Luft 46 Models: Arado E 581

Luft 46 Models: Arado kits

Manufacturers

Ar E 381

Arado E-581 - 4
ARBA 1/72 & 1/48 AUD $ 20 - 25 (1/72)
William Moore - Reviewed 97

This kit has been sitting in my cupboard for about 3 years and is now unobtainable thankfully . This is yet another resin kit of a small 1946 fighter.

There is not many parts to this one . You first start with the body which has two main parts one being the body of the engine area and add the jet intakes . Then grab your favourite filler , if you're down to the last 1/3 or less go out and purchase some more before starting , you'll need it . After a ton of sanding and filling this started to look quite good . Next add the wing section and fill and sand again and again and again etc. etc.

Well after all that I'm stuck on this kit , I will return to it later but have run out of enthusiasm for the moment. 12/1/97

Rating : - 1/10 Definitely only for the enthusiast , yes it'll round out your collection but only if you reaaaallllyy want it , consider the above before buying . Even the example photo on the cover looks fairly average which doesn't inspire me .

Here's where I got up to - the silver paint was for picking up the many problems with the seams.

In the end I passed this to a friend who wanted it desperately and there it's fate remains .

Dan Johnson advises me that their 1/48 kit of this is quite good and given the improvement evident in their 1/48 Triebflugel I would buy that version. Here's a picture of his built up version .

Arado E-581 - 4
ARBA 1/48
Mark Hernandez

Dan's right on the 581, it is really a nice kit. It's only 5 main parts; body and wings are one piece, intake nose piece, engine pod which also comprises the cockpit tub and the outer fins on the wings. Yes, it has white metal gear and L/G doors and seat and a vac canopy.

I spent the time watching the Academy Awards cleaning up the mould lines and flash on the leading and trailing edges. I also thinned out the trailing edges. The left wing is slightly thicker than the right wing. The engine pod to body is a beautiful fit. Just need to clean up the mating pieces on the front of the engine pod/body to the nose cap. I didn't get a chance to cut off the mold retainer on the inside of the upper body trailing edge. This is where the back of the body/wing joins the back of the engine pod/body.

The only other area some purist may want to do some carving will be the intake and exhaust. The nose cap can have the area of the intake cut out with an Xacto but then you'll need to do a little drilling to give it some depth perception. On the exhaust there is nothing but a solid plug so best to drill it out and maybe get the onion from an Me262 or buy a 1/48 Jumo 004 from Engine & Things and carve it up. At least on the engine pod/body it's hollow so you can add lead weight to the very front to try and get her on her nose wheel. There's not much room elsewhere.