ARADO Ar 96
The Arado Ar 96 was a German single-engine, low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, produced by Arado Flugzeugwerke. It was the Luftwaffe's standard advanced trainer during World War II.
Arado Ar 96
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
Designed by Walter Blume as the result of a 1936 Reich Air Ministry tender, the prototype, powered by a 240 hp Argus As 10c engine, first flew in 1938. In 1939, an initial batch of Ar 96A aircraft was produced. This was followed by the major production series, the more powerful Ar 96B, fitted with the Argus As 410 engine. OPERATIONAL HISTORY
The Ar 96 was used for advanced, night and instrument-flying training. Famously, during the evening of 28 April 1945, pilot Hanna Reitsch was flown with then-Luftwaffe head Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim out from Berlin under Soviet fire in an Arado Ar 96 trainer, from an improvised airstrip in the Tiergarten, piloted by a Luftwaffe sergeant. Shadow production was undertaken by Letov and the Avia factory in occupied Czechoslovakia, where manufacturing continued for some years after the war, being designated the Avia C-2B. A wooden version, known as the Ar 396, was built in France and was designated the SIPA S.10. Further developments were the SIPA S.11 (armed version), and the SIPA S.12, a metal version; 188 of all versions were produced until 1958. The S.11 was operated with some success in Algeria, carrying machine guns, rockets and light bombs. VARIANTS
Ar 96A
Two-seat advanced trainer aircraft. Initial production version. Ar 96B
Improved version. Main production version. Ar 96B-1
Unarmed pilot trainer version. Ar 96B-2 Ar 96C Ar 296
A proposed development of the Ar 96 with an Argus As 411 engine, abandoned in favour of the Ar 396, due to the use of non-strategic materials in the Ar 396 production. Ar 396A-1
Single-seat gunnery trainer, powered by an Argus As 411 engine, built largely from wood. Ar 396A-2
Unarmed instrument trainer version. SIPA S.10
French production version of Ar 396, 28 produced. SIPA S.11
Modified version of S.10, powered by Renault 12S (French built Argus As 411), 50 built for the French Air Force. SIPA S.12
All-metal version of S.11, 52 built for the French Air Force. SIPA S.121
Modified version of S.12, 58 built for the French Air Force. Avia C.2B
Czechoslovak production version of the Ar 96B. Czechoslovak designation C.2B. 228 built by Avia and 182 by Letov between 1945 and 1950. SPECIFICATION
Type: Advanced Trainer & Multi-role tactical
Origin: Arado Flugzeugwerke
Designer: Walter Blume
Models: See variants
Crew: Two
First Flight:
Ar 96A: 1938
Ar 96B: January 1940
Introduction: 1939
Final Delivery: Czech built C.2B: 1948
Primary Users:
Luftwaffe (german Air Force)
Czechoslovakian Air Force
Hungarian Air Force
Romanian Air Force
Number Produced: 2,891 POWERPLANT:
Ar 96A:
Model: Argus As 10C
Type: 8-Cylinder air-cooled inverted vee
Number: One
Horsepower: 240 hp
Ar 96B:
Model: Argus As 410A-1
Type: 12-Cylinder air-cooled inverted vee
Number: One
Horsepower: 465 hp
Ar 396A-1:
Model: Argus As 411MA
Type: 12-Cylinder air-cooled inverted vee
Number: One
Horsepower: 581 hp Propeller: 2-bladed variable pitch metal propeller
DIMENSIONS:
Wing span: 36 ft. 1 in. (11.00m)
Length:
Ar 96A: 27 ft. 1 in. (8.26m)
Ar 96B: 29 ft. 11¼ in. (9.13m)
Ar 396A-1: 31 ft. (9.3m)
Height:
Ar 96B: 8 ft. 6 in. (2.6m)
Ar 396A-1: 8 ft. (2.45m)
Wing Surface Area:
Ar 96B: 184 sq ft. (17.2 sq m)
Ar 396A-1: 197 sq ft. (18.3 sq m) WEIGHTS:
Empty:
Ar 96A: 2,617 lb. (1187 kg)
Ar 96B: 2,854 lb. (1295 kg)
Ar 396A-1: 2,855 lb. (1,295 kg)
Loaded:
Ar 96A: 3,476 lb. (1577 kg)
Ar 96B: 3,747 lb. (1695 kg)
Ar 396A-1: 4,452 lb. (2,060 kg) PERFORMANCE:
Maximum Speed:
Ar 96B: 210 mph (330 kph)
Ar 396A-1: 221 mph (355 kph)
Cruise Speed:
Ar 96B: 183 mph (295 kph)
Ar 396A-1: 171 mph (275 kph) at sea level
Initial Climb: 1,000.6 ft/min (5,083 m/s)
Time to altitude (13,123 ft/4,000m)
Ar 396A-1: 10 Minutes 18 seconds
Service Ceiling:
Ar 96B: 23,300 ft. (7,100 m)
Ar 396A-1: 22,638 ft. (6,900 m)
Range:
Ar 96A: 560 miles (900 km)
Ar 96B: 615 miles (990 km)
Ar 396A-1: 373 miles (600 km)
ARMAMENTS:
Ar 96A: None Ar 96B: One 7.92mm MG 17 machine guns above engine on right or gunnery camera. Ar 396A-1: 1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine gun + 2 x 50 kg (110 lb) bombs on underwing racks Payload: Provisions for light bombs.
Comments:
Production almost entirely assigned to Ago Flugzeugwerke and to Avia and Letov in Czecholovakia. Letov in Czechoslovakia kept the C.2B version in production until 1948. The Ar 396 was designed as replacement but did not see production for Luftwaffe, France built large numbers post war as the S.11 followed by the all metal S.12
Arado Ar 96
Designed by Walter Blume as the result of a 1936 Reich Air Ministry tender, the prototype, powered by a 240 hp Argus As 10c engine, first flew in 1938. In 1939, an initial batch of Ar 96A aircraft was produced. This was followed by the major production series, the more powerful Ar 96B, fitted with the Argus As 410 engine. OPERATIONAL HISTORY
The Ar 96 was used for advanced, night and instrument-flying training. Famously, during the evening of 28 April 1945, pilot Hanna Reitsch was flown with then-Luftwaffe head Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim out from Berlin under Soviet fire in an Arado Ar 96 trainer, from an improvised airstrip in the Tiergarten, piloted by a Luftwaffe sergeant. Shadow production was undertaken by Letov and the Avia factory in occupied Czechoslovakia, where manufacturing continued for some years after the war, being designated the Avia C-2B. A wooden version, known as the Ar 396, was built in France and was designated the SIPA S.10. Further developments were the SIPA S.11 (armed version), and the SIPA S.12, a metal version; 188 of all versions were produced until 1958. The S.11 was operated with some success in Algeria, carrying machine guns, rockets and light bombs. VARIANTS
Ar 96A
Two-seat advanced trainer aircraft. Initial production version. Ar 96B
Improved version. Main production version. Ar 96B-1
Unarmed pilot trainer version. Ar 96B-2 Ar 96C Ar 296
A proposed development of the Ar 96 with an Argus As 411 engine, abandoned in favour of the Ar 396, due to the use of non-strategic materials in the Ar 396 production. Ar 396A-1
Single-seat gunnery trainer, powered by an Argus As 411 engine, built largely from wood. Ar 396A-2
Unarmed instrument trainer version. SIPA S.10
French production version of Ar 396, 28 produced. SIPA S.11
Modified version of S.10, powered by Renault 12S (French built Argus As 411), 50 built for the French Air Force. SIPA S.12
All-metal version of S.11, 52 built for the French Air Force. SIPA S.121
Modified version of S.12, 58 built for the French Air Force. Avia C.2B
Czechoslovak production version of the Ar 96B. Czechoslovak designation C.2B. 228 built by Avia and 182 by Letov between 1945 and 1950. SPECIFICATION
Type: Advanced Trainer & Multi-role tactical
Origin: Arado Flugzeugwerke
Designer: Walter Blume
Models: See variants
Crew: Two
First Flight:
Ar 96A: 1938
Ar 96B: January 1940
Introduction: 1939
Final Delivery: Czech built C.2B: 1948
Primary Users:
Luftwaffe (german Air Force)
Czechoslovakian Air Force
Hungarian Air Force
Romanian Air Force
Number Produced: 2,891 POWERPLANT:
Ar 96A:
Model: Argus As 10C
Type: 8-Cylinder air-cooled inverted vee
Number: One
Horsepower: 240 hp
Ar 96B:
Model: Argus As 410A-1
Type: 12-Cylinder air-cooled inverted vee
Number: One
Horsepower: 465 hp
Ar 396A-1:
Model: Argus As 411MA
Type: 12-Cylinder air-cooled inverted vee
Number: One
Horsepower: 581 hp Propeller: 2-bladed variable pitch metal propeller
DIMENSIONS:
Wing span: 36 ft. 1 in. (11.00m)
Length:
Ar 96A: 27 ft. 1 in. (8.26m)
Ar 96B: 29 ft. 11¼ in. (9.13m)
Ar 396A-1: 31 ft. (9.3m)
Height:
Ar 96B: 8 ft. 6 in. (2.6m)
Ar 396A-1: 8 ft. (2.45m)
Wing Surface Area:
Ar 96B: 184 sq ft. (17.2 sq m)
Ar 396A-1: 197 sq ft. (18.3 sq m) WEIGHTS:
Empty:
Ar 96A: 2,617 lb. (1187 kg)
Ar 96B: 2,854 lb. (1295 kg)
Ar 396A-1: 2,855 lb. (1,295 kg)
Loaded:
Ar 96A: 3,476 lb. (1577 kg)
Ar 96B: 3,747 lb. (1695 kg)
Ar 396A-1: 4,452 lb. (2,060 kg) PERFORMANCE:
Maximum Speed:
Ar 96B: 210 mph (330 kph)
Ar 396A-1: 221 mph (355 kph)
Cruise Speed:
Ar 96B: 183 mph (295 kph)
Ar 396A-1: 171 mph (275 kph) at sea level
Initial Climb: 1,000.6 ft/min (5,083 m/s)
Time to altitude (13,123 ft/4,000m)
Ar 396A-1: 10 Minutes 18 seconds
Service Ceiling:
Ar 96B: 23,300 ft. (7,100 m)
Ar 396A-1: 22,638 ft. (6,900 m)
Range:
Ar 96A: 560 miles (900 km)
Ar 96B: 615 miles (990 km)
Ar 396A-1: 373 miles (600 km)
ARMAMENTS:
Ar 96A: None Ar 96B: One 7.92mm MG 17 machine guns above engine on right or gunnery camera. Ar 396A-1: 1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine gun + 2 x 50 kg (110 lb) bombs on underwing racks Payload: Provisions for light bombs.
Comments:
Production almost entirely assigned to Ago Flugzeugwerke and to Avia and Letov in Czecholovakia. Letov in Czechoslovakia kept the C.2B version in production until 1948. The Ar 396 was designed as replacement but did not see production for Luftwaffe, France built large numbers post war as the S.11 followed by the all metal S.12
Sources:
Gunston, Bill & Wood, Tony - Hitler's Luftwaffe
, 1977, Salamander
Books Ltd., London
Wikipedia - Arado Ar 96
Gunston, Bill & Wood, Tony - Hitler's Luftwaffe
, 1977, Salamander
Books Ltd., LondonWikipedia - Arado Ar 96
