| Ar 96 | |
|---|---|
| Arado Ar 96Bs in echelon flight | |
| Role | Military Trainer |
| Manufacturer | Arado Flugzeugwerke |
| Designer | Walter Blume |
| First flight | 1938 |
| Introduction | 1939 |
| Primary users | Luftwaffe Czechoslovakian Air Force Hungarian Air Force Romanian Air Force |
| Number built | ~ 3,500 |
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.
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Designed by Walter Blume as the result of a 1936 Reich Air Ministry tender, the prototype, powered by a 179 kW (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.
The Ar 96 was used for advanced, night and instrument flying training.
Shadow production was undertaken by Letov and the Avia factory in occupied Czechoslovakia, where manufacturing continued for some years after the war, being designated C-2. A wooden version known as the Ar 396 was built in France and was designated SIPA SS.11. Further developments were the SIPA 111 (armed version), and SIPA S-12, a metal version. 58 Machines were produced until 1958. The S.11 was operated with some success in Algeria carrying machine guns, rockets and light bombs.
| Version | Arado | AGO | Avia | Letov | Total | Construction Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prototypes | 4 | 4 | 1937 - 1938 | |||
| A-0 | 6 | 6 | including 3 delivered on 1 April 1939, W.-Nr. 2879-2884 | |||
| A | 23 | 69 | 92 | Mid 1939 - May 1940 | ||
| B-0 | 2 | 2 | 1940 | |||
| B-1 | 144 | 223 | 997 | 17 | 1,381 | July 1940 - April 1944 |
| B-3 | 210 | 210 | 1941 - 1943 | |||
| B-6 | 100 | 100 | July 1943 - January 1944 | |||
| B-7 | 518 | 378 | 896 | May 1944 - March 1945 | ||
| B-7/B-8 | 81 | 81 | December 1944 - March 1945 | |||
| B-8 | 74 | 74 | June 1944 - January 1945 | |||
| Sales series | 45 | 45 | 1939 - 1940 | |||
| TOTALS | 224 | 292 | 1825 | 550 | 2891 |
Data from [5]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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