 48010
• Manufacturer: Hobby 2000
• Assembled model length: approx. 263 mm
• Assembled model wingspan: approx. 300 mm
• Skill level: intermediate

Note: The kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Assembly:

The kit suits modellers with some experience. The extensively glazed nose deserves the most attention — it defines the look of the Ar 234 and of the finished model. The included self-adhesive masks make this much easier, preparing the glazing for frame painting without laborious tape cutting. The cockpit is best painted and finished before the fuselage is closed, while the long engine nacelles call for careful seam clean-up and alignment parallel to the aircraft's axis.

Late-war Ar 234 B-2s were usually finished in RLM 81 and RLM 82 upper surfaces over RLM 76 light blue undersides, often with irregular patches or mottling on the fuselage sides and tail surfaces. Applying the decals over a gloss coat is recommended to reduce the risk of silvering, with a satin varnish for the final finish. A light panel wash and subtle scorching around the jet exhausts underline the character of an aircraft operated in the improvised conditions of the last months of the war.

Tools required:

• Modelling sprue cutters
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up sprue gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in assorted sizes or an airbrush
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish for decalling and satin varnish for the final finish
• Panel wash to emphasise details and panel lines

About the aircraft – Arado Ar 234 B-2 Blitz:

The Arado Ar 234 Blitz was the world's first jet bomber to enter operational service. Work began in 1940 around a fast reconnaissance aircraft, and the first prototype flew on 15 June 1943. Early examples took off from a jettisonable trolley and landed on skids; only the production B series received conventional retractable tricycle landing gear, which required a wider fuselage and rearranged fuel tanks.

The B-2 was the bomber variant, able to carry up to 1,500 kg of bombs on racks under the fuselage and the engine nacelles. The pilot sat in a fully glazed nose with a bombsight and an autopilot that took over control during the bomb run. Power came from two Junkers Jumo 004 turbojets in underwing nacelles. Its performance made the Ar 234 practically untouchable by Allied piston-engined fighters, although short engine life and limited fuel supplies severely restricted its use.

The Ar 234 flew its first operational sorties in the summer of 1944 as a reconnaissance aircraft over Normandy. The only major bomber unit to operate the type was KG 76, whose aircraft took part in the Ardennes offensive and in the well-known attacks on the Remagen bridge in March 1945. About 210 examples of the B series were built — too few and too late to affect the course of the war, but enough for the Ar 234 to enter history as the first operational jet bomber.

Original aircraft specifications (Arado Ar 234 B-2):

• Length: 12.64 m
• Wingspan: 14.41 m
• Height: 4.29 m
• Empty weight: approx. 5,200 kg
• Take-off weight: up to approx. 9,800 kg
• Crew: 1
• Powerplant: two Junkers Jumo 004B turbojets of approx. 8.8 kN thrust each
• Maximum speed: approx. 740 km/h
• Service ceiling: approx. 10,000 m
• Range: approx. 1,600 km
• Bomb load: up to 1,500 kg on racks under the fuselage and engine nacelles
• Production: approx. 210 aircraft of the B series

About the manufacturer – Hobby 2000:

Hobby 2000 is a Polish model company based in Katowice that specialises in preparing its own boxings of plastic kits. Its releases follow a re-issue formula: the plastic parts come from established kit manufacturers, while Hobby 2000 adds its own box, illustrated assembly instructions, a fresh decal sheet printed by the Italian printing house Cartograf and — in most aircraft kits — self-adhesive masks for the glazing. The result combines proven tooling with a decal sheet developed for one narrowly defined subject. The company's catalogue covers 1:72, 1:48, 1:35 and 1:32, with a clear emphasis on Second World War and Cold War aviation. A hallmark of the range is its thematic approach: individual boxings are devoted to a single front, campaign, unit or operator of a given type, frequently with Polish connections. Cartograf decals offer a thin carrier film, crisp printing and accurate colour registration, which makes applying the markings straightforward and helps avoid silvering. Hobby 2000 kits are produced in limited runs and many titles do not return to the market once sold out. Today the company is one of the most recognisable Polish publishers of plastic kits, stocked by model shops across Europe.