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Reviewed by Geoff Coughlin
Our thanks to Revell for the review sample: www.revell.de/ 
Background…
The Arado Ar 196 certainly looked the part – functional yet clearly designed for the maritime spotting role. In fact, the plane was loved by its pilots, who found it handled well both in the air and on the water. With the loss of the German surface fleet the A-1s were added to coastal squadrons, and continued to fly reconnaissance missions and submarine hunts into late 1944. Two notable operations were the capture of HMS Seal, and the repeated interception of RAF Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley bombers. Although it was no match for a fighter, it was considerably better than its Allied counterparts, and generally considered the best of its class. Owing to its good handling on water, the Finnish Air Force utilized Ar 196 solely on transporting and supplying special forces patrols behind enemy lines, landing on small lakes in remote areas. Several fully-equipped soldiers were carried in the fuselage. (source www.wikipedia.org )
The kit…the build…
They say that good things come in twos (well three’s but you get my drift?) and so it has been with the new GWH Focke-Wulf Fw.189A-2 and this new release from Revell, the Arado Ar 196A-3 seaplane. Choices, choices… well in the end I decided to let Dave Coward have the Fw 189 and get cracking on that (he’s finished it and just waiting for the words and final pics and then you’ll see what a great job he’s done on it). In the meantime I have begun to get to grips with this large seaplane from Revell. Much hype accompanied the release: great value for money; great levels of detail etc etc and so this build will test all of that and of course my initial assessment that you can read in full in Here Now.
Into the cockpit…
Well, so many parts here it’s amazing and rather than list them all here just take a look at the accompanying images and you’ll see what I mean. Highlights are definitely the fine detail on the instrument panel and radio panel immediately behind the pilot’s seat.
Then there’s the large single MG on the right side of the pilot’s position and very delicate rear gunner MG, not to mention all the very neatly detailed ammunition magazines strewn around the rear cockpit. Less impressive or convincing are the moulded in lap belts on the pilot seat and rear gunner bench-seat. These are very heavy but as I promised I am going to build this one almost completely out of the box, save for an aerial wire later and so I have shown you these painted rather than replaced which I think is definitely the best option.
Remove those circles? Your call…