Arado Ar 196 A-3 Floatplane – Kriegsmarine (Displayed)
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£12.00
1 in stock
Oxford Aviation 1/72 Scale AC027: Arado Ar 196 A-3 floatplane of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) unit 2./SAGr.125. Fabulous looking very accurate model; an essential addition to any World War 2 collection.
Length 6 inches Wingspan 6.75 inches
PLEASE NOTE: Model has been on display and the base of the stand does not have the model name on it. Please do not purchase if you want a mint undisplayed example
The Ar 196 was a shipboard reconnaissance aircraft built by the German firm Arado starting in 1936. The next year it was selected as the winner of a design contest, and became the standard aircraft of the Kriegsmarine throughout World War II.
The Arado Ar 196 served aboard many German Navy ships during World War II, including the cruiser Graf Spee and the battleship Bismarck. The aircraft entered service with the German Navy in November 1938. The Ar 196 was used for reconnaissance, coastal patrols, anti-submarine, light bombing, escorting convoys and air-sea rescue. A land-based version was used from bases in the North Sea, Baltic and the Bay of Biscay. Arado built over 500 Ar 196s before production ended in August 1944.
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 AR196s 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 in the early war years. Although it was no match for a fighter, it was considerably better than its Allied floatplane counterparts, and generally considered the best of its class. Owing to its good handling on water, the Finnish Air Force utilized Ar 196s to transport and supply special forces patrols behind enemy lines, landing on small lakes in remote areas. Several fully equipped soldiers were carried in the fuselage on these missions.
Weight | 1 kg |
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