Arado Ar232B-07 GD+XN

Tony May
Wow, that's some tedious work needed for the landing gear. Have you considered creating your own mold to copy the Fw-189/Hs-126 wheels? Just out of curiosity did it actually use the same wheels as these aircraft mentioned? I don't have the Mach 2 kit YET but I did pick up the AP Modely canopy while I still could. The owner of the company has decided to focus exclusively on TT-Gauge model train stuff but thankfully he still had some old stock on hand for a bunch of canopies with additional bits & bobs I wanted to snag. (Thank goodness for his Fujimi E14Y Glen set; That two piece cowling, that goes right across the "cylinder bumps," reminded me of the Italeri B-25H/J nightmare.)

I see you have a couple of reference books on the type - are there any decent images of this weird set of wings innards contained therein?

Larry Cherniak
The millipede gear was my main holdup on this project. That and I had to wait a decade for my skills to catch up to my ambitions. But they now have, so this project may move up the list. 3D design and printing would be great but I don't do that, so scratching one set of two wheels and their gear and casting resin copies will be my way. Lets hope someone in Ukraine drops a new tool first! Yes, there are not only images and drawings but an excellent 1/15 scratchbuilt model by Gunter Sengfelder with many operating features, including flaps, in both books. Thank goodness I have already glued the wings together so I am no longer tempted to replicate all that structure!
Search for: ARADO Ar 232 „TATZELWURM" – der erste Kampfzonen-Transporter der Welt for a set of 2 articles (in German) with good pictures. As to the wheels, I have compiled a pdf of interchangeable Luftwaffe wheels based on Sengfelders German Landing Gear book. Of course, the hub size and design often changes, but it has proved an excellent resource for measuring kit and aftermarket wheels, and finding useful swaps (including across scales if you're clever with math!). I can share it with you if you provide a way. I once owned two (real) 700x175 smooth Fw190 tires and inner tubes, and found from that list that they may have been used on the Ta152H or even a Me163 takeoff trolley- and were the planned tires for the Ta183 jet.

Tony May
As I haven't seen/handled the kit personally I can't really say much about the parts that Mach 2 provides for it - though I know they are extremely rudimentary judging by those I do have. However with how they are the dominant feature behind this aircraft I would imagine you'd absolutely want to do them right. I have never cast my own resin parts, I've read about it so I have the theory, just not the practical experience. Mars Models released some graphics for a new Tatzelwurm, but an Ar-232A-0 in 2018, as you can see under the topic Arado Ar 232, but there's been no news on it since to my knowledge.

Wow, a 1/15 scale model of the Tatzelwurm?! That's some crazy dedication there & what I really want to know is where he keeps it, his garage, a storage shed, a barn or perhaps he rents some hangar space? Sheesh! lol I found an image of a Mach 2 Ar-232 with the flaps deployed like you mentioned. This looks real similar to modern flaps used in commercial aviation to my eyes! That would've looked pretty interesting if you're into displaying your birds "extra dirty." (I've never dropped the flaps on one of my builds & have only built two aircraft models with the gear retracted for a ceiling display when I was far younger.) If you wanna take a look at this gent's work here's the address;

imodeler.com/2022/11..do-ar232b-transport/

As for those articles, they are FANTASTIC! Thank you very much for pointing me in this direction! They have been saved & cataloged for when I get around to that project! 😉 I'll send you a private message regarding the file you were talking about, because that'd be real handy, I wish there was something of similar comparison for British & American aircraft for WW2. (I mean, I know the Hellcat & Corsair used the same main wheels - but that's all I know.)

Ben M
What an interesting subject!

Treehugger
Oh, wow. Never seen this thing before. Heh, it's like from some Indiana Jones movie. 😄